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THE CIVIL ENGINEER AND ARCHITECT'S JOURNAL. 



345 



mountains by a comparison of fossils is an important and most interesting 

 point. 



Economic Valve of the Coal Fields^ 

 Speculations of tliis nature cannot fail to be suggested by the present 

 communication. A vast and most important subject is presented for our 

 consideration, but, unfortunately, the evidenee is imperfect in a most im- 

 portant point. These beds of coal, occurrina as they do chiefly in granitic 

 basins, and often detached, like the coal of France, may be, as I believe 

 they are, of the carboniferous age ; they may also be oolitic, like the im- 

 perfect coal of Cutch, and of some parts of our own country, or they may 

 be tertiary lignites. Now it may seem of lillle importance to the mere 

 surveyor what tiie n^eological position of these beds may be, provided there 

 is the material he needs ; but experience renders it probable that on the 

 mere question of age does, in fact, depend niiicb of their true economic 

 >alue. Could it be satisfactorily shown that tlirougliout the wide district 

 of northern India there is a true outcrop of carboniferous beds, such as 

 occur in England, in America, or even iu eastern Australia, there can be 

 CO question that the value of a very large part of the possessions of Eng- 

 land in tiie East might be considered much increased ; for the beds would 

 then probably be steady and permanent, and the application of the re- 

 sources in knowledge and wealth of a great, a rich, aud an enterprising 

 people, would very soon bring into operation, in all those districts, manu- 

 factures and contmerce on the grandest scale. The navigation of the 

 rivers, the stale of the roads, the means of communication by railroads, 

 would be immediately established or permanently improved ; and the 

 result must be improvement in the condition of the country. 



Should it, on the other band, appear that these so called coal iields are 

 merely detached basins of lignite, whether tertiary or oolitic, they would, 

 in all probability, be of variable and local thickness : their value might 

 appear considerable at the first glance ; but it uiigbt even not repay the 

 expense of working: the quantity would be much less than was calculated, 

 the quality would not iiupruve in deep workings, and the real and ijiiport- 

 ant uses of mineral fuel would not be recognised in it. A small amount 

 of strict geological knowledge and a few fossils would have tended to set 

 at rest, if it did not completely settle, this question, which I think it will 

 be at once seen is of great irapurtauce. I ought, perhaps, to apologise for 

 taking up the. time of the meetiug by such remarks as these ; but the ab- 

 sence generally of distinct knowledge of the principles of our science 

 amongst gentlemea who on every other account are so admirably adapted 

 for the work they undertake is too well illustrated in the present case and 

 too generally important not to excuse my introducing the sufjject. My 

 o\\ u position, too, as one of those employed in the education of a large 

 number of practical men in geological science ; and the fact that I have 

 interrupted a course of geological lectures to the cadets, who will in future 

 years form the great body of the oflicers of our Indian army, is a satisfac- 

 tory proof that this view is now beginning to be understood by those who 

 are, perhaps, most interested in its application. Mucii yet remains to be 

 done in the application of science to art, and possibly the result of the 

 present investigation may give additional reason, if any were wanted, for 

 commencing S(tme general system of scientific education. 



The result of the present inquiry will be seen at once to be unsatisfac- 

 tory, although highly suggestive for future imestigatiou. No value can be 

 attached to mere slatenieuls of the existence of carlionaceous matter in 

 beds, because many of the important practical conditions are independent 

 of mere appearance and experiments on detached fragments. 



