ECONOMIC. 107 



(<?.) Phosphoric acid. — Tbe ash of one sample only of Warora coal 

 was tested for phosphorus, and that shewed no trace of any. 



From the evidence that has been put forth, I think we may justly 



say that some of the coals, when the proper por- 



^Estimate of value of tiong of the geamg are selected to be wor ked, come 



under the head of fair ordinary fuel, when 

 judged by the standard of the Raniganj field. The hottest coals ought 

 to be those from Pisgaon, Sasti and Telwasa ; and I believe they would 

 give better practical results with locomotives and stationary engines 

 than Warora coal. 



One characteristic, and an unfavorable one, o£ most of the coals, is 



their friability, which renders them less suited for 

 Friability of coal. 



employment in blast furnaces than they otherwise 

 would be; and also makes them less fitted for transport, so that for 

 sea-going steamers they would have to give way to the harder coals of 

 other localities. With the exception of the Sasti coal, I have observed 

 that they all rapidly disintegrate on exposure, and consequently they 

 ought to be used as fresh as possible from the pit. 



To obviate the drawback arising from this feature, proposals have 



been made to convert the coal into brick fuel; and 

 Brick fuel. 



some attempts were recently made by Mr. Ness to 



consolidate the coal of the Warora colliery, by means of gum and rice. 



The proportions of the substances used were : — 



Coal ... ... ... ... 112 lbs. 



Eice ... ...' ... ... lib. 



Gum ... ... ... ... |lb. 



Water ... ... ... ... \ gallon. 



Nitrate of soda ,.. ... ... 4 grains. 



Potash ... ... ... ... 4 grains. 



The fuel so prepared was tried at the- Calcutta Mint, but it burned 

 in a dull smouldering manner, and gave a bad welding heat. An 

 assay proved it to contain 10'2 per cent, of water, and 22'6 per 



( 107 ) 



