134 Fuel for Steam Boile7's. 



The vast mines of anthracite which exist in this country, (and of 

 which accounts have been published in several of the volumes of 

 this Journal) afford an inexhaustible resource for fuel, on the eastern 

 side of the Alleghanies, while the bituminous coal is equally abun- 

 dant on the west, and this variety of coal will hereafter be applied to 

 the production of steam, when the forests of the Ohio and Mississippi, 

 and their tributary waters, shall have been wasted. 



It is well known, that the andiracite of Pennsylvania differs from 

 that of the old continent, by producing considerable quantities of in- 

 flammable gas.* This is most copiously evolved when the coal is 

 first ignited, and is gradually diminished in quantity, and finally ceas- 

 es, with the continued action of the fire ; and a very intense heat is 

 long maintained in the furnace after the flame has nearly ceased. In 

 this state, when the fire is in active ignition, if a little water is thrown 

 upon it, the flame is renewed, and perhaps a great volume of it in- 

 stantly bursts into the room. The cause is obvious ; the water is 

 decomposed by the highly ignited carbon, and its hydrogen being lib- 

 erated, burns ; this depends upon the well known chemical fact, that 

 intensely heated carbon decomposes water, by attracting its oxygen ; 

 and by supplying a regulated flow of steam, passing in, beneath the 

 grate, as much as the coal could decompose, without having its tem- 

 perature too much depressed, (when it would cease to decompose 

 the water, and the latter would operate to extinguish the fire) we 

 might probably have a constant supply of flame from ignited anthra- 

 cite. It is well known, that moistened anthracite burns better than 

 dry; it will indeed not kindle so soon, but when kindled — which is 

 most easily done by adding it to anthracite or charcoal, already on 

 fire, it burns with very abundant flame. I have often observed that 

 anthracite thrown into the fire with much snow adhering to it, burns 

 all the better for this addition. f On putting a large mass of snow 

 into an anthracite furnace, in a very active state, a great roaring was 

 immediately produced, like that from a burning chimney, and 4he 

 noise was rather startling, and continued till the snow was all melted 

 and the water decomposed; by throwing in small snow balls in succes- 

 sion, the inflammable gas was produced in a more manageable way. 

 It seems evident, therefore, that a supply of water, or of steam, duly 



* See Vol. X. p. 333, of this Journal. 



t I do not advert to its use in the open grafe, but in furnaces, such as are used for 

 l^'arming halls. 



