THE JURASSIC COAL OF SPITZENBERGEN 87 



'• Both coals seemed to be quite dry, that is, free from hygro- 

 scopic moisture and yet the percentage of moisture at 212° F. 

 is quite high in both coals. This is suggestive that either the 

 samples represent outcrop coal — where, owing to some peculiar 

 physical change in structure, the * dry ' coal may yet hold an 

 excessive amount of moisture and have its coking qualities (if 

 it ever had any) entirely destroyed or to a different kind of 

 vegetation forming the coal. In the present case the action of 

 caustic potash solution has a marked effect on both coals, but 

 more noted in the bottom coal, where the action is so marked as 

 to suggest a lignite or a coal of such character or origin." 



Mr. McCreath's reference to the difference in volatile, shown 

 by the two portions of the bed, is too important to be passed 

 over. The relations are, ash and moisture being neglected, 



Top. Bottom. 



Volatile matter 23.9 33.3 



Fixed carbon 76. 1 66.7 



Fuel ratio I : 3-17 ^ -^ 



giving a difference of somewhat more than 9 per cent. This is 

 considerably more than the usual difference ; commonly one 

 finds not more than 2 or 3 per cent, though in a few of Mr. 

 McCreath's analyses it reaches 5. The especial case to which 

 he makes reference is that of a coal bed at a mile and a half 

 east from Bernice in Sullivan county of Pennsylvania, whose 

 two branches, according to his analyses, show 



Upper. Lower. 



Volatile matter 28.36 12.61 



Fixed carbon 71-64 87.39 



Fuel ratio i : 2.52 l : 6 93 



At Bernice, a bed at very nearly the same horizon, possibly the 

 same, shows practically no variation in the benches and the 

 average ratio of several analyses is almost i : 9, closely ap- 

 proaching anthracite. In this connection note should be made 

 of another fact shown by Mr. McCreath's analyses. At sixty 

 feet below the Bernice semi-anthracite bed, is coal which has 

 the ratio of i '.4.6^, while at six miles southwest, a still lower 



