The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1899-04-13

of this about 127,OOO,OOO tons is pro.
duced by Great Britain, about 5O,OOO,-
600 tons by the United States, about
100000 tons by Germany, 100000
tons by France, and the same by Bel.
gium, other countries coming in for a
smaller amount. So you will see, as 1
said, about one half of the annual pro-
duct comes from Great Britain, but on
the other hand the United Kingdom
contains 5000 square miles of coal
fields; France, Belgium, Spain, Prussia
and other German states together about
27OO square miles of coal fields, other
countries together, not including N orth
America, about $4,000 square miles.
While North America, including the
British Colonies, contain about 10000
square miles of coal fields, it will thus
be seen that the area of the North
American coal fields is four times as
great as all the other countries of the
globe and of this immense extent of
coal deposits, only very small portion
has yet been touched, consequently for
thousands of years to come our country
can supply the world.
Coal was found at very remote
geological period. Scientific men differ
as to the exact age of this substance.
their differences are trivial, however,
being only few million of years; but
in one thing they all agree, that at the
time coal was found there were wide
jungles and swamps that covered a
large portion of the earth's surface.
The atmosphere was very moist and
probably contained much larger pro-
portion of carbonic acid than at pres
ent. This gas is one that especially
promotes the growth of plants. 1t is,
and was, probably unfavorable to the
existence Of animal life; and it has been
suggested that the gradual withdrawal
of the carbonic acid by the growth of
vegetation of that period slowly purified
the atmosphere, and brought it to the
u.
earth at that time was not fitted for the
habitation of men. If men existed at
that period, he would have needed fins
in the place of hands and feet, and
would have required the lungs of fish,
instead of those which he now posses
ses. There was an abundant popula.
tion of reptiles and of insects. and there
was also a liberal supply of fishes.
Many of these have become extinct
and are unknown today, but their re-
mains are to be found in the coal seams
and in the rocks, which lie above or be-
meath the coal, and form an interesting
study, which Will consider at future
time under another head, but let me
say here, by way of awakening your
curiosity, that the remains of lizard
was found that measured over a
hundred feet in length, and with a
countenance so smilingly open, that he
could have taken in an ordinary man
about as easily as chicken swallows a
fly. The most plausible and reasonable
theory as to the formation of coal seems
to be, that it is for the most part the
remains of vegetable matter which has
become discomposed and changed to
mineral matter on the spot where it re.
mained and is now found. The fibrous
tissues, of the aquatic vegetation,
fiourished like a thick carpet on the
moist surface. 1t became mingled and
matted together, as we now find peat in
peat bogs, and in swamps and Marshes
On the border of great lakes, which in
time were built up and became swamps,
these plains extended, and underwent
slow depression. Layers of sand and
other substances were carried down be-
low the level of the sea and which we
now find among and alternating with
the coal seams in the shape of beds of
shales and sandstones. Then another
system of lagoons formed above them,
and allowed new jungles to spring up
and new marshes to be formed. These
IN turn we're depressed and covered by
the waters, in this way step by step the
coal beds were built up. According to
geologists, each coal seam represents
depressed swamp, while the intervening
strata of sandstone and shale, and clay.