The morning call., 1893-02-16
FORMATION OF COAL.
1t Is Still Being Created in Natures
Laboratory.


Nature is still making coal, though, un-
fortunately. not at rate anything like fast
enough TO make up for the consumption
of this product. The processes may be
watched from beginning TO end. For this
purpose one must first go to peat bed.
which is simply an accumulation of the
remains 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 50 to 66 per cent of carbon,
and the deeper one goes the better in quail
ity it gets. 1t may be cut out 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. There is certain kind of moss called
'sphagnum." which in large part makes up
the peat-producing vegetation. Its roots
die annually. but from the living top
new roots are sent ont each year. The
workmen who dig peat understand that if
this surface is destroyed the growth of the
bed must stop; so commonly they remove
the sod carefully, replacing it after they
have taken out stratum of peat. There
is little doubt that If these beds of peat
could lie undisturbed and covered over
through many ages they would take on all
the characteristics of mineral coal.
The substance of coal has been so COM
pressed that the forms Of the plants COM
posing it cannot usually be seen. But when
piece of it is made so thin that it will
transmit light, and is then subjected to
powerful microscope, its vegetable struc-
ture may readily be distinguished. 1mme-
dately under every separate seam of coal
there is stratum of what is known
as freclay. This stratum is always
present and contains in great abund-
ance 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 fat between the layers
Of black slate which forms the roofs oil coal
mines as we'll 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, leaves and
seeds complete, and all converted into the
same quality of coal as that by which they
were surrounded.
Biologists are of the opinion that btu
mnous and anthracite Goals were formed
during the same period and under like con-
ditions. Originally they were all bitumn-
Gus, but during the violent contortions and
upheavals OF the earth'S crust at the close
of the carboDiferous age the bituminous
Goals involved in that disturbance
were changed by heat and pres
sure and the consequent expulsion of
volatile matter from bituminous to
anthracite. Camel coal is variety
OF bituminous coal which burns with great
freedom, the flame of it affording consider
able light. Il was called candle coaf' by
the English people who first used it. as it
often served as a substitute for candles.
The name became corrupted 10 ''eannef
and has 80 remained. Il is more compact
than ordinary bituminous coal and 1t can be
wrought in lathe and polished. A GER
tain variety OF it found in Yorkshire. Eng
land. is manufactured into kind Of jewelry
known as Jet"