The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1888-09-22
CuRlOSlIlES OE COAL.
The Almost Uncomfortable variety ~ Sub
stances Derived from pit-Coni


Does Hny ono except "A practical
chemist over stop Ia think Of all tho
substances which We get from pit-coal
and the almost inconccivablo variety
Of their uscsp Every body Is familiar
with those of them that arc In daily
use, such as gas. Illuminating oils,
coke and parailinc. but Of tho greater
part few persons know oven tho Dnmca.
science advances 30 rapidly md It's
nomenclature IL so extensive and 80
ubstruso. ~ is no wonder that mcr-
chants and manufacturers tako ndvan-
tago Of this ignorance 90 fOist upon tho
public articles Of food. Of drink. or for
The toilet that. II they uro not always
dangerous to tho health, havo not in
them n particle Of tho substances
which they pretend 20 contain. Though
pit-cOal has bccn known for sOmo hun
dr@eds Of years, tho discovery Of It's
numbcrlcss products IL conf ned 20 tho
present century Illuminating gas
was unknown u hundred ycnrs ago.
Petroleum has brcn I'm uso only about
forty years, and ~ is scarcely moro
thnn fifty since sOmo one discovered
that stone coal was innnmmablc. Nearly
all tho other products derived from
soft coal have boon discovered and mp
piled In tho interests Of science or of
fraud within the lasttwoBty-fyc years.
The first thought In regard tO coal
81 that 10 IS mado 10 givo hcat or
warmth, tho ncxt that ono Of its
principal uses IL 20 illuminate. But
there arc obtained from ~ tho means
OF producing over four hundred colors.
or shades Of color, among tho chief of
which orc saffron, violetbluo, and in
digo. There nre also obtained n great
variety Of perfumes cinnamon. bitter
almonds, queen Of tho mcDdows,
Glove. wintcrgrccn, mis-. camphOr,
thymol On now French odor). van'lino
and hcliOtropine Some Of thoso aro
used for 1avOring. Among tho cxplo-
siye agents whose discovery has been
caused by tho war gpirit of tho last few
years In Europe aro two called dinit-
robcnzinc. or bcllitc, and picratcs. To
medicine coal has given hypnoDc.
salicylic acid. naphtol. phcnol and
untipyrinc Bcnzinc and napbthalino
arc powerful insecticides. There bavo
bccn found ia 10 ammmiacnl salts
useful 0s fcrtilizcrs. tanrdn, sacchar-
inc (a substitute for sugar., tho favor
Of currants. raspberry and pepper.
pyrogalllc acid and hydroquiDono used
in photography, md vnriUis sub
stances familiar or unfamiliar. such as
tar, rOsin, nsphaltum. lubricatinR oils.
va,nlSi, and the bitter tasto N beer.
BY means Of some Of these we can have
vino without the Juice of tho grape,
bcer without malt, preserves without
either fruit or sugar, perfumes with
out flowers. md colOring matters with
out tho vegetable or animal substances
from which they has bccn hitherto
chiefly derived. What f. 20 bo the end
Of all this? Are our cOal-bcds not only
% warm md illuminate but 90 feed md
quench tho thirst Of pOstcrity' We
know that they are the iuzuriant ycgc-
tation 81 primal cpOchs stored and
compressed in n way that has made
them highly convenient for transport
and daily use. They arc natures saw
ings laid up for q rainy day OF her
children, tho human race, and ~ IL
probable because they arc composed OF
the trees, the foliage, tho plants, tho
roots, tho fruits and the flowers OF tho
ancient world that they now 30 largely
supply tho place ofour forests, plains.
fields md gardens San FraHetsco
Chronicle.