, 1879-02-01


Aserits Of popular lectures on coal delivered
by the Professors Ia tie Yorkshire College have
been collected uuI printed together. The re-
suit Ia m entertaining and exceedingly valuable
book. Tho object Vt the lectures primarily was
to interest the mEdlleand lower classes Of York
shlre IN sclence. Coal was chosen for the theme
because 1t was somcthlng NIL tho auditors knew
about uul handled more or less fn ulctr ordinary
ayueatious. 1t wss believed that It would t,e
eaay TO yet an,l hold lla attention of the publc
by talking about coal. Whether this ezpecta-
tion was realized We arc not informed. We
should suppose tilAt tho discussion would 60
over tlle heads OF most popular audIences In
Yorkshire, not to say in the United 5tatrs. Tho
scientific. Chaps. !. a'"l u. on tue Geology Of
Coat, aso by Fr0f. t3reen; Chap. ILL. on Coal
Plants, anl Chan. ~, @ o. lhr s A1imsls H. Of tia
Coal ateasurcs, aru by Prot. Mall; Chars. V.
Thorpe; chans. VII. uni VIII, Oh Coal rs :
| Hnurce OF Warmth und Power, are hy Prof
Rucker. and chapa. 81. aud X, Gu iac Coal Ques-
lecturers is spec!alEst ln his subject. und cac'.
brought to tilr discussion MI amount und
variety Of tnforsuatioa, aht skill IN
stating 1t, which !eaYe nothing to 10 desired III
| either tespect. With tAr possible exception ot
the TWO chapters ou the plants and ailitn.!s Of
too technical for the lay understanding. The
2 cnaplefk Oh Int Q&ntOkF u ND24s Ut AA3l ~ \
Source OF Warmth und Power, and ca thc Coal
Question, aIc specially Interesting. In the lett
tire vi Cosl ~ Souree ot Power. Prof. lluck-
r. goes pretty fully Into thu doctrine Of the cor
relation Of forces; shums llsat, IL the best en-
gtnss, uioEe than 70 per cent OF the heat used 10
producing straa1 Ii wasted, alsd inquiries wleth.
e. NJ oiher form as machine can 10 aestsed
which ahatl be equally ssry!ceabls for pFsStIval
Tho heat OF the fuel employea,
The ansWer to The last 4urAtiou
IL In the negative. Willis tho peF.sntxea
OF heat utilized tu the rate OF the electric tu-
giue, for tustnnce. Is 50 per cent, tAu relative
goat Of fuel for equal quantities Ut Work III Is
per cent, and In the casa OF uie stcana-engfno It
Is only per cent. Nor does It appear that auy
rhAnHts III The EclxtIye merits Of MHchI0es which
future invention 4,,.l improvements ulay possI-
bly bring about are likely tu diminish tlc para
mount L.u uport4nce vi miueral fuel. III all tIn-
proved utaGhlnea thus Tar thought OF. ilie source
Of power - tue satnc, though the machinery for
trausforutu9 it, enerEJ iuto uaeful work IL
widely ditIGtout.
Prof. M1rshall's two lectures ON "Thc Coal
Question" urt, from popular po!1t Of view, far
tle u,oat eutcrtaIuing Of sli. Hc shows Tie It'll.
utnse practical consequence Of coal by esttmat.
inE that In tht year lb10 uone the coal raiseu IN
Great Britain a6srded an atnouut o!ercrgy equal
10 tbs l4bor Of uoEe tGan 3,UUO, 000, ,0Q0 Slaves
| laborlng daily throughout tho year. 1n y1rw u
this statement, ''No may well uldeEstanA' "
he adds, "how 1t Is that human slavery has ae
Utterly died out tu al clvfllxed-thAt IT, all coal
, us!ug-eountrieh .Inco l77A" As to the proA
pect of I co2!-tauliue lA Great britain within I
century OF two, Prot. AAIxhal il outspokeu