Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-15
THE COAL BUG.
A WastefuI InseoE Dangerous so Hu-
man Lifes

An entomologist has discovered what
he terms the coal bug or the eSnsez an
htrdeitus. Professor Otto Hechelmeyer,
who has been interviewed on the subject
by reporter of the Philadelphia Record,
makes the following startling statement:
He said that. taking the result of Pro-
fessor Agassiz's discoveries in mid ocean,
where he found that minute corpuscles
threw of their shells, and these, growing
together, formed immense deposits, it is
not surprising that Professor Rodagash,
of Stockholm, whom he met in Gettin-
gen last year, should appear with new
species Of bug, which might be consider
ed as descendant of the prehistoric
tree bug, and which is now found in coal
in great quantities and threatens to un-
dermine many valuable coal beds. at
is very noticeable, said Professor Hech-
elmeyer, 'that the so called coal dust is
peculiar on account of its round ap-
-pearance. Upon examination with
the microscope it is found that these
particles are covered with millions of
these elmer GnthrGcitus. Each one is
about the size of the head of a needle,
fiat in appearance, and are plentiful at
the bottom of coal veins, from whence
they work their way to the top. making
holes in the mineral and rendering it
almost unfit for use. The male is of
gray black color, ami has six spots on
his back. The female is broad and has
nine spots. But why these spots vary in
the sexes is something that has puzzled
the scientific men who have examined
them" The Professor went on at length
to give description of these bugs and
their evil prOpensities. He said that coal
oil was but another form of these insects,
but that in this liquid state they had be.
come crushed, and those that escaped
forced their way to the surface, where
they were found. "You have often no.
ticed," said the Professor, "that when
coal is first placed upon a fire, or when
it is ignited, there is a cracking, kissing
noise, and pieces fly about in the CRATE
or range. That is caused by the death
struggles of these insects. The more
of these there are in coal the quicker it
burns Housekeepers often wonder why
it is that one ton of coal will last longer
than another. The cause of this is easily
explained-One has moro of the cimer
GnttrdcttuS in it than the other" Board.
ing-house keepers who purchase cheap
coal pay half for coal and the other half
for load of these awful insects as a
general thing. Servant girls, stokers in
fire rooms and housewives cannot be too
careful when moving about coal pile,
for if one of these minute creatures
should get upon their clothing or flesh
the former would be eaten into holes
quicker than by moths. When they
become attached to the skin of person
they burrow in, and, burying themselves,
multiply fast, producing a white swell
ing, which eventually results in soften
ing of the bones and horrible death.
Coal miners who imbibe large quantities
Of whisky are never attacked by these
insects. The only method yet known to
kill these bugs in a coal pile is, sprinkle
a bucketful of chloride of lime solution
over it, the proportion being about one
bucket to ton of coal.