Trans. N. Y. Ac. Set. T2 Dec. 19, 



observed in the mines, in the production of the explosive " fire-damp," 

 and the poisonous " choke-damp." 



Running from cellulose through wood, peat, and coals up to graphite 

 we have a complete series ; the difference being the loss of hydrogen, 

 oxygen and in a less degree of carbon. This table, after LeConte, 

 exhibits the proportions of the elements by weight, the carbon being 

 reduced to a fixed quantity : 



Carbon. Hydrogen. Oxygen. 



Cellulose 100 16.66 133-33 



Wood 100 12.18 , 83.07 



Peat 100 983 55.67 



Lignite 100 8.37 42.42 



Bituminous Coal 100 612 21.23 



Anthiac te Ccal 100 2.84 1.74 



Graphite 100 O.oo o.co 



Anthracite coal, it will be seen contains a very small proportion of 

 volatile matter, and graphite none at all. No two specimens of coal 

 from different beds or areas are likely to yield upon analysis exactly 

 the same results. This is due to differences in degree and manner of 

 decomposition, the varying degree of metamorphism, the varying im- 

 purities, and perhaps a difference in the kind of vegetation. Anthra- 

 cite coal naturally contains more ash than bituminous, because it is 

 more concentrated, and of course peat has the least proportion of ash, 

 simply derived from the inorganic matter of the plant. 



The substance to be described was found in a peat-bog in the city ot 

 Scranton during the past summer. It has received attention from the 

 newspa])er and scientific people of the eastern coal region of Pennsyl- 

 vania ; arid has been recently mentioned in the Am. Joiir. of Science 

 for Dec. by a quotation from a letter of a Scranton gentleman to the 

 Engineering and Hdining Jouyjial. 



Scranton lies in the midst of the Lackawanna anthracite coal-basin, 

 which forms the northern half of the Wyoming basin. Since the 

 financial panic of 1872 the city has grown but slowly, and a swamp 

 lying in the midst of the city had remained unoccupied, except as an 

 old dumping-ground for cinders from the furnaces. The city having 

 been lately made the county-seat of the newly created Lackawanna 

 county, this swamp was selected as the site for a court-house. In ex- 

 cavating for the foundations there was found a bed of excellent peat, 10 

 to 14 feet deep. I visited the excavation and collected specimens from 

 depths of 3, 5, 8, and 13 feet. These specimens, of which a series are 

 before you, were, of course, when fresh and saturated with water 

 several times their present bulk. 



The peat from the greatest depth was highly decomposed, or very 

 " ripe." It was fine-grained, close in texture, and although soft held 



