306 ANNUAL OF SCIENTIFIC DISCOVERY. 



regarded as a repetition of beds ; for, at intervals of a few feet, \ve 

 meet with thin seams of shale, forming natural divisions. Altogether, 

 it may be regarded as the most wonderful deposit yet brought to 

 light." 



ANALYSIS OF BITUMINOUS COAL-ASHES. 



AT the meeting of the American Association, New Haven, 1850, 

 analyses of anthracite coal-ashes were presented,* by Mr. Bunce, of New 

 Haven. At the Albany meeting, 1851, similar investigations of bitu- 

 minous coal-ashes were communicated by Mr. Wynian, of the Yale 

 Laboratory. 



The coal from which the ash was obtained was procured at Pitts- 

 burg, Pa., and is the same as is generally used there. It was burned 

 in a large furnace, where the heat was intense, and every precaution 

 was taken to have it free from impurity. The fire was allowed to 

 burn for a day, and then thoroughly raked out before any ash was 

 taken. The mean of three determinations of ash, &c., in the coal, 

 gave the following results : 



Bitumen, . . . . . . . . 32.32 



Carbon, . . . . . . . . 64.34 



Ash, 3.34 



100.00 



Three determinations of amount of ash soluble in water and hydro- 

 chloric acid, gave these results : 



First Determination. Second. Third. Mean. 



Soluble in water, . . 3.40 3.41 3.42 3.41 



hydrochloric acid, 8.53 8.36 8.46 8.45 



" insoluble, . . 88.06 88.06 89.79 88.63 



99.99 99.83 101.67 100.49 



The amount soluble agrees very nearly Avith the solubility of the 

 anthracite ash, while that soluble in acid is only a little more than 

 half as much. 



A qualitative analysis detected the presence of silica, iron, alumina, 

 lime, soda, potash, sulphuric acid, and chlorine. Separate qualitative 

 analyses were made of both the portions soluble in water and soluble 

 in hydrochloric acid. All the alkalies existing in the ash could 

 not be dissolved out with water, and about a third of them was deter- 

 mined in the acid solution. The ash was washed with water until the 

 water gave no tache. The alkalies existed, undoubtedly, in the state 

 of silicates. But the slightest trace of phosphoric acid was detected 

 in the bituminous ash. By comparing this ash with that of the 

 anthracite, we find that this is much more rich in alkalies. In the 

 anthracite they amount to about .4 per cent., while here they exceed 

 one per cent. The lime is also about twice as much. No magnesia 

 was detected. The absence of phosphoric acid in this ash lowers its 

 value as manure, but the presence of so large a quantity of alkalies 



* See Annual of Scientific Discovery, 1851, p. 305. 



