Pt. III.] SUMMARY. 191 



The three most important purposes for which coal is now a deside- 

 ratum in India are, for railways ; for steam 



Uses for. 



vessels ; and for the manufacture of iron. For 

 the two first-named purposes, with the important exception of sea- 

 going steamers making long voyages, the coal has been proved, by 

 experience, to be perfectly adequate, and also for the use of stationary 

 steam engines. The objections above mentioned may be considered as 

 only slightly affecting its application to these purposes. 



With regard to its application to the manufacture of iron, there 



does not seem any sound theoretical ground 

 For iron manufacture. 



for doubting that, with the better qualities of 



Eaniganj coal, iron can be made in any quantity. The quantity of 



ash, although large, is not more than in some kinds of Welsh coal, 



which are used in iron smelting. One great drawback, however, to 



the quality of the iron will ensue from the proportion of iron pyrites 



present in much of the Damuda coal. 



One element of importance in the manufacture of iron by the blast 



furnace is the composition of the ash of the coal. 

 Composition of ash. 



Careful analyses were made by Mr. A. Tween, 



of the Geological Survey of India, of the ashes of the two coals from 



Baniganj and Sirsol, the assays of which were stated above, and these 



analyses show a very unusual composition, viz. : — 





Sirsol. 



Raniganj. 



Silica 



... 48-3 



42-0 



Alumina 



... 32-4 



31-3 



Peroxide of Iron 



... 75 



101 



Lime 



... 3-5 



5-8 



Magnesia 



... 1-7 



2-7 



Alkalies 



1-5 



1-6 



Phosphoric Acid ,,, 



... 3-8 



2-9 





98-7 



96-4* 









• 



* The loss, 3' 6 per cent., was partly due to carbon remaining in the ash. 



