BEVAN — ON THE ANTHRAGITE-COAL. 



77 



coals are wholly bituminous, as they are also at Clydach, Nantyglo, 

 Blaina, Beaufort, Ebbwvale, Tredegar, and Sirhowy, all iron-works 

 supplied by these north crop or lower-measure coals. The next work 

 to Tredegar is, however, Rhymney (ten miles or so from Blauafou), 

 which is divided by the river of the same name into Rhymney proper, 

 and Bute on the Glamorganshire side. Why I am particular in 

 specifying this is, because at Bute appears the first evidence of an 

 anthracite tendency in the coal, although but slightly marked. The 

 next valley, or that of the TafF, contains Merthyr Dowlais and 

 Cyfartha, where the bituminous or coking quality is still decreasing, 

 and the anthracite takes its place. Further westward, at Hirwain, 

 the tendency is about equal to that of the Cyfartha coal, although the 

 latter is superior for melting purposes, explained by Mr. Mushet by 

 the mode in which the anthracite material exists, — that of the 

 Cyfartha coal being diffused and penetrated by a bituminous cement, 

 while that of Hirwain is in distinct leaves. At Onlwyn, nine miles 

 from Hirwain, the seams are altogether anthracitous, as they are also 

 at Ystradgunlais in the Strausen Valley, Cwm Amman, and the whole 

 of the Caermarthenshire north crop, until we reach the sea at Kid- 

 welly, where are situated the " Vendraeth Vawr," or " stone-coles " of 

 old Leland. 



For a long time, the principal use of anthracite was for melting, 

 for which process it was always available, and for which it is still 

 employed ; indeed, there is a seam of coal worked in Cwm Amman, the 

 "Big Vein," which is almost exclusively used for this branch of trade, 

 which consumes 50,000 tons of anthracite annually. But as regards the 

 iron manufacture, it was looked upon as rather a nuisance than other- 

 wise j for, so far from conducing to good combustion, it almost put 

 the fire out, and thus was worse than useless. In 1837, however, 

 \ Mr. Crane set up a furnace at Ystradgunlais in the Strausen Valley, 

 md endeavoured unsuccessfully to make iron with this coal. He 

 then tried the experiment of mixing anthracite with bituminous coal 

 ^om other districts, by the help of which he succeeded in smelting 

 :he iron, though not profitably, as the expense of bringing other coals 

 f^ould not allow of competition with works where everything was on 

 :he spot. But one evening, when he was sitting by his fireside, he 

 )bserved that a lump of anthracite, instead of catching the flame and 



