The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-09-27
Written for the woGKIssmAxs ADvOcAruL
The Origin Of Coal-No.
BY ASsRKw RoT.
DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF COAL.

| nc CO0A AA8koACo VI euO PhAAuoN0A WOEAus
on being opened up 10 serve the purposes
Of man. present several distinct varieties
of coal The Goals of the carboniferous
formation, called true Goals, in contra
distinction 10 the lignates, or brown Goals
of more recent geological formations, are
classed under the general names Of bitumi-
nous and anthracite. The bituminous class
show great diversity, both in their physical
and chemical properties They are divided
into different species, and are known by
various names, according TO their quality
and shisf properties, Hneh wmzansf eoat.
block coal, gas coal, coking coal, dry coal,
&c. They are Of all shades Of color, from
deep black to greyish black, and exhibit
in their structure some well marked pecu-
liarities. The dry or open burning kinds
usually possess a laminated structure the
| fracture or dense of the coal in always hor-
izontal and the bed is often intersected
with partings, or cutters, called face and
butt slips, which cross each other like lAti-
tude and longitude lines, giving the masses
as they come from the miners pick, the aP-
pearance Of squares and parallelograms.
These Goals do not cake or swell when
burning, for which reason they are especial
ly adapted to the smelling Of iron in a raw
state, and are often called furnace GOALS be-
cause Of this quality.
The coking Goals melt and fuse when
burning, which causes them to choke up III
the furnace, and form hollow fire. Hence
they require to be coked to adapt them to
furnace uses. In the operation Of coking,
all the bitumnOus or gaseous matter "a
burned out, leaving behind the carbon and
ashes. This class Of Goals, when free from
sulphur, is largely employed in the manu-
facture Of gas.
The specific gravity Of bituminous Goals
is % to A, and they generally contain
from 20 to 80 per cent. Of carbon, = to 22
per cent. Of oxyVen, hydrogen, and nitro
gen, with variable proportions Of earthly
matters
The camel Goals possess large amount
Of hydrogen. They are mainly used in the
manufacture Of gas, and In the parlors Of
Tic NcAAAny- lnC1 WIN a bil4nAs
clear flame, making pleasant parlor fire,
and the gas possesses higher illuminating
powers than the gas Of the more common
varieties. This coal has dull luster, and
is in color between velvet and greyish
black and it breaks with Hat, conchoidil
fracture. 1t does not soil the fingers in
handling, and produces very little dust In
| the mine. The remains of fishes, shells
and amphibious animals are often found
imbedded III the beds of camel coal whence
it is believed that the carboniferous mat
ter was deposited in lagoons Of open water
at the period Of formation, in the condi-
tion Of muck or mud, and similar to the
muck swamps of the present day.
Anthracite In q black, heavy Goa, possess
ing conchoidal fracture, and containing
from 80 to % per cent. Of carbon, and a
small per cent. Of hydrogen, oxygen al d
nitrogen. This coal kindles with difficulty,
but when once ignited it burns with an in
tense heat, emitting neither smoke nor
flame Ii exists IN much less areas than
the bituminous species 1t is found in quite
extensive areas in Pennsylvania and in
South Wales 1t also exists in France
Russia, Saxony and in the South Of Ire
land More than half the coal now raised
in the United States is drawn from the an
thracite coal region Of Pennsylvania The
specific gravity OF Anthracite is from |. 3 to
to 1.75.
Anthracite coal was originally bitumin-
GUS, the change being effected through the
agency Of heat, which drove of the btu
minOus matter, in the same manner as the
gasses are burned off in making charcoal
| Coke and anthracite possess the same prop
critics, the difference in their weight being
due to the circumstances under which they
were formed. Anthracite is pressed hard
and compact by the weight Of the superin-
cumbent strata of the mine coke Is light,
porous and spongy, because the gasses are
burned off in the open air, where no pres
sure is brought to bear upon the resulting
material.
The anthracite coal fields Of PennsyIva-
MIA form portion Of the great Allegheny
coal fields, and were originally bituminOus
in character, in common with the vast de-
posits Of Western Pennsylvania, West Vir-
ginia, Ohio, &C. The intense heat which
attended the elevation Of these mountains,
acted on the Goa, and forced out the gasses,
the process being similar to the operations
prscticed in the production Of common
street gas.
There is another class # Goals, interme
diate between bituminous and anthracite
called semi -bituminous, from which a great
portion of the annual coal pi ioduction o.
the world is drawn. They contain, az theil
name implies, little bituminous matter, anC
large amount Of carbon. They burn free
10, producing an intense heat, when undel
the action of a strong blast They are pc
culiarly adapted to the manufacture o
iron and the generation Of steam. Like tn,
anthracite Goals, they have been subjected
to the action of heat during the folding 0
the coal strata, though in a less degree
The coal is less de-bituminized, because il
the metamorphic process the same Oppor
tunities Of escape ON the part Of the gas
eous materials Of the coal did not exist il
those semi -bituminous regions, az Is show
by the bendings without fractures Of tn
. strata.
The lignites or brown Goals belong to
later geological age than the true Goals 0
the carboniferous formation. They exhibi
in their structure plain and unmistakabl
traces Of their vegetable origin. Hence tn
name Of Ignite Limites burn with clea
flame, and bituminous smell. They read
ily decompose when exposed to the actiol
Of the atmosphere, and are for this reasol
untitled for distant transportation afte
leaving the mine. The Goals Of China an,
of the Pacific coast Of North America, be
long to this class. They exist in large area
also in the Continental States Of Europe
where they quite extensively mined. Som
of the better sorts approach the true coal
in quality.
FRUsT CHILDEES. Never accuse a chill
Of fault unless you are certain they con
mitted it. Children should not be treat
with suspicion. We should act towar
them in this matter As we feel We ought I
act toward others, only with greater tel