The record-union., 1893-02-23
THE FORMATION OF COAL.
Where Botany and Geology Unity
Harmouiously.


Nature is still making coal, though. un-
fortunately, not at a rate anything like
fast enough to make up for the consump-
ton OF this product. The processes may
! be watched from beginning to end. For
/ TINS purpose one must tlrst go peat bed,
/ which is simply an accumulation of the re-
mains OF plants that grew and decayed
on the spot where they are now found.
/ When the upper layer of this material is
removed one finds peat with 81 to 90 per
cent. carbon, and the deeper one goes the
better quality it gets. IL may be cut in
/ blocks with sharp spades, the water may
/ be pressed from the blocks, and they may
! be stacked up, covered and dried and
used for fuel. These is a certain kind of
moss called "spagnum," which in large
! part makes up the peat-producing vegeta-
1 tion. Its roots die annually, but from
the living top new roots are sent out each
/ year. Inc Workmen who dig peat under
stand that II this surface is destroyed the
growth OF the bed must stop; so COM
monty they remove the sod carefully,
replacing it after they have taken out
stratum of peat. There is little doubt
that II these beds of peat could lie undis-
/ turbed and covered over through many
ages they would lake on all the character
| lstlcs OF mineral coal.
The substance of coal has been so COM
pressed that the forms of the plants COM
/ lOSLllS IL CdEllpt usually Dt SGen- DuI
! when piece OF 1t Is made SO thin that it
Will transmit light, and is then subjected
! to powerful microscope, its vegetable
structure may readily be distinguished.
! Immediately under every separate seam
/ OF coal there is a stratum of what is known
as tre-clay. This stratum is always
( present, and contains i'll great abundance
| the fossil impressions OF roots and stems
and twigs, showing that it was once the
soil from which vegetation grew luXuri-
antly. 1t Is common also to find fossil
tree stems lying mashed flat between the
| layers of black slate which form the roofs
Of coal mines, as well as the impressions
of the leaves, nuts and seeds which fell
| from these trees While they were living.
In some beds Of camel coal whole trees
have been found with roots, branches,
ieaves and seeds complete, and all con-
Verted into the same quality of coal as
that by which they were surrounded.
| Biologists are Of the opinion that BIZ
luminous and anthracite Goals were found
during the same period and under like
i conditions. Originally they were all
bituminous, but during the violent con-
tortions and upheavals of the earth's crust
at the close Of the carbOniterous age the
! bituminous Goals involved i'll that dis
turbance were changed by heat and
pressure and the consequent expulsion of
volatile matter from bituminous to an
thracite. Cannol coal is variety of BIZ
luminous coal which burns with great
freedom, the flame of it af1ording consid-
cradle light. 1t was called candle coal'
by the English people who first used it,
as it often served as Il substitute for can
dies. The name became corrupted to
| 'cannel" and has so remained. 1t is
more compact than ordinary bituminous
coal and it can be wrought in a lathe and
| polished. a certain variety of it found in
Yorkshire, England, is manufactured
into a kind of jewelry known as Jet"
| Washington Star.