12 The American Geologist. July, 1896 
VII. Anthkacitk Artificially Produ(;ki) fkom Ordinary 
Coal. 
In the Museum of Economic or ri-jictical (ieology, London, 
Eng., are (or were) samples of perfect anthracite, which were 
formed by Mr. Oakes at Alfreton Iron Works, Derbyshire. 
His process was heat applied to bituminc)us coal under pres- 
sure and presumably in a liciuid nicdiuiu, anthracite being the 
resulting product, not coke. 
VIII. Wood Changed into Coal Hvdrotiiekjially. 
Daubree converted wood in water under pressure to a tem- 
perature of STS'-'F. into anthracite almost as hard as steel. 
Geikie cites ''an example of the alteration of vegetable matter 
into coal by water, elevated temperature and pressure ob- 
served a few years ago in the Dorothea mine, Clauthal. Some 
of the timbers in a long disused level filled with slate rubbish 
and saturated by mine water, were found to have a leathery 
consistence when wet, but on exposure to air hardened to a 
lirm coal, with the fracture of a black-glossy pitch-coal." The 
writer has an account of a peculiar discovery made in 1885 at 
a Spanish iron works, A large steam hammer and anvil, 
which had been erected nine years previously, had to undergo 
some repairs. On taking up the large blocks of oak beneath 
the anvil a considerable portion was found to be converted 
into a black carbonaceous substance not unlike anthracite, the 
process of conversion from wood to coal having evidently 
taken place by percolation of hot water aided by pressure or 
blows on the anvil. Again, ¥j. S. Motfat* describes the alter- 
ation of portions of crushed props and wedges into true coal 
Avhich had the characteristic cross-fracture, sharp and con- 
choidal, jet black in color, specific gravity 1.38 and a hard- 
ness the same as anthracite. These timbers were placed in an 
anthracite mine at Scranton, Pennsylvania, some 30 years 
previous to their discovered alteration. The place had been 
on fire for a long period and then deluged with water to put 
it out. The place where the timbers were was also filled with 
mine refuse, which being subsequently dug out revealed the 
carbonized timbers. Here then we have an instance of water 
heat and pressure converting vegetable matter into something 
*"Note on the Formation of Coal from Mine timbers." Trans. Am. 
Inst. M. E., 1887. 
