COAL FORMATION: 



COAL FORMATION. 



great district of primitive slate which occupies the larger part of 

 i! >hemia south of the Bsraun and Upper Elbe. More than forty beds 

 of coal are supposed to be worked iu this district. The whole annual 

 supply from Prussia and the German States of the Zollverein exceeds 

 8,760,000 tons. 



Russia. Good coal has been found in Southern Russia, near Toula, 

 lat. 54", long. 37, where it is worked; but the quantity is so am ill, 

 and the difficulty of working it beneath a loose and half-liquid bed of 

 quicksand is so great, that it seems unlikely to be of much utility. 

 On] has also been worked at Bakhmout, lat. 48, long. 38, in the 

 government of Katerinoslaf. (Mr. Strangways on the Geology of 

 Russia, ' Geol. Trans.,' vol. i., 2ud series, p. 35.) 



.Sweden. Coal occurs in this country near H;lsingborg at the 

 entrance of the Baltic, and also in the island of Bornholm. 



[BohMIOLM, ill ClE J i. 1)JV.] 



Spain. Both bituminous coal and anthracite are found in Spain. 

 The richest beds are in Asturias, where the measures are so much 

 broken and altered as to be worked by almost vertical shafts driven 

 tlir nu','h the be 1s. Tbe area covered by coal-beds in Spaiu ig not 

 exactly known, but it is said to be the largest in Europe, presenting 

 upwards of 100 workable seams varying from 3 to 12 feetiu thickness. 

 (Anstel.) 



Hungary and some other countries in the east of Europe contain 

 coal-measures which appear to belong to the carboniferous period. 

 It has been conjectured that coal exists in several parts of continental 

 Greece. Coal is said to be found north of Constantinople. 



Atia. In Asia coal has loug been known iu China, where it is said 

 to have been worked as early as the 13th century. Mr. Williams says 

 that both bituminous coal and anthracite are seen in the coal marts 

 of the north of China. Coal is likewise found in the countries imme- 

 diately around the Persian Gulf, but of a very indifferent description. 

 In most parts of Cutch, coal occurs in abundance and of good quality ; 

 it i/nites quickly, and burns to a white ash. Coals are also found in 

 Bundelcund. There are large mines in the district of Burdwan, 130 

 miles from Calcutta, and worker! to the extent of 14,000 or 15,000 

 ton* annually. They are situated on the banks of a river connected 

 with the Hoogly, and were first worked about thirty-five years ago, 

 but they have not been in extensive operation more 4han twenty-five 

 years ; the principal seam is about 9 feet thick, and is about 90 feet 

 from the surface. Coal has likewise been got from a mine opened 

 near Bhaugulpoor, on the Ganges, about 300 miles from Burdwau. 

 Another coal-field ha* been discovered on the banks of the Hoogly, 

 ne ir Mer/i poor, about forty miles from Calcutta; the coal is found 

 to the s.irfa -'; and the thickness of the principal seam is 

 said to be 2 feet. Coal of good quality likewise occurs in the Birman 

 Empire. 



America. Professor Ansted says, "It is only within a few years 

 that the coal-measures of the continents of America have been in any 

 way known, and we are even now in ignorance of many details with 

 I to the greater number ; but enough is ascertained to convince 

 any unprejudiced person that the supply of mineral fuel there obtain- 

 able is amply sufficient for the requiiviii.-ntH of the whole civilised 

 world fur thousands of years, even should the demand increase 

 rap'dly and the consumption continue to bear reference to the multi- 

 plication of all kinds of industrial occupation. There are in North 

 Amrriua four principal coal areas, compared with which the richest 

 ;tn of other countries are comparatively insignificant. These 

 are the great central Coal-Fields of the Alleghanies ; the Coal-Field of 

 Illinois and the basin of the Ohio ; th:tt of the basin of the Missouri ; 

 ami those of Nova Scotia, Xw Brunswick, and Cape Breton. Besides 

 there are many smaller coal areas which in other countries 

 well take rank as of vast national importance, and which even 

 in North America will one day contribute greatly to the riches of 

 various states. We will endeavour to give a brief outline of the 

 nit in facts concerning the chief of these districts. 



" The Alleghany or Appalachian Coal-Field measures 750 miles in 



length, with a mean breadth of 85 miles, and traverses eight of the 



pal states in the American Union. Its whole area i estimated 



at not less than lij.OOII square miles, or upwards of 40,000,000 of acres. 



The area is thus distributed 



Niim<- nl 

 Alabama 

 Georgia . 

 Tennessee . 

 Kentucky 

 Virginia 

 Maryland 



. 

 I'eninylvania 



Area in Acre*. 



2,250,000 



10(1,000 



2,7. r .0,000 



5,750,000 



13,500,000 



350,000 



7,500,000 



9,500,000 



41,700,000 



" Making a lilx-ml deduction for unproductive portions, denuded and 



i, inn! th. parts nl the seams out of reach, we may still 



fairly nt in this district an area of 25,000,000 



The working has already com- 

 1 Hi" states above mentioned, though not generally 



to any very considerable extent. Thus in Alabama, the beds alternate 

 with the usaal sandstones, shales, and clays, ani the coal-seams worked 

 seem to be from 4 to 10 feet thick, and are quarried at the surface. 

