Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-12-05
CHEMISTRY OF COAL.
Prof +. W. Clarke Tells Some Interesting
Facts OF the Products Of This Material

Prof +. w. Clarke Tells Some Interesting
Facts Of the Products Of This Material
Atthe Catholic University Of America Thurs
day afternoon Prof. +. w. Clarke, chief
chemist Of the geological survey, delivered .
public lecture or The Chemistry Of Coal"
He began by discussing the origin. nature
and composition OF coal He gave an interest
ing table showing the gradual elimination OF
the oxygen and hydrogen gases from decayed
wood In the various forms Of peat. Ignite,
earthly brown coal. bituminous coal aud
anthracite coal, through which, under GER
tain conditions, it passes. Wood contains
SIC per cent of carbon, s. IS per cent Of hydro
gen and ALL Per cent Of oxygen. while anthra-
cite coal is 9l.6 per cent carbon, 80 per cent
hydrogen and only 4 3 per cent oxygen Coal
sIso COT tains ash, sulphur, nitrogen, &c. When
coal is heated in large brick. iron or frs-clay
retort for from three 10 i've hours 1t gives rise
to two products-coal gas, which rises and e.
capes into the air. and the coke which Is left.
Coal gas was frs: used for illuminating pur-
poses BY VIM. Murdoch, who in 1872 illuminated
by its means his workshops at Redruth In Corn
wall England. In 1902 it was Used for the
same purpose at the Soho foundry. near Bir-
mingnam, by the firm Of Boulton & Watt
In 1919 the streets Of London were
lighted with it and IN $50 the streets OF
Paris The gas n il hrst rises - very impure.
which two important products, ammonis and
coal tar, are removed from 1t. Then through
.'scrubbers'' or apartments filed with coke
treated with certain chemicals, by which IL -
freed from carboaic acid and sulphurated by
drosen. The composition Of gas varies cousid-
erably-
The incidental products Of the gas factory,
which were at first only o nuisance, have be-
come very valuable. The coke 10 used extern
sirely for fuel, especially in iron foundries and
l,.l Tha arpr mis- ncQdf in
domestic affairs for smelling salts and in re-
frigeration and agriculture, 10 derived almost
wholly from coal gas.
1t is the most important ingredient Of all
fertilizers and it is by its means that artificial
ice 10 produced and the new and important de-
velopments of the coal storage system have
taken place.
The coal tar has been found to yield IN i'm
mense number Of products OF extraordinary
scientific and commercial value. Among the
most remarkable the anifine dyes which
have almost driven other dyeing stuffs out of
the field. and which produce every color in
the rainbow, beside q vast number OF most deli
cate tints, some Of which are not otherwise OBJ
tsinable. Bitter almond oil and vanillln are
two havo-ing extracts obtained from coal tar,
aud saccharine. another substance from the
same source, Ii several hundred times as sweet
a. sugar
Musk and other perfumes also are derived
from it.
VI Iae many Nsluao.c meuicines nave sprung
from the same fecGnd subs lance. notable among
which Is antipyFine. The time may come
when q gourmand may sit down to an elaborate
dinner most of which has been derived from
coal Ice cream may be frozen by ammonia,
sveetened with saccharine, favored with va
nigla or ''bitter almond from coal tar and
colored by a compound Of analine. And dose
Of coal-tar medicine viii relieve the results the
next day!
Prot Clarke closed by some remarks regard
ing the research spirit characteristics Of the
German universities The duty Of o univer-
sify is not only to teach, but to add 10 the sum
of knowledge by original researches When
this university shall have added to its present
work the faculties Of science. 10 would doubt
les take its place beside the universities Of
Germany in the work Of original investigation
and research