CANNEL COAL 481 



product from sapropelytes, the result of distillation. Both animal 

 and plant remains, especially algse, are now generally regarded as 

 the material from which petroleum is distilled, and the rocks rich 

 m such deposits, namely, the sapropelytic rocks, must therefore 

 form the mother rock of petroleum of organic origin. 



Sapanthraconytc or Cannel Coal. This has an amorphous 

 structure and a dull luster of a greasy or silky character, quite dis- 

 tinct from the luster of true coal. The contrast is well shown by 

 the carbonized remains of the rhizomes of plants preserved in the 

 fossil slimes of ancient marsli bottoms. Thus stigmaria embedded 

 in cannel coal will show the bright luster of true coal in contrast 

 with the duller cannel coal. The vertebraria or rhizomes of Glos- 

 sopteris occurring in the Petroleum shales of the Southern Per- 

 mic show a similar contrast. Cannel coal is found in America in 

 the Carbonic of Ohio, Indiana, and especially eastern Kentucky, 

 where Breckenridge is a noted locality. It is especially valuable 

 for the manufacture of gas on account of its abundance of volatile 

 hydrocarbons. Remains of fishes, crustaceans (Cypris), meros- 

 tomes (eurypterids), etc., and more rarely amphibians, are found 

 in some localities, these in most cases being fresh-water species. 

 At Linton, Ohio, more than 50 species of fishes and amphibians 

 were found in the cannel coal. Analyses of cannel coal gave the 

 following results. (Dana-i i iddi".) 



(For comparison analyses of anthracite and of bituminous coal 

 are given) : 



Locality C H O N S Ash 



Cannel coal from Brecken- 

 ridge, Hancock Co., Ky . . 68 . 13 



Cannel coal from Wigan ... 80. 07 



Cannel coal or ' ' Torbanite 



from Scotland 64 . 02 



Anthracite coal from Penn- 

 sylvania 92 • 59 



Bituminous ' ' non - caking 



coal from Brier Hill, Ohio . 78 . 94 



Microscopic algae are often well preserved in cannel coals. Pol- 

 len of Cordaites spores, wood and numerous algae were found, to- 

 gether with fish remains, Crustacea and coprolites in the "Boghead" 

 or Permic cannel coal of Autun (Bertrand-4). Cannel coal and 

 ordinary (humus) coal are often associated, the sapropelites form- 

 ing the foundation for the growth of land or swamp plants. Thus 

 a layer of cannel coal will often underlie one of bituminous or of 



