412 



UNITED STATES. 



"A fire was made with the Lehigh coal, in a smith's 

 forge, and two thick bars of iron were placed in it, 

 and welded with great care, by the proprietor of 

 the furnace. 



The smith, his journeyman, and by-standers were 

 convinced, that the heat was much greater than that 

 of James river coal. 



^' As the Virginia coal burns with flame and much - 

 smoke, a vast portion of this combustible substance, 

 and the heat generated by it, is lost by passing up 

 the chimney. / 



" The Lehigh coal promises to be particularly useful, 

 where a long continued heat is necessary, as in dis- 

 liUing, or in evaporating large quantities of water 

 from various substances; in the melting of metals^ 

 or in subliming of salts ; in generating steam to work 

 steam engines; and in common life, for washing, 

 cooking, &C. Jirovided the fire places are construct- 

 ed in such a manner as to keeji uji a strong draught 

 of air,'^ 



A company is formed to clear the river Lehigh, 

 in order to permit this coal to be brought to Phila- 

 delphia. 



In Virginia, the richest mines of coal are found 

 to be covered by beds of gravel and large pebbles. 

 In England and France (according to St. Fond), the 

 best coal is found under freestone. It may be useful 

 to mention, that the lateral straggling veins of coal 

 must not be attended to when digging for it, but the 

 perpendicular direction pursued: eighty or one hun- 

 dred feet are sometimes to be penetrated; before 

 the main body of coal will be found. 



