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NEW ENGLAND FARMER. 



[Feb. 4, 



REMARKS 



Upon the coal formation of the Susquehannah and 

 Lackawannock, and on the advantages of a water 

 communication between that region and the Hudson, 

 bj J. Griscom, Professor of Chemistry, &c. 



The absolute importance of a plentiful sup- 

 ply of fuel, not only to health anil domestic 

 comfort, but to the successful prosecution ef al- 

 most every branch o( manufacturins; industry 

 needs not the formality of demonstration. The 

 extraordinary competition which thnBritish na- 

 tion maintains with all the rest of the world, is 

 inseparalily connected with the abundant sup- 

 plies of coal which her minos afi'onl ; and when 

 the period arrives (which doubtless is still very 

 distant) in which this supply shall approximate 

 to its termination, her vast internal resources, 

 the commercial elevation, and the dense popula- 

 tion of that country must experience a reduc- 

 tion, and finally be brought down to the stand- 

 ard which her newly planted forests may be a- 

 ble to sustain. But how striking is the fact, 

 that with her mines of coal, that Island, at ihe 

 distance of 3000 mis. is able to supply llie city of 

 N. Y. with an article so essential to Ihe fuel of its 

 hearths — to supplant the wood of the interior — a 

 material so abundant within less than one hun- 

 dred miles, as to be a nuisance to the lahoror, 

 which it costs him much trouble and labor to 

 destroy. The dearness of fuel at the present 

 time is a serious obstacle to the prosperity of 

 manufactories in various parts of our seaboard, 

 and a heavy tax to the inhabitants of our prin- 

 cipal cities. Every scheme, therefore, which 

 shall open new resources, and at a reasonable 

 expense, for an article so indispensible, cannot 

 tail, it is presumed, to become of higii impor- 

 tance to the public well'are, and lucrative to 

 those who shall embark in it. 



The mineral riches of the United States are 

 yet but very imperfectly develoj)ed ; yet it is 

 gratifying to know that the coal formation with- 

 in these limits is more extensive than that of 

 any other country at present known. The re- 

 gion of bituminous coal may be considered as 

 occupying a considerable share of that, portion 

 of the United Stales which lies between the 

 head waters of the Ohio, in Pennsylvania, on 

 the north, and the head waters of the Tombig- 

 bee, whichempties into the Gulf of Mexico, on 

 the south ; and from the valley of the Susque- 

 hannah on the east, to the alluvium of Ihe Mis- 

 sissippi on the west. It is not pretended that 

 the coal is diffused over the whole of this vast 

 region; but that it exists in numerous basins 

 within these tvide limits, and some of them ve- 

 ry extensive, especially in the northern parts of 

 Pennsylvania and Ohio, is well known : afford- 

 ing substantial grounds of belief that the sup- 

 ply is inexhaustible, even for any probable in- 

 crease of population, through a long period of 

 future history. Happily the earilern part of 

 this bituminous coal I'ormation is not inaccessible 

 to the large and growing commercial cities and 

 towns in the norfberti and middle stales. En- 

 terprise and industry may easily effect water 

 communications between the Hudson and the 

 Delaware, the Delaware and Susquehannah, 

 and the Susquehannah and the Ohio. But on 

 the eastern side of this bituminous region ex- 

 ists another coal formation of far greater im- 

 portance than the former, to the immediate 



prosperity of the more populous sections of the to France, Holland, or more particularly to the 

 Union. This is the region of Anthracite coal, countries on the Baltic. 



occupying an extensive valley, through a con-] hi such an event the shipping interests of the 

 siderable portion of which llows the Susqiie- United Slates would doiibllcss gain by an in- 

 hannnh, and its tributary stream the Lackawan- crease of tonnage more than they would lose 

 nock. This variety of coal is here found in by the cessation of the present limited importa- 

 greater ahundance, and of a finer quality, it is'tinn. 



believed, than in any other part of the world \Vith respect to the qualities and uses of this 

 yet explored. The length of this remarkable ' coni, a great deal might be said ; but as It is now 

 coal field may betaken at more than 100 miles, [used to a considerable extent in our three lar- 

 commencing at a point near Harrisburg, on the.gcst cities, much detail may not be necessary 

 Susquehannah, and running north-easterly al- 

 most in a straight line to the Lackanaiinock,uot 

 far Irom the borders of Broome county, in the 



State of New York, and comprehending in its 

 range the highlands at the head of the rivers 

 Schuylkill, Lehigh, and Lackawaxen, which 

 empties into the Delaware. Its breadth may 

 be salcly taken, it is presumed at an average of 

 three mile-, making a surface of 300 fquare 

 miles, or nearly 1000 millions of square 3ards. 

 The thickness of the contiguous beds in sever- 

 al places where the coal has been (vroiiglif, ex- 

 ceeds 30 feet, or 10 yard.s : and it is well 

 known from an example of a section of the 

 whole formation, in places where, b}' the dis- 

 ruption of the waters the various beds are ex- 

 posed, that the thickness of the several worka- 

 ble strata exceeds 15 feel, or filteen yards ; but 

 assuming 10 yards as the medium thickne-s, the 

 whole number of cubic yards within the distance 

 above specified, would be ten thousand millions. 

