Parkes was 8.68 lbs., and by Henwood 9.96, with 1 part of the best Newcastle coal. The difference in the amount of steam capable of being raised by coal from different localities, together with many other important physical properties upon which the economic value of this fuel depends, induced the Government of the United States to institute a series of practical experiments upon the coal of different districts, with a view to ascertain the relative values of the different varieties, more particularly for generating steam and forging iron. The entire investigation was entrusted to Professor W. R. Johnson, and the results were published in a Report to Congress in the year 1844. The importance of such an investigation in connection with the wants of the steam navy and various branches of national industry, led to a similar undertaking by the Government of Great Britain, which was superintended generally by Sir Henry de la Beche and Dr. Lyon Playfair, whose several Reports to Government were concluded in 1851. The principal points to be looked for in steam fuel are thus stated by the British Commissioners : 1. The fuel should burn so that steam may be raised in a short period, if this be desired; in other words, it should be able to produce a quick action. 2. It should possess high evaporative power, that is, be capable of converting much water into steam, with a small consumption of coal. 3. It should not be bituminous, lest so much smoke be generated as to betray the position of ships of war when it is desirable that this should be concealed. 4. It should possess considerable cohesion of its particles, so that it may not be broken into too small fragments by the constant attrition which it may experience in the vessel. 5. It should combine a considerable density with such mechanical structure that it may be easily stowed away in small space; a condition which, in coals of equal evaporative values, often involves a difference of more than 20 per cent. 6. It should be free from any considerable quantity of sulphur, and should not progressively decay, both of which circumstances render it liable to spontaneous combustion. The results of these very extensive series of experiments are contained in the following Tables: Bituminous. Bituminous coking. Free burning bituminous. Anthracite. Designation of Coal. 324 GENERAL SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF THE CHARACTER AND GENERAL SYNOPTICAL TABLE OF THE CHARACTER AND Coke of Midlothian coal.. Coke of Neff's (Cumberland) coal... Va. Mixture, one-fifth Midlothian and four fifths Beaver Meadow Mixture, one-fifth Cumberland and four fifths Beaver Meadow New York and Maryland Mining Com 12.31 73.50 12.67 74.53 60.30 Md. 1.431 89.44 53.70 0.600 41.71 .N.S. 47 88 1.257 78.54 Scotland Pittsburg .Pa. 1.519 94.95 Dry pine wood.. 7.11 5.15 4.41 6.13 5.56 6.35 9.25 8.10 11.83 16.55 13.34 8.88 8.18 12.40 10.34 8.08 7.33 9.30 14.98 11.49 10.77 13.96 8.41 7.00 9.15 10.47 14.28 10.47 8.57 10.13 8.63 14.74 9.37 9.44 9.66 14.14 13.39 5.49 12.51 4.62 5.40 5.7 28.18 9.710 5.9 29.15 8.497 3.7 26.69 9.648 11.1 27.88 8.255 9.178 9.34 7.07 8.942 4.97 0.307 Names of Coals employed in Experiments. ECONOMIC VALUES OF NEWCASTLE COALS. ECONOMIC VALUES OF THE NEWCASTLE COALS. Willington Andrews House Tan field Bowden Close.. Haswell Wallsend Newcastle Hartley. 9.38 50.6 79.87 8.87 47.4 80.23 8.23 50.5 80.27 38.5 73.0 Hedley's Hartley 8.16 Bates' West Hartley. 8.04 West Hartley Main. 7.87 52.0 81.79 50.8 78.17 48.9 78.86 Buddle's West Hartley 7.82 50.6 77.11 Hastings' Hartley 7.77 48.5 78.04 Carr's Hartley... 7.71 47.8 78.23 .656 52.39 44.09 80.0 .621 60.90 46.18 75.5 .611 63.66 46.86 77.5 .660 51.36 42.99 .633 57.84 44 26 .590 69.26 47.25 .629 58.95 44.35 78.5 .635 57.28 43.07 85.5 .649 53.89 44.13 69.5 .620 61.26 45.80 79.0 Davison's West Hartley 7.61 North Percy Hartley 7.57 7.83 362.99 402.9 7.72 371.68 423.5 Haswell Coal Co.'s Steamboat Wallsend 7.48 49.5 79.36 .623 60.32 45.25 79.5 7.85 370.66 291.8 Derwentwater Hart ley Broomhill 7.3 Original Hartley. 6.82 52.5 77.988 49.177.98 .639 56.32 44.44 63.5 .673 48.55 42.67 65.7 .629 58.81 45.62 80.0 Cowpen and Sidney's Hartley 6.79 47.9 78.67 7.66 373.96 451.1 7.66 383.25 397.78 6.98 334.86 428.4 .608 64.23 46.76 74.0 7.02 325.24 350.4 |