572 DE. J. T. HEWITT ON I^ATURAL GAS AT [Aug. 1898, 



36. Note on Natural Gas at Heathfield Station (Sussex). By 

 J. T. Hewitt, M.A., D.Sc, Ph.D. (Communicated by the 

 President. Eead June 8th, 1898.) 



In a boring made for water some months ago at Heathfield Railway- 

 station (L. B. & S. C. E,.) an outflow of natural gas was encountered. 

 A cap provided with a cock was placed at the outlet of the boring, 

 and thus the collection of a sample of the gas for analysis was an 

 easy matter. Owing to the courtesy of Mr. R. J. Billinton, the 

 Locomotive Engineer of the London, Brighton, & South Coast 

 Railway, who not only gave me the necessary permission, but 

 also placed every facility at my disposal, I was enabled to take a 

 sample of the gas on Dec. 31st, 1897. Mr. Billinton further in- 

 formed me that a bed of lignite had been encountered at a depth of 

 about 300 feet ; this was of considerable thickness, and was supposed 

 to be the stratum in which the gas had its origin. He very kindly 

 provided me with a specimen of this substance, which one can 

 perhaps better regard as a shale ; this also was analysed. 



Analysis op the Gas. 



{Hempel Method and Apparatus,) 



jl Gr CGnt 



Methane (OH^) 91-9 



Hydrogen (H^) 7-2 



Nitrogen (N2) ... 0-9 



100-0 



The gas was examined for oxygen, carbon dioxide, carbon 

 monoxide, defines, and hydrocarbon vapours ; these were found to 

 be absent. 



Analysis op the Shale. 



In the first place the shale was analysed according to the customary 

 method of carrying out commercial analyses for coal. The following 

 result was obtained : — 



Per cent. 



Moisture 4-90 



Volatile matter 15'55 



Fixed carbon 174 



Ash 77-81 



100-00 



It should be pointed out thai very little reliance can be placed 

 on the numbers for volatile matter and fixed carbon, as, owing to the 

 largef amount and porous nature of the ash obtained, it is extremely 

 easy to increase the percentage of volatile matter and diminish that 

 of the fixed carbon, by the combustion of the latter, even with the 

 lid firmly fixed on the platinum crucible in which the analysis is 

 conducted. 



