Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1906-09-20
THE STORY OF COAL.

Far back in geological times, when
this land which stands so firm be-
meath US had risen from primeval
seas, it became in part.a forest ground,
and the sea retreating to the south
ward, left along its borders numerous
swamps which later became filled
vita tangled and impenetrable net
work of trees and shrubs.
The land at this time was not firm
and stable, but it was elevated and
depressed, not suddenly, but through
long periods of time. The old decay
ing trees falling beneath the waters
were to be sooner or later consolidat-
ed into the spongy peat which through
long and continued pressure was
changed into the firm black substance
we call coal, there stored away for a
future day, to kindle the fires Of prog
ress, and to bring to people greater
achievements than ever their fathers
won.
This indeed, is beautiful theory,
the long years of remote period stor-
ing up the energy of the forest, but
can it be proved?
This is a question which forces it.
self upon the mind of every thought
full observer. The first impulse is to
thrust it aside as the idle dream Of
some theorist. But let us look at it
carefully and reason together, for this
theory ia the result Of long and null
tiplied observations of wise and
thoughtful men.
In the swamps of northern Europe
near the middle of the past century,
there lived man of energy and abil-
ity. A student of nature, striving
to find the key to the locked secrets
of the formation and origin Of the
then very valuable fuel, peat. Years
of patient and persistent work were
spent by this young man, until he
was able to trace the changes from
the woody fibre OF existing trees to
the fossil peat, victory for science
and an honor for it's discoverer.
Fortune brought this investigator
to America in company with two 9TH
er kindred souls, Agassiz, the great
scientist, and Guyot, the renowned
geographer. The young scientist OF
the Belgian peat boys was soon en-
gagged in study of the Pennsylvania
coal fields, where after long study and
aided by the contributions of other
workers in these fields, he was able
to trace the line from the peat to the
solid coal, and established the theory
of vegetable origin Of coal. With a
little observation and study we may
all see as Lesquereux, this evidence
of organic origin in coal.
In the roof shales of many mines
in this State are found the delicate
leaves of the fern. almost as perfect
as those growing on the adjacent hill.
side. The roots Of these ferns wind
through these shales and the under
lying clay in serpentine folds, SO that
that they are commonly called petri.
fed snakes. The bark, fruit, leaves,
pith and roots, are all preserved,
though perhaps not all found in the
same LILLE. LII slZc luef lOWOi w
height Of go feet or more with a di-
ameter reaching four to six feet.
They were tree ferns, while our mod
ern representatives Of this group in
the north are lowly plants.
Under every normal coal seam is
bed of so.called fre-clay, which is the
remnant of the floor Of the old swamp,
and in this we often find the roots
of old trees. In one of the Canadian
mines the roots were fastened to the
old trunk changed to stone, but with
part of its outer surface turned to coal.
Furthermore, men who delve in
the mysterious art of chemistry have
applied their delicate tests to this
problem, and announce that the COM
position of coal and of wood of grow.
ing trees are characterized by the
performance of the element of car
bon, and the two substances are
chemically similar. They are unable
to find any other source for this ele-
ment, carbon, than in the vegetable
world.
But when the microscope, that eye
which penetrates the minute corners
of nature and examines her work
closely, is applied to thin sections of
coal, structure is seen which re-
moves the last vestige of doubt as to
IL .-.koIlo or,c,n &c oool For