836 



COAL 



feet. A bed of gypsum has been found, -which is altogether about thirty feet in thick- 

 ness, sometimes in thick masses, at other times nodular and irregular. This is an 

 important addition to the Purbeck series of Sussex. Nearer the surface, limestone has 

 been found, said to be available both for burning and building purposes. It is de- 

 sirable to know whether the Palaeozoic rocks are really as near the surface in tho 

 south-east of England as some geologists have supposed. The sub-Wealden explorers 

 do not now profess to be actually in search of coal, but, without doubt, they would bo 

 glad if their enterprise should lead the way to a discovery of this kind. 



From the Keport of the Royal Coal Commission the following Table is taken : 

 showing, according to their careful computation, the 



QUANTITIES OP COAL m KNOWN COAL-FIELDS. 



' Adopting 4,000 feet as the limit of practicable depth in working, and accepting the 

 estimate of each Commissioner for the waste and loss incident to working the coal in 

 the district assigned to him, we now present the following estimate of the quantities 

 of available coal contained in the several districts which together comprise the coal- 

 fields above enumerated : 



Summary of Results of Reports as to Quantities of Coal worked and unworked in 

 certain districts. 



NOTE. It was an instruction to tho Commissioners to whom the districts were assigned to exclude 

 from their returns all beds of coal of less than 1 foot in thickness. 