Col. Sykes observed that it was of importance to obtain coal for the pro- 

 posed railways in India, especially as wood was beginning to be scarce in 

 many parts. The report mentioned the occurrence of coal at 90 localities,— 

 most of them in a bed between the Nerbudda and Calcutta. With a trifling 

 exception the whole of India south of this line was destitute of coal. 



llr. Lyell stated that he had lately examined the coal-field of Richmond, 

 in Virginia, — one of the most valuable in the United States. He had ob- 

 tained fishes from that coal-field, which M. Agassiz referred to the Oolitic 

 period ; and the plants, which had been examined by Mr. Bunhury, presented 

 an assemblage agreeing with those found at Whitby, in Yorkshire. The 

 coal-field was known to be newer than the carboniferous period ; and it con- 

 tained one bed of coal, 30 feet thick, from which gas had been made, — and 

 it was now becoming of great value. No estimate of the probable value of 

 Indian coal could be formed by comparing it with coal of the same age in 

 Europe. 



Sir H. De l.\ Beche observed that it was incorrect to suppose that, in 

 other countries, the most valuable coal would be found in rocks agreeing in 

 age with our own coal-measures. The Burdwan coal appeared to be of the 

 same age with the Australian coal, as there were plants common to both. 



Mr. Jukes pointed out the identity in direction of the granitic hills of 

 North-Eastern .4ustraUa with those of the Malay Peninsula ; and the occur- 

 rence of coal, at an intermediate point, in Borneo. 



Dr. Falconer considered the Burdwan coal-field peculiar: — its plants 

 were all unlike those of Europe ; and it contained neither dicoyledonous nor 

 coniferous wood. He thought it might be older than any of our coal-fields. 



Mr. W. Sanoers exhibited Sections made on the line of the Great Wes- 

 tern Railway, between Bristol and Taunton. — The general section represented 

 a distance of 45 miles, on a scale of 33 inches to the mile. It passed first 

 through the junction beds of red marl and lias ; then for 6 or 7 miles through 

 new red sandstone, touching once upon the upper beds of the carboniferous 



limestone. For the next 12 miles there are alluvial tracts, separated by 

 cuttings of new red sandstone. At 21 miles, the Uphill cutting passes 

 through the new red sandstone and lias and then the carboniferous lime- 

 stone, at the base of which are some masses of trappean rock. The railway 

 then proceeds for 1" miles over an alluvial plain, interrupted only by a cut- 

 ting through the new red marl and lias at Puriton. From tliis point to 

 Taunton the course is over a moderately level country of new red sandstone. 

 Four enlarged drawings represented the details of the Ashton, Uphill, and 

 other cuttings. In the section at Pylle, Mr. Sanders discovered remains of 

 Cypris, and a plant {XaiadiUs lanoeola/a), in the lower lias marls; and in 

 the Uphill and Puriton sections the representatives of the bone bed occurs. 

 Since there are usually several calcareous beds in the lower marls, containing 

 the same fish-scales, siiells, &c., Mr. Sanders prefers the classification of Mr. 

 Conybeare, who considered these beds the lowest member of the lias to the 

 separation of the bone bed, — which is only a part of this series, into the 

 Triassic system, as proposed by M. Agassiz, on account of the nature of its 

 fishes. 



" On the Muschct Band, commonly called the Black-band Ironstone oj the 

 Coal-field of Scotland." By Mr. Bald. — This band of ironstone was dis- 

 covered about forty years ago, by Mr. David Musehet, of tne Caider Iron- 

 works, near Glasgow. It had been frequently passed through ; but was 

 thrown away as rubbish till Mr. Musehet ascertained its value, — when ex- 

 tensive mines were opened for working it. Two bands of this ironstone are 

 found in the great coal-fields of Lanark, — one H inches thick; the other, 

 which is 73 fathoms lower, is IG inches thick. The ironstone of the Muschct 

 band is much more easily reducible than the ordinary dry ironstone, — and 

 requires less fuel. In Scotland it appears to be co-extensive with the coal 

 formation. In South Wales, also, it is found ; but there is little of it in 

 England or Ireland. Fifty years ago there were only five iron-woiks in 

 Scotland, comprising about filtecn blast furnaces which, togetlier, produced 

 540 tons of iron per week. There are now 100 blast furnaces in action, 

 which produce 12,000 tons per week, or 624,000 tons in the year,— the 

 value of which, at 3/. per ton, is l.S72,000/. This great increase Mr. Bald 

 attributed to the discovery of the Musehet ironstone, and to the introduction 

 of the hot-blast. He also mentioned that Mr. Musehet, who is now in his 

 eighty-sixth year, has published a volume on the manufacture of iron, con- 

 taining an analysis of every ironstone and ore be could olitain ; and be trust- 

 ed his lal'ours would, at least, be recognized in scientific societies, allbough 

 the pecuniary advantage arising from his discoveries had fallen inti) other 

 bands. 