 The specific gravity of this coal, as 1 have as- 

 certained from several large specimens from 

 Carbondale, is 1.47. This is probably beneath 

 the general average, as the purer portions are 

 lighter than those that are not so — heice it is 

 easily proved by calculation that a cubic yard 

 of this coal weighs rather more than 2200 gross 

 weight — and allowing 200 weight for unavoid- 

 able wa^te, there will be as many tons as cubic 

 yards, namely, ten thousand millions, witiiin the 

 ascertained region, supposing the strat.i to be 

 conlinno'.is throughout. This, however, is not 

 to be imagined, as the region is in several pla- 

 ces broken by ridges of liigh hind, in which it 

 is not known that coal exists; but, sujiposing 

 from this estimate, which I am happy to find is 

 corroborated by the estimates of Jacob Cist, 



Esq. of Wilksbarre, whose researches into this ' without too great cost. In an experiment which 

 subject have been conducted wilhmuch geolog- 1 1 witnessed in a blacksmith's shop, a bar of iron 

 ical skill and correct observation, we make the; about two inches wide and five eighths thick, 



Its superioiir cleanliness will not fail to give it 

 one recommendation to all good housewives, 

 and the greater heat which it affords to those 

 who estimate the comforts of a well warmed 

 habitation in Ihe coldest weather. The great- 

 est objections lo it, as a domestic fuel, are the 

 compa» \tive dilTiculty of is-nition, and its burn- 

 ing without much flame. The former of (hose, 

 as experience has amply shown, is well over- 

 come by the use of charcoal or billets of dry 

 wood, tor rlip purpose of kindling: and the in- 

 tense glow which a grate of it afiords, is a pret- 

 ty gooil comjiensation for the blaze of bitumi- 

 nous coal or hickory wood. Its dnrabilitv. dur- 

 ing combustion, saves two thirds of the tiDuble 

 of attendance on fires — and in nurseries .md 

 other places in which a fire throughout the 

 night is needful, nothing can be compared with 

 its safety and facility of management. So sen- 

 sible are the inhabitants of the districts within 

 reach of the mines, of these advantages, that 

 tlicy prefer to use it, altliough their wood costs 

 tlipm nothing. I »vas credibly informed, ivhile 

 at Carbondale, that some of the inhabitants of 

 Montro.=esont thither for coal, though at the dis- 

 tance of thirty miles, and over a very roiio-|i 

 road, and paid for it ) dollar and 50 cents per 

 Ion, in preference to the use of wood delivered 

 at their rtoors at 75 cents per cord ; At Wilks- 

 barre it is the principal I'uel, being used both 

 in parlours and kitchens; and Ihe tires, in ma- 

 ny ^instances, are not allowed to expire throuo-h 

 the winter; lor by the addilioii of fresh coals 

 at going to bnd, the (ire is found in full activity 

 in the morning. 



Its adaptation to flie purposes of the smith 

 is abundantly acknowledged by its universal em- 

 ployment in [daces where it can be obtained 



enormous deduction of half, then there will re- 

 main 5000 millions of tons — .t quantity sullicient 

 to supply New York, Philadelphia, and Balti- 

 more, (supposing those cities to contain 80,000 

 houses, and each house to consume five tons in 

 a year) during a period of 12,500 years ! It 

 appears reasonable, therefore, to infer, from 

 data not unworthy of reliance, that the Wyo- 

 ming and Lackawannock vallies contain a body 

 of coal suthcient to supply all the wants of the 

 eastern and middle sections of the United States, 

 for a period which may be considered as indefi- 

 nite ; and also to Serve the purposes, if need- 

 ful, of an extensive exportation. Should the 

 projected intercourse between the waters of the 

 Hudson, Delaware and Susquehannah be carri- 

 ed iotocomplele effect, and the coal be brought 

 to the Atlantic markets at the price contemplat 



was brought to a good welding heat in a com- 

 mon coarse forge in less than three minutes ; 

 and a nail rod was sufficiently heated in fifteen 

 seconds; and re-heated for a second hail in 8 

 seconds. The best of the coal on the Lacka- 

 wannock burns with considerable blaze. In the 

 instances just mentioned in the smith's shop the 

 blaze was 18 inches high, but the light which 

 it emits is inferior to that from bituminous coal. 

 Certificates have been obtained and published 

 of the superior value and economy of this coal, 

 from blacksmiths, brewers, distillers, gun barrel 

 makers, for the purpose of rolling and slitting 

 mills, &c. and there can, I apprehend, be but 

 little doubt that with fire-places and furnaces 

 properly constructed, it can be advantageously 

 employed in all cases in which a strong and itu- 

 rable heat is necessary ; and as it burns without 



ed, it seems not improbable that the current of j smoke, its peculiar fitness for certain operations 



Eu'opean intercourse in the article of fuel will 

 be reversed, and that instead of importing coal 

 from England, American coal will be exported 



is very manifest. 



Having thus enlarged upon the quantity and 

 quality of this valuable qutive material, it only 



