324 



NA TURE 



[Fep.ruary 2/ 1905 



Sir David Gill, Mr. Theodore Reunert, and others 

 have taken a prominent part .in the initial work. The 

 South African Association for the Advancement of 

 Science is cordially cooperating in the local 

 organisation, and will join with the British -Associa- 

 tion in attending the meeting. 



The aim of the council has been to secure the 

 attendance of a representative body of British men 

 of science, including specialists in various lines of 

 investigation, and that, along with the generous 

 support of the people and authorities in South .Africa, 

 should go far to ensure the success of the meeting 

 and to stimulate local scientific interest and research. 



THE ROYAL COMMISSION ON COAL 

 SUPPLIES. 



T"" HE Royal Commission appointed on December 

 •^ 28, 1901, to inquire into the extent and avail- 

 able resources of the coalfields of the United Kingdom 

 has issued its final report, which, in 38 pages, con. 

 tains an able summary of the vast amount of valuable 

 information submitted by the numerous witnesses 

 examined. The Commission originally appointed 

 consisted of Lord AUerton, Sir W. T. Lewis, Sir 

 Lindsay Wood, Sir C. Le Neve Foster, and Messrs. 

 T. Bell, W. Brace, A. C. Briggs, H. B. Dixon, J. S. 

 Dixon, E. Hull, C. Lapworth, J. P. Maclav, A. 

 Sopwith, J. J. H. Teall, and R. Young. Mr. A. 

 Strahan was subsequently added to the Commission ; 

 Sir C. Le Neve Foster and Mr. Ralph Young died 

 before the inquiry was completed. 



On the whole the report is of a reassuring 

 character. Adopting 4000 feet as the limit of 

 practicable depth in working, and one foot as the 

 minimum workable thickness, the commissioners 

 estimate the available quantity of coal in the proved 

 coalfields of the United Kingdom to be 100,914,668,167 

 tons, as compared with the 90,207,285,398 tons 

 estimated by the Coal Commission of 1871, notwith- 

 standing the fact that 5,694,928,507 tons have been 

 raised in the meantime. The excess is accounted for 

 by the more accurate knowledge of the coal-seams. 

 It is also estimated that there are 39,483 million tons 

 of coal in the concealed and unproved coalfields. 



It is thought that in future thin seams will be 

 worked more extensively than at present, and that 

 the use of coal-cutting machines will facilitate this. 

 The amount of unavoidable loss incident to coal- 

 mining is a serious factor in estimating the available 

 resources. Much coal is lost by leaving unnecessary 

 barriers between properties, and a certain amount 

 must necessarily remain in order to support the 

 surface. The amount thus left might perhaps be 

 reduced by the introduction of the methods employed 

 on the Continent and in .America of packing excava- 

 tions with water-borne sand or other materials. The 

 recovery of coal formcrlv abandoned might be 

 facilitated by the establishment of central pumping 

 stations. 



The possible economies to which attention is directed 

 comprise the adoption of coal-cutting machines, of 

 which 483 were in use in 1902 and 643 in 1903, and 

 the use of electricity for the transmission of power. 

 The importance of cleaning, sizing, and sorting coa) 

 is also strongly urged, and the extended adoption of 

 coking advocated. In this connection the advantages 

 of by-product coke ovens are pointed out, and it is 

 shown that washing and compression render it 

 possible to coke many coals previously considered 

 worthless. It is probable that briquettes will in 

 future be more largely used for steam and domestic 

 purposes, and there appears to be a promising field 



NO. 1840, VOL. 71] 



for research for the discovery of a less smoky and 

 less costly binding material than pitch, which is now 

 chiefly used. 



In view of the dearth of statistics of coal consump- 

 tion, the following estimate for 1903 is of specia! 

 interest : — 



Railways ... ... ... 13,000.000 



Coasting Steamers... ... ... ... 2,000,000 



Factories ... ... ... ... ... 53,000,000 



Mines ... ... ... ... ... iS, 000, 000 



Iron and steel industries ... ... ... 28,000,000 



Other metals and minerals ... ... 1,000,000 



Brick works and potteries, glass works 



and chemical works ... ... ... 5,000,000 



Gasworks ... ... ... ... ... 15,000,000 



Domestic ... ... ... ... ... 32,000,000 



Total ... 167,000,000 



It is calculated by Mr. Beilby that in this total 

 there is a possible saving of 40 to 60 million tons. 

 More particularly in connection with the raising of 

 steam there are immense economies capable of realisa- 

 tion. Economy in the production of power may be 

 effected bv the combustion of gas obtained as a by- 

 product. Information submitted by Mr. Bennett 

 Brough points to increasing opportunities of utilis- 

 ing blast-furnace waste gases as a source of power 

 Waste gases from coke ovens might similarly be 

 utilised. Gas engines are referred to as the most 

 economic<al of heat motors, but increased efficiency 

 both thermally and mechanically is still possible. 

 The importance of the development of producer-gas 

 plants is strongly urged as rendering possible the 

 utilisation of inferior coal. Interesting information 

 is given regarding various other ways in which 

 economies in consumption may be effected. Regret is 

 expressed that the recommendations of the Mining 

 Royalties Commission of 1893 and of the Depart- 

 mental Committee of the Home Office in 1895 regard- 

 ing mineral statistics had not been carried out. The 

 commissioners recominend that accurate informa- 

 tion on the coal industry should be published by one 

 authority, and they think that it would be of great 

 advantage if particulars of deep borings could be 

 preserved in a Government office. 



The report must necessarily attract great attention 

 from mining engineers and economists ; and it should 

 also be carefully studied by students in mining 

 classes. It is essentially a cautious document; and 

 the general public will doubtless be disappointed that 

 Lord .Allerton and his colleagues have made no sensa- 

 tional prophecies as to the probable duration of our 

 coal supplies, and have given no indication as to the 

 way in which their estimate of the available tonnage 

 of coal compares with that of other countries. Their 

 report certainly shows that, while the coal re- 

 sources are ample, the cost of coal is not likely to 

 decrease, as the improved methods and appliances will 

 probably be neutralised by the increased cost of work- 

 ing deeper and thinner seams. Where we should be 

 glad of clearer light from the Royal Commission is 

 on the question of the probable condition of compet- 

 ing coal-producing countries when the cost of pro- 

 duction in Great Britain is considerably raised. It is 

 futile to offer a detailed criticism of the final report 

 until the sections containing the reports of the district 

 commissioners, the report of the geological committee, 

 and the minutes of evidence and appendices are 

 published. The probable duration of the coalfields and 

 the colonial and foreign coal resources appear to have 

 been dealt with in special reports written respectively 

 bv -Mr. R. Price-Williams and Mr. Bennett Brough, 

 and to these the commissioners direct attention. 



