Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-01-01
COAL.

the country"
COAL.
Coal is compound su bstance, con-
sisting OF carbon, bitumen, and earthly
matter. Its properties depend on the
proportions in which these ingredients
are combined. When the proportion
OF bituman is small the coal is hard
and burns with very little flame, but
gives out intense heat. Coal of this
kind is called anthracite. 1t contains
from sixty to seventy per cent. Of car
bon, little bitumen and small quanti-
ty Of earthly matter, which remains in
the CRATE after tho coal is consumed
iii the form of ashes. 1t does not coke.
When the proportion of bitumen is
large the coal is soft, its color is black
like that of anthracite coal, but not SO
brilliant. This coal has the property
of coking, that is if exposed to a red
heat, it blazes, swells and finally bakes
together, forming q spongy mass called
coke. Bituminous coal contains a
large quantity of hydrogen gas, or in
fammable Dir, which gas in combination
with carbon forms bitumen. This gas
can be extracted by distillation in iron
retorts, and used for lighting, and those
Goals which contain the most bitumen,
yield the largest quantity of gas.
There is third kind of coal called
Ignite. This coal, is widely distrib-
uted, but its character is not very we'll
defined. 1t partakes Of the properties
peculiar to both anthracite and btu
minous Goals, and might seem to be
sort of mean between the two, were it
not for objections which cause it to be
denied even the name of coal by many.
Some of it will coke, but only imper-
fectly, and the coke formed is unfit for
smelling iron. 1t contains great deal
ofsulphur, and gives trouble to the fire.
men by the formation of clinkers on the
CRATES in which it is burned.
In the opinion of most geologists,
coal has been produced by vast quanti-
ties Of plants carried down from the
land and accumulated at the bottom of
the sea during a long secession of ages.
When wood has been long time soaked
in water all the air contained in its cells
is forced out, and the wood destitute of
air, being heavier than water sinks to
the bottom. Drift-wood, leaves and
plants carried down to the sea by riv-
ers soon find their resting place at the
bottom of the ocean. Once there, they
remain until the action of the water
converts them into coal. That the ac-
ton of the water will affect this has
been proved by the observations and
experiments Of DR.. McCulloch. Coal
freed from adventitious earthly matter
is resolvable into the same elements as
w0t36, ana D.. MeCnlioeil ssl e1Saiaot.
that the action of water on submerged
wood is sufficient to convert it into a
substance capable of yielding bitumen
and bright and brittle-like Ignite. To
this action of the water must be added
the notifications caused by great and
long-continued pressure. To produce
anthracite coal in this way, duration
of time is required which we have no
means of measuring with certainty.
Numberless conjectures are made as to
how many thousand years it has been
since the coal we are now using was a
living tree, or plant, but like all such
guesses at truth, they are just as likely
to be all wrong as all right, and rice
rersa.. In estimating the value of these
different kinds of coal, consideration
must be paid to the use intended to be
to be made of them.
If gas making is intended, the value
of anthracite coal would be very small
indeed, that of bituminous coal would
be very great, and that of Ignite would
be greater, possibly, than that of anthra-
cite, but much less than that of btu
minous. For heating dwelling houses,
anthracite, where it can be easily had,
is preferred, on account of the intense
heat given out by it and its comparative
cleanliness. For the purpose OF rails
ing steam, bituminous coal is best, be-
cause it burns freely and gives out
great heat. Anthracite is not SO good
for steam purposes, because of the
comparative difficulty of keeping
up its combustion. Ignite is inferior
to both the others.
AS to the places where these Goals
are found, we may say that coal is
found in all parts of the world-anthra-
cite in various parts Of Europe, Asia
and of the eastern side Of this continent.
Bituminous coal is found in vast guam
titles in Europe. Asia and in the Missis-
sippi valley. Ignite is very generally
distributed over the world. Most OF
the Goals found on the western side OF
this continent are varieties of Ignite,
and are more or less valuable, accord
ing to the proportion of bitumen, sui
phur and earthly matter contained in
them "a large proportion of bitumen
increasing their value and large pro-
portion of sulphur diminishing it.
s1- Be virtuous and be happy.