Mr. Luckcock on the Consumption of Pit. Coal, [June 1, 



400 



an edifice, should any imperfect ones 

 be used, it is next to impossible to 

 rectify the mischief which a litde cau- 

 tion and delay might have avoided. 

 Nevertheless, under prudent regula- 

 tions, every step for the advancement 

 of science is commendable ; and wheie 

 doubts are acknowledged, and infor- 

 mation requested, the feeblest attempt 

 is deserving of respect. 



Mr. Mushett, a gentleman said to be 

 largely concerned in the iron-trade, 

 and of course in the vv:>y to obtain the 

 best information on the subject, has 

 lately laid the corner-stone of the en- 

 quiry, by publishing a statement of the 

 quantity of coal supposed to be used 

 in the manufacturing of iron through- 

 out the kingdom. So that, till his 

 assertion may be called in question or 

 refuted, it stands as good authority; 

 and this beginning has suggested the 

 following attempt. It will necessarily 

 be imperfect; but it contains no mys- 

 tery, no disguise, nor any wish to de- 

 lude : on the contrary, it invites scru- 

 tiny and correction ; and should the 

 public in any degree be benefited by 

 the enquiry, it matters little who shares 

 the merit. 

 Take tlie population of Great 



Britain at 16,000,000 



Sj'^OO.OOO 



1,600,000 



Tons. 

 12,800,000 



Five persons to each house, 

 number of liouses • 



Throw olf one-lialf of these for 

 cottagers or others who may 

 burn wood or peat, or whose 

 use of coals is too scanty to 

 bring into the scale 



Allow an average for each house 

 • of one fire in constant use 

 throughout the year, the con- 

 sumption for each may be 

 ei^ht tons annually* 



Carried forward 12,800,000 



* By a return of coals imported into 

 the port of London, and delivered in 1822, 

 it appears tliat tiie total amount was 

 1,199,611 chaldrons. A chakhon may be 

 taken at from 18 cwt. to a ton, so that, 

 rating the inhabitants at 1,000,000, (five 

 to a honse making 200,000,) this would 

 hardly come up to six tons for each house ; 

 but, not knowing the number of inhabi- 

 tants within the district subject to the 

 London duties, (and which is here proba- 

 bly over-rated,) and supposing that wheie 

 the price is high in the same proportion 

 would the consumption be less, it may be 

 thought to confirm rather than invalidate 

 the eight tons mentioned in the text. 



Brought forward • 



Tons. 

 1 S!,b()0,000 



For niannt'actorics, warehouses, 

 shops, &c. for the 1,600,000 

 above excluded, and for the 

 average of those dwelling- 

 houses which may have two 

 or more fires (say one-foui th) 3,200,000 

 Square Miles. 



England and Wales •• • .49,4,50 



Scotland ' 28,000 



77,450 



Ntimher of Steam-engines. 



Enirland .5,000 



Scotland and Wales- ••• 2,000 



7,000 



And that each steam-engine 

 consumes an average of half 

 a ton of coals daily, six days 

 in the w eek* • . • • •"• ] ,092,000 



Suppose '200 steam-vessels for 

 inland navigation, for coast- 

 ing, and for extended voy- 

 ages (1 ton per day) 



Suppose gas light consinnption 



Quantity exported annually 

 throughout the world 



Iron-works, on Mr. Mushett's 

 statement 



6'i,W0 

 15,000 



1 ,500,000 

 5,000,000 



Total annual ronsuraption 23,669,-100 



iSIany of these items will probably 

 be rapidly on the increase. Mr. M. 

 states, that in 1720 there were about 

 17,350 tons of pig-iron annually made, 

 and in 1820 nearly 500,000; being aa 

 increase of nearly 29 to 1. 



As all these numbers are grounded 

 on probable supposition only, it is 

 needless carrying fractions into the 

 account; so that, at a general glance, 

 it may be presumed that the total con- 

 sumption is annually after the average 

 rate of about 305 tons for every square 

 mile throughout the kingdom. A ton 

 is about a cubic yard, and tiking one 

 yard in thickness as the basis of calcu- 

 lation, it will give 305 yards per square 



• The consumption of coals by these 

 engines is here certainly much under- 

 rated, if it was not intended to make am- 

 ple allowance for delays, repairs, &:c. An 

 engine of five or six horse power will, I 

 believe, require more than half a ton per 

 day, while the immense ones connected 

 with our collieries will consume ten tons 

 or more ; but having reckoned six days 

 per week throughout the year, with no 

 interruption, it may be allowed to pass ; 

 and the same remarks will be appUcable 

 to steam-vessels. 



mile 



