527 



Although this country is recognized as destitute of the 

 great development of the coal strata, which has proved so 

 important an element in the industrial progress of Great 

 Britain, yet there are known to exist several coal districts, 

 some bituminous and some anthracitous, as well as deposits 

 of wood coal, which, with the great extent of turf-bog occu- 

 pying the surface in many places, may be considered as stores 

 of fuel, available and sufficient for the supply of the interior 

 of the country for a very long time. In order, however, to 

 be able to calculate the economic value, or caloi'ific power of 

 any of these Irish fuels, and so to compare them with the 

 corresponding fuels in other countries, it was necessary to 

 know their elementary composition ; and hence, in order to 

 lay the basis of a true estimate of the worth of our native 

 fuels, Dr. Kane commenced the series of analyses which 

 formed the present communication. 



In order to exhibit all the relations of the composition of 

 these fuels, that might be useful in drawing practical con- 

 clusions. Dr. Kane adopted two distinct modes of analysis : 

 one, exhibiting the real elementary composition ; the other, 

 which he terms the practical analysis, representing the rela- 

 tion of the ashes, and of the fixed and volatile constituents 

 of the fuel. He also in each case ascertained the quantity 

 of oxygen which the fuel was capable of taking up, in order 

 to be perfectly consumed. As the analysis of fuels is known 

 to present some difficulty, it is necessary to mention briefly 

 the precautions taken in order to secure accurate results. 



The point first determined was in each case the quantity 

 of ashes present. To effect this a certain weight of the fuel 

 was burned in a current of hot air, vmtil all traces of organic 

 material disappeai'ed. The residual ash was then weighed. 

 To conduct the determination of the carbon and the 

 hydrogen of the fuels, the methods were varied according to 

 the nature of the substance, with turf, lignite, and the bitu- 

 minous coals. The proper weight of the material having 

 VOL. ir. 2y 



