172 Miscellanies. 



MISCELLANIES. 



DOMESTIC AND FOREIGN. 



1. Vegetable origin of Anthracite. 



TO THE EDITOR. 



Cambridge, Mass. Feb. 23, 1833. 



Dear Sir — Geologists are now convinced that the common bitumi- 

 nous coal, so abundant in the eastern continent and in some parts of 

 North America, owes its origin to vegetable depositions. The fre- 

 quent discovery of partially mineralized wood, and of impressions 

 obviously vegetable, presents, on this point, a mass of incontroverti- 

 ble testimony. But I believe that many eminent geologists are not 

 satisfied to refer the anthracite formation to the same origin. To 

 this reference they have found an objection, which to them seems 

 insuperable, in the vast quantity of this useful mineral. But is this 

 objection really insuperable ? Does it not proceed from a limited view 

 of the operations of nature, from a disinclination to allow sufficient 

 time for the execution of her stupendous designs ? Many errors in 

 geological science are justly attributable to an erroneous or limited 

 estimate of time ; and yet the eloquent chronicles of inanimate na- 

 ture, tell us of changes in the constitution of the globe which we in- 

 habit, for the accomplishment of which ages must have been requi- 

 site. How many years must have rolled away, after the disruption 

 of the original rock, before the sandstone formation attained its pres- 

 ent degree of compactness. Those, therefore, who deny that the an- 

 thracite is of vegetable origin, must bring forward some other objec- 

 tion than the want of time ; and if they found their objections upon the 

 extent and depth of this formation, we urge the analogy of the bitu- 

 minous coal, and thus sustain the vegetable origin of the anthracite. It 

 cannot be denied, that the power which could create mineral carbon, 

 could also create vegetable carbon, and afterwards, by some great con- 

 vulsion, subject it to an irresistible consolidating force. Indeed, to me 

 ■ it seems moreln unison with the other arrangements of providence, 

 that the vegetables which beautified the face of the earth, for the 

 happiness of one race of beings, should afterwards, when those races 

 had passed away, be stored up for the use of other successive gen- 

 erations of men. But the object of my communication to you at 

 this time, is not to engage in the discussion of the question whether 

 anthracite coal is of vegetable origin, except so far as may be neces- 

 sary in the exhibition of the testimony which I am able to produce 





in support of that opinion. Mr, Bakewell, in his Introduction to 



i 