Section G — Mechanics. 



" On the Sidling Powers of tico I'nckts, built on the fVave Priniiple." 

 By Dr. Phipps.— Tlie first was built for Dr. Co ri^an, of Dublin, in 1S4-1 ; 

 a small open boat -J-l feet by G, of 3| tons, which did so well that she was 

 able to beat everything near her own size, and to sail with those which 

 exceed it in some instances as far as four times. She was dry i n seas 

 where they were wet, was very stiff, sure in stays, and steered well at all 

 times. Tlie second is a jachtof 4o tons, O.BI., for Samuel Hodder, Esq., 

 of Kingabella ; built from the drawing by Mr. Peasley, of Passage West, 

 in Cork. She appears to have the following qualitiis : a first rate per- 

 formance, attained without sacrifice of any good quality, large accommo- 

 dation, high stability. She is weatiierly, steady and easy, dry in the worst 

 weather, and pitches and ascends less than any ves<el I was ever in. She 

 turns so sharply that no 10 ton y.^clit can do it quicker, and steers so well, 

 scudding in a gale of wind, that notwithstanding an unbalanced state, 

 from an injudicious shift of mast, she neither broaches to, nor is compelled 

 to lay to — which a companion of larger size (GO tons), and of trieil sea 

 qualities, was forced to do, and, in consequence, arrived from Cork to 

 Dublin 14 hours after the wave-built jacht. In a race at Kingstown for 

 the Eailway Cup of 100 guineas, in which she was matched against the 

 best boats of the three countries, in a time race, including one tine yacht 

 of 100 tons, she won — and did the course exactly in 4h. 22m. 5Ss.— it 

 being 4G nautic miles. Making no allowance for tacking or starting from 

 absolute rest, the rate of this is 10^ knots per hour. 1 his is a great result 

 for a principle yet in its infancy. The same vessel left Holjhead in a gale 

 of wind, with storm-sails, main-sail stowed, and everything made snug; 

 with a reefed try-sail, a double-reefed fore-sail,, and tiiird jib. She lay in 

 one Etretch to the Irish coast, where she tacked to the southward, beating 

 down to the Arklow light in 11 hours. Six persons ou board, being sepa- 

 rately questioned, agreed that the time from Holyhead to the Irish coast 

 was 4^ hours. Making every reasonable allowance, less than 50 nautic 

 miles could not have been done ; and this gives a velocity of 11 nautic 

 miles per hour, — an unrecorded speed for ships of any size, close hauled, 

 but surprising for a vessel of 45 tons, and in a very rough sea. It was, 

 in fact, remarked on board that, as the wind freshened, her pace increased 

 without limit. This agrees with the fact stated by Capt. Fishbourue, of 

 the Flambeau steamer, on wave lines, that she had a speed greatest in the 

 worst weather, as compared with her rival. — It is perhaps possible to 

 improve sailing vessels greatly, as compared with steamers. \l hen so 

 improved, they might be used where sailing vessels nearly compete with 

 steamers at present. This may be further helped by the dimiuulion of 

 insurance and of the present uuneccssary waste of human life. 



Mr. Scott Kussell, after expressing his gratitude to the AssociatioQ 

 for directing its attention to so imporiant a subject, proceeded to explain 

 the theory of what was known as the wave principle in ship building. 

 He was first induced to direct his attention to this subject when the canal 



