d12 SCIENCE. 
the judgment of the trade in discriminating 
between different coals, I requested one of the 
largest miners and shippers of anthracite coal, 
who has for a great many years been connected 
with the mines over a wide area in the region, 
to name a number of coals, which, by most 
consumers, were credited with being of about 
equal value. Specimens of these coals were 
collected from one or two hundred tons, as 
they were ready to be shipped to market; the 
amount collected for each analysis, ranging in 
weight from one to two hundred pounds, which: 
was then reduced by the ordinary methods now 
commonly used in sampling any mineral prod- 
uct for qualitative and quantitative tests. The 
number of specimens obtained in this way 
aggregated thirty-three. The analysis of each 
individual specimen is recorded in detail on 
p- xliv. of my ‘First report of the progress 
of the anthracite survey,’ issued by the state 
printer on the first of this month. For our 
present purpose it is not important to refer to 
the results in detail. 
The table of averages which I have com- 
piled shows the mean character of the coal 
obtained from the more important coal-beds 
in the Northern field in the vicinity of Wilkes 
Barre, in the Eastern middle (Lehigh) field in 
the vicinity of Hazleton, in the Western middle 
field in the vicinity of Shenandoah, and in the 
Southern field on the property of the Lehigh 
coal and navigation company, between Mauch 
Chunk and Tamaqua. These results are shown 
in the following table : — 
[Vou. III., No. 58. 
average of the two Primrose coals indicating — 
1.29%, and the average of the seven Mam- 
moth specimens 5.4%, less fixed carbon than 
Taylor’s average; the minimum fixed carbon 
in the survey’s analyses being 78 as against. 
86 in Taylor’s table, and the survey’s maxi- 
mum being 88 against 92.6. 
These results evidently prove, 1°, that the 
specimens which were collected in the past 
for analysis were not sampled with sufficient 
care; for with the improvements which have 
been made in breaker machinery, and the 
greater care exercised in the preparation of 
coal for market, we might reasonably expect 
to find the higher percentages in the more 
recent analyses: and, 2°, the necessity of 
changing the basis upon which Pennsylvania 
anthracite has been rated in the past. 
CuarLes A. ASHBURNER. 
IMPROVEMENTS IN TESTING- 
MACHINES. 
SomE philosopher has remarked that the 
prosperity of a nation is directly in propor- 
tion to the success of its people as constructors. 
According to this maxim, America occupies a 
very high place in the list of nations. With 
our almost inexhaustible ore-beds, and fertil- 
ity in inventing new processes of mining and 
working metal, the necessity of becoming bet- 
ter acquainted with the properties of American 
building-materials is daily growing more ap- 
parent; and at present no question is exciting 
== = = 
| || . 
ei B hee tae i | PERCENTAGE OF 
= 5 a ees | 
3 Nawe or coat. | NAME oF coat | an ; | S : 48 | 
AME OF COAL- | NAI JOAL- | | ie A r a oa } 
az BED. | FIELD. bane ot 2 = a 2 toes = 5 
eH | eas AS _e = A cet 4 med : 
= | | lo S| Same s | 32 F @ | 8 SS |g digmescues 
au = S ix a o a) Selves e$a |5 
Zi | iS > fe R <q en 2) ay > ee le 
=a a Send: af peso: oe 
5 | Wharton | Eastern middle .| 3.713 3.080 | 86.404 585 6.218 100 1.620 | 96.56 3.44 28.07 
5 | Mammoth . Eastern middle .j 4.119 3.084 | 86.379 496 5.922 100 1.617 96.55 3.45 27.99 
2 | Primrose Western middle .| 3.541 3.716 | 81.590 499 10.654 100 1.654 95.64 4.36 21.93 
5 | Mammoth. . Western middle . | 3.163 3.717 | 81.143 -899 11.078 100 1.657 |) 95.62 4.38 21.83 
2 | Primrose? (Ff) ./| Southern. .| 38.008 4.125 | 87.982 506 4.379 100 1.584 95.52 4.48 21.32 
2 | Buck-Mountain .| Western middle .| 3.042 3.949 | 82.662 462 9.885 100 1.667 95.44 4.56 20.93 
1 | Seven-foot . Western middle .| 3.410 3.978 | 80.868 O12 11.232 100 1.651 95.31 4.69 20.32 
7 | Mammoth . .| Southern . 3.087 4.275 | 83.813 641 8.184 160 1.631 95.15 4.85 19.62 
3 | Mammoth. . .| Northern. 3.421 4.381 | 83.268 127 8.203 100 1.575 95.00 5.00 19.00 
These analyses are arranged in the order of the percentage of fixed carbon in the fuel constituents. 
A comparison of these results with those 
already referred to, as given by Taylor for the 
Panther-Creek basin, shows wide differences. 
The two Primrose and seven Mammoth speci- 
mens reported in the table for the Southern 
field came from the Panther-Creek basin; the 
more attention among our constructors than 
that of the strength of materials. 
About two years ago Messrs. Fairbanks & 
Co. conceived the idea of locating in New 
York a bureau so arranged that engineers and 
all interested could be afforded an opportunity 
