432 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



inferior to that made from the pine tree. Coal gas, impregnated with coal 

 naphtha, affords a more brilliant light than coal gas alone, besides effect- 

 ing a saving of eighteen per cent. To accomplish this end, coal gas may 

 be passed through a sponge or pumice stone saturated with naphtha. 



Peach Mountain anthracite coal contains bitumen and volatile matter, 2 

 per cent ; Lehigh coal, 5 per cent ; Lackawana, 3 per cent ; Semi bitumi- 

 nous coal, Maryland, 12 per cent ; Blosburgh, 14 percent ; Bituminous coal, 

 New Castle, 35 per cent; Liverpool, 39 percent; Richmond, Virginia, 32 

 per cent ; Cannelton, Indiana, 34 per cent. 



Notwithstanding these several coals are so rich in volatile matters, I am 

 really surprised to find that the principal part of all the gas consumed in 

 the United States and Great Britain, is obtained from bituminous coal, and 

 that the average product from five of the best varieties is 2.70 cubic feet 

 from the pound ; whereas bitumen yields five cubic feet to the pound. The 

 cost of coal now used for the supply of gas burned in New York, is one 

 dollar for every thousand cubic feet of gas. And bitumen may be supplied 

 at five dollars per ton ; the cost of bitumen would then be 38 cents for one 

 thousand cubic feet of gas. Consequently by substituting bitumen for 

 coal, the gas might be supplied to us for less than half its present cost and 

 leave a remunerating profit to the manufacturer. 



The inquiry immediately suggests itself. What are the resources of bi- 

 tumen ? I reply, inexhaustible from a single source. There is a lake of 

 bitumen in Trinidad that would supply the world to the end of time. Be- 

 sides, it abounds on the coasts of Mexico, Texas and South America. In 

 the island of Cuba, six miles from Havana, there is is a stratum 144 feet 

 in thickness, and so far, I am not aware that it has been profitably used 



for any purpose — certainly not for gas. 



Coke. 

 Volatile matter. Volatile matter 



The bitumen of Trinidad contains, G5 per cent. 36 per cent. 



Cuba do 63 do 



Yucatan do 62 do 



Cannel coal do 44 do 



Liverpool, do 40 do 



It has several advantages over coal ; it does not contain sulphur, and 

 consequently does not produce noxious gases. There is no nitrogen in it ; 

 therefore ammonia is not formed. Gas escapes from a retort filled with 

 coal in eight hours, at a bright red heat. Bitumen, by the use of bitumen 

 as fuel, will be discharged in two hours, and yield double the quantity of 

 gas, with half the labor in handling materials. Near the village of Ami- 

 ano, in the State of Parma, there is a spring that yields liquid bitumen in 

 quantities ample to illuminate the entire city of Genoa, for which purpose 

 it has been for some time employed. It has a singular odor, and yellow 

 color, but can readily be rendered colorless by a simple distilling process. 

 It boils at 160°, is highly inflammable, being compounded of 36 carbon 

 with 5 hydrogen, and is consequently a pure hydro-carbon. There are 

 wells of bitumen in the Birman Empire, that yield 400,000 hogsheads an- 