 They repose on grits and appear on the two sides of an anticlinal. 

 The coal is bituminous and used for gas. In Kentucky both 

 bituminous and caunel coal are worked in seams about 3 or 4 feet 

 thick, the cannel being sometimes associated with the bituminous 

 coal as a portion of the same seatn ; and there are in addition valuable 

 bands of iron-ore. In Western Virginia there are several coal-seams 

 of variable thickness, oaa 9J feet, two others of 5 feet, and others 

 3 or 4 feet. On the whole there seems to be at least 40 feet of coal 

 distributed in thirteen seams. In the Ohio district the whole coal- 

 field affords on an average at least 6 feet of coaL The Maryland dis- 

 trict is less extensive, but is remarkable as containing the best and 

 most useful coal, which is worked now to some extent at Frostbur ,. 

 There appears to be about 30 feet of good coal in four seams, besides 

 many others of less importance. The quality is intermediate between 

 bituminous and anthracitic, and it is considered well adapted to iron- 

 makiag. Lastly, in Pennsylvania there are generally from two to five 

 workable beds, yielding on an average about 10 feet of wjrkable coal, 

 and amongst them is one bed traceable for no less than 450 miles, 

 consisting of bituminous coal, its thickness being from 12 to 14 feet 

 on the south-eastern border, but gradually diminishing to 5 or 6 feet. 

 - the bituminous coal there are iu Pennsylvania the largest 

 anthracitic deposits in the States, occupying as much as 250,000 acres 

 and divided into three principal districts. The Illinois Coal-Field, iu 

 the plain of the Mississippi, is only second in importance to the vast 

 areas already described. There are four principal divisions traceable, 

 of which the first or Indiana district contains several seams of bitu- 

 minous coal, distributed over an area of nearly 8000 square miles. It 

 ia of excellent quality for many purposes ; one kind burning with 

 much light and very freely, approaching cannel coal in some of its 

 properties ; other kinds consist of caking or splint coal. In addition 

 to the Indiana Coal-Field, there appears to be as much as 48,000 

 square miles of coal area in the other divisions of the Illinois dis- 

 trict. Although thesa are less known and not at present much 

 worked, 30,000 square miles are in the State of Illinois, which sup- 

 plies coal of excellent quality and with great facility. The coal is 

 generally bituminous. The third gre it coal area of the United States 

 is that of the Missouri, which is little known at present, although 

 certainly of great importance. From the account given of these 

 localities the reader will be able to appreciate in some measure the 

 mineral resources of the United States, and may perceive also the 

 importance of geological knowledge in recognising the laws of the 

 position of a material so valuable. 



" British America contains very large supplies of coal in the provinces 

 of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia. The former presents three coal- 

 fields, occupying in all no less than 57,000 square miles ; but the latter 

 is far larger, and exhibits several very distinct localities where coal 

 abounds. The New Brunswick coal-measures include not only 

 shales and sandstones, as is usual with such deposits, but bands of 

 lignite impregnated with vitreous copper-ore and coated by green 

 carbonate of copper. The coal is generally in thin seams lying 

 horizontally. It is chiefly or entirely bituminous." 



Nova Scotia contains a great quantity of coal. The great coal-field 

 of 1'ictou has been traced from Carriboo Harbour to Merigomish, 

 comprising an area of more than 100 square miles. The seams of 

 coal resemble much more those of Staffordshire than those in the 

 north of England. One bed is described by a practical miner, who 

 went to Nova Scotia to superintend the opening of the mines, as 40 

 feet in thickness ; it is not however equally good throughout, and it 

 was thought advisable to work only 10 feet of the upper part. Ac- 

 cording to Bouchette, the seams of this field vary iu thickness from 

 1 foot to 50 feet. The coal is highly bituminous and burns well. 

 There is another coal field, also of considerable extent, in the north- 

 west part of the county of Northumberland, between the river Macan 

 and the shores of the Chignecti Channel. In this district there are 

 eight strata of coal, varying from 1 foot to 4 feet in thickness. This 

 coal is not considered so good as that of Pictou. There are also indica- 

 tions of coal iu the township of Londonderry and at Ouslow ; on the 

 north shore of the Mina's basin ; at the head of Pomket Harbour, in 

 the upper district of the county of Sydney ; and on the south shore 

 of Wallace Harbour, in the county of Cumberland. (Bouchette.) 



Coals of excellent quality are got in Cape Breton. The coal- 

 measures have been traced in the WMtaro part of the island, on 

 Inhabitants River, at Port Hood, and at Mabou. On the east the 

 Sydney Coal-Field is of great extent ; it commences at Miray Bay and 

 runs along the coast to the Great Bras d'Or, being in length about 40 

 miles, and averaging 5 miles in breadth. " From a minute calcula- 

 tion, after deducting harbours, bays, and all other interpositions, it 

 appears that there are 120 square miles of laud, containing available 

 veins of coal." (Bouchette.) The measures in this district contain 

 fourteen beds of coal, varying from 3 to 11 feet in thickness. The 

 coal is wroaght at Sydney Harbour and at Lingan. 



Coal is found very abundantly in Australia, and is worked exten- 

 sively in the Newcastle district, on the Hunter's River. A coal 

 formation likewise occurs in Van Diemen's Land; and coal has been 

 found and is wrought in several parts of New Zealand. 



