ON THE ANTHRACITE COAL AND COAL-FIELD OF SOUTH WALES. 228 



Passing from these several examples of pui'e anthracitte, I have selected 

 a coal worked at Ynismedu, in the Swansea valley, and thought to be the 

 same vein as the ' Four- foot ' of Aberdare, as a type of the ' bastard ' 

 anthracite of the district, the analysis of which is as under: — • 



Carbon 89-18 



Hydrogen 404 



Oxygen and Nitrogen 3'44 



Sulphur 0-71 



Ash 2-63 



100-00 



As an example of the celebrated South Wales steam coal, I shall not 

 be wrong in giving the analysis of ' Nixon's Merthyr ' as follows : — 



Carbon 90-27 



Oxygen 2-53 



Nitrogen -63 



Hydrogen 4-12 



Sulphur 1-20 



Ash 1-25 



100-00 



That of the ' No. 3 Rhondda ' vein I quote from ' Fairley's South 

 Wales Coal-field,' as one of the best known and most valued bituminous 

 seams of the district, the analysis of which is as under : — 



Carbon 72-73 



Oxygen and Nitrogen 22-60 



Sulphur 1-17 



Ash 3-50 



100-00 



From these details it will appear that in the chief constituent, carbon, 

 the purest anthracite exceeds the ' bastard ' anthracite by 5 per cent., the 

 best Welsh steam coal by 3-91, and the bituminous coal by 21-45 per cent. 

 But, on the whole, and regarded simply in a practical light, I consider 

 these returns singularly unsatisfactory ; I may almost add, deceptive. I 

 allude particularly to the analysis of the ' bastard anthracite ' and that of 

 the Welsh steam coal. In the examples I have given there is but a 

 difference of 1-9 in. carbon, '8 of hydrogen, and "28 in oxygen and nitrogen. 

 And yet practically, and for all marketable purposes, no greater diver- 

 gence can exist. 



I must leave it to the chemist or others to explain this difficulty, 

 one which also to some extent exists in respect to the Welsh and 

 American anthracites. Judging from analysis, appearance, and general 

 characteristics, these fuels are connected by the closest ties ; and ^-et, 

 while our Welsh coal, with all its splendid attributes, is neglected and, 

 excepting for a few purposes, shunned and despised, its great American 

 brother enters into wide and general use. Much of this is due, no doubt, 

 to habit, custom, and necessity ; and I also believe that the rendering of 

 the coal for market in pieces of various and suitable size, as adopted in 

 America, is a very great convenience, and would, if followed in this 

 country, greatly increase the trade of the anthracite worker. We should, 

 however, look deeper into the matter for a solution of the problem. Dr. 

 Percy indeed saj^s with respect to anthracite coal, 'The property of 

 decrepitating may cause the production of fine particles to such an extent 



