The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-02-21
FIRST USE OF COAL.
Heard OF as Fuel as Far Back as 1866.
Preceded by Wood.

Though coal had been employed for Gen.
turtles in the manufacture of salt on the
shores of tile cOaIfields, wood had hitherto
con tinued TO be the fuel of the inland salt
works. The use OF coal at Nantwich is
mentioned as novelty in 1856; and, accord
ing to the Contemporary Review at Droitwich
wood fuel and eaden pans were in use up till
1851. In this era the sea salt manufacture
was in the zenith of its prosperity. But the
substitution of coal for wood in the inland
salt, which took place accidentally, led to the
salt trade, aided by the discovery of rock
gradual decline and final extinction of the
manufacture Of salt on the coast. The only
traces now remaining OF this once flourish
ing industry exist III such names as Howdon-
pans on the Tyne, Irestonpans on the
Forth, Saltcoats in Ayrshire and Saltpans
in Arran and Kintyre, or in the Scottish
proverb, Garry salt TO Dysart," synony-
nous with the English Garry coal to New
CASTLE" In DO branch Of industry was the
scarcity of wood more keenly felt than in
the smelling OF metallifer0us ores. Con-
iinued efforts to accomplish this with coal
began Immediately after the accession of
James L and were persevered in throughout
the seventeenth century. But for long
period the new fuel proved highly intrac-
table, and scheme after scheme ended in
failure and disappoin tment.
After eighty years of oft-repeated trials
the tantallzlng problem remained unsolved.
Wood and charcoal still held the field in the
smelling furnaces and all hope of ever see-
ing coal substituted for them had well nigh
died out. In 1856 Sir John Pettus, In his
ESSAYS on Words Meta!lek," concluded his
observations regarding sea coal and pit coal
with the remark: These are not useful to
metals" The unprnmising prospects, how
ever, soon began TO brighten. Immediately
after the revival of lead and copper mining,
which took place about 1692-having prob
ably been more or less in allegiance since the
Interruptions oeeasi oned by the Civil Wars,
when
The fisher left his skiff TO rock
On Tamars g1ttering waves:
The rugged miners rushed to war
From Mendip's sunless caves
These ores came 10 be smelted with coal.
The extraction of silver from lead with coal
was accomplished by Mr.. Lydal in 1857,
and the same Individual appears TO have
been the first to successfully employ coal in
the SIN citing OF tin in 1905. The ores of iron
proved more refractory, no substantial and
permanent success In smelling them with
coal being obtained till near the middle Of
the eighteenth century, when the manufac-
ture of charcoal iron had dwindled to very
small proporti0ns-in fact. was dying out
for want OF fuel. 1t then at length became
an accomplished fact at the Coalbr00kdale
iron works in Shropshire. The success was
at first ascribed TO the Shropshire coal, but
probably The employment Of strong blast
the coal became the life of the iron manu-
facture The ci-devant dropping trade
rapidly revived, aud the latter part of tn o
eighteenth century saw coal iron furnaces
In successful operation throughout the
kingdom.