88 B. Silliman on W ollongongite. 
of air make one cubic foot, it follows that the density of the 
gas is 1°716, or nearly double the density of olefiant gas. Re- 
frigerated at —6° F. this s gas loses 41°8 per cent of its illumi- 
nating power, a loss not — es we have found in common 
street gas at the same tempera 
The quantity of this oat a represented by my inform- 
ant, as extremely abundant, adequate to any demand which 
might arise for it in commerce. ave taken steps, since dis- 
tion resembled in appearance the finest varieties of Englis 
cannel, but differs in color and especially in streak as already 
described. Two of these masses weighed about one hundred 
pounds each, were prismatic in form and exhibited no structure, 
opposing an “equal resistance to the hammer in all directions and 
breaking only with extreme difficulty. 
Accompanying the Wollongongite brought to New York by 
Mr. Hall were specimens of a bituminous ‘shale quite earthy in. 
its character, of an elastic bitumen, and also, of a cannel coal 
in its essential features. It has a well developed laminated struc- 
ture, a nearly black color and is streaked with micaceous an 
earthy particles visible in its mass, A block of this material, 
sent to the Columbia College School of Mines, was examine 
by Prof. C. F. Chandler , who has kindly communicated to me 
the ee results of. his analyses. 
“ Australian shale.” Density = 1°106 
Gases, - 3 3 . é : 
-Water, - - x rt nf é 3-33 
OF, a re Se ee eee 
Fixed carbon, el A Be oer. 
a “ $e , : 14°00 t Coke=40°48 
100°00 
ond of the crude oil. ‘ 87631 
ity 6°38 pe (of 231 cub. inches) per 
ton at 2,000 lbs. 
Comparing this analysis with the results stated on p. 86, 
we see 20 per cent more of fixed carbon in the ‘shale’ giving 
—— per cent of coke against 17°50 per cent from the wol- 
ongo ngite 
The probabilities are that the material occurs in various 
degrees of purity, and that these may shade off by imper- 
ceptible degrees into each other, as is observed to be true 
of many cannel coals. It is therefore quite possible that the 
wollongongite may sometimes be found on more extensive eX- 
