HAWORTH: the coal fields of KANSAS. 



307 



amount of water, the volatile matter, the fixed carbon, and the 

 amount of ash. The following table gives the results obtained: 



" The averages as given above are collected in the following table: 



Cherokee 



Cherokee, (upper vein) 



Fort Scott 



Leavenworth County. . . 



Linn County 



Osage County 



Franklin C' mnty 



Cloud County 



Pittsburg. Pa 



Nebraska 



Warren County, Mo 



52.45 

 48.64 

 47 55 

 47.41 

 46.89 

 40.86 



28 '52 

 54.17 

 49.44 

 45.75 



8 84 

 13.96 



7 

 10 

 11.6' 

 10.79 



10 3: 



11.6 

 7 9 

 7.46 



11.10 



It is desirable to have the two factors, water and ash, as low as 

 possible, for neither of them can be of any value as a fuel. The 

 relative amounts of volatile matter and fixed carbon should vary 

 according to the use to which the coal is to be put. For making 

 illuminating gas a high per cent, of volatile matter is desirable, but 

 for evaporating and general heating purposes, and for coke making, 

 the greater the amount of fixed carbon the better. Dr. Day has 

 published tables comparing the per cent, by weight of coke obtained 

 from 100 parts of bituminous coal from different parts of America. 

 From his Report of 1893 on the Mineral Resources of the United 

 States, page 418, it is learned that the average per cent, of coke 

 produced from the Kansas coals was 62.8, while the highest of any 

 was 66 7 per cent, from the Illinois coal. 



From the foregoing tables of both the physical and chemical 

 properties a few conclusions may be drawn. First, it may be con- 

 sidered established that the Kansas coals compare very favorably 

 indeed with the bituminous coals of other states within the Mississippi 

 valley, and fairly well with the soft coals of Ohio and Pennsylvania. 

 Second, it will be seen that in every desirable respect the coals of the 

 Cherokee shales are the best in the state, and that in general the 

 higher the geologic position of any coal the poorer the grade of coal. 

 Yet it may also be concluded that, in comparison with many other 

 coals, our highest, the Osage City, is a good coal. 



COMMERCIAL VALUE OF KANSAS COALS. 



The commercial value of coal is dependent upon many factors, the 

 most important of all of which is the rate at which outside coal can 

 be imported if the local production does not equal the demand, and 

 the character of the market to be reached provided the local produc- 

 tion exceeds the demand. Thus, in this state the local production 



