54 
BALL AND SIMPSON: COALFIELDS OF INDIA. 
Four samples from seams Nos. 17, 15, 14 and 13 yielded an average 
of 0-175 perc.nit. of phosphorus. Of 9 samples of coke analysed for 
the same gentlemen the average percentages of sulphur and phosphorus 
were 0-66 and 0-17, respectively. 
The above analyses are of samples from coal seams all of which 
occur in the Barakar series, and it is interesting to note that 
the low percentage of moisture, noticed by Dr. Saise, in the coal 
of the Barakar series in the Raniganj field, is characteristic also 
of the Barakar coal in the Jharia field. That there is a cor- 
respondingly high percentage of moisture in the coal from the 
Raniganj series is shown from the following analysis^ of the 
Murulidih A seam. Where sampled the seam is nine feet in 
thickness, and successive samples were taken from each foot of 
thickness, the first foot which contains more than 20 per cent, of 
ash being discarded : — 
Moisture varies from 2-72 to .3-80 and averasifis 2-y6 
Volatile matter varies from 26-16 to 31-00 29-60 
Fixed carbon varies from 51-36 to 57-26 „ 53-71 
Asli vari"S from 11-84 to I5-2-1 ,. 13-73 
The analyses of Jharia coal summarized below were made by Major 
F. C. Hughes^ in 1909 :— 
Moisture. 
Volatile 
Fixed 
Ash. 
Calorific valce 
stated in calories. 
matter. 
carbon. 
Calculated. 
By ex- 
periment. 
ftaniganj "r Upper Meaa-jres (2 
samples). 
1-68 
3r-62 
57-26 
10-45 
7,183 
7,195 
Barakar or Lower Measures (22 
samples). 
1-25 
23-21 
63-77 
11-78 
7,481 
7,197 
Until recent times it was commonly supposed that fire-damp 
did not occur in the coal seams of this field. As the workings 
have increased in depth, however, gas has made its appearance 
at a number of mines. At one mine in the upper measures safety 
lamps are used throughout. 
Another danger which was thought to be absent from the mines 
is that of spontaneous combustion. In 1911, however, serious fires 
1 Lala Hira Lai, Geol. Surv. Ind., Lnh. Records (1901). 
2 j'ran-s., Min. Geol. InsU of India, V, pt. 2, pp. 114-180 (1910). 
