Record* of', the Geolr.mal Survey of India. 
[ vol. ir. 
98 
At this depth the mineral lifter jammed, and after several days' unavailing efforts to 
lift it, it became evident that it would be necessary to sink to it, in order to relieve the tools. 
After some delay this sinking is now in progress and had reached 27 feet on the 12th instant. 
Such is the progress made in the exploration of the field. 
As regards the important question of the quality of the coal, several trials have been 
made. The coal raised from the pit near Googoos was first sent to the Great Indian Penin¬ 
sular Railway for trial in their locomotives. The Locomotive Superintendent reported on the 
16th April “that the coal was not suitable for locomotive purposes, being very dirty. Out of 
1 ton 4 cwt. used, there were 6 ewt. of clinker, but very little in the smoke-box, with a load 
of 4 cotton wagons and one brake. Great quantities of sparks came out from the chimney, 
and remained on fire for some time. From Boorhanpore to Khnndwa, the brake-van alone 
was attached to the engine, and although the fire had been cleaned at Chandnee station, it 
had to be cleaned again before getting to Dongergaon (17 miles). We could not get a welding 
heat with the coal, although it contains great quantities of gas.” 
The fire-boxes on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway- are constructed to suit English 
coal, and the engineers are accustomed to its use. There appeared, therefore, sound reason for 
not admitting this to be a conclusive trial. More coal was raised, and better coal selected, 
and this was sent to the East Indian Railway at. Jubbulpore, some to the works in progress 
under the Public Works Department at the Kanhan bridge, and also a second supply to the 
Great Indian Peninsular Railway. The results of these trials arc decidedly encouraging. It 
is said that the coal took the train on the Great Indian Peninsular Railway down as tar as 
Budnaira (100 miles) without difficulty; the engineers were agreeably surprised with its 
capabilities, but did not “ think it quite up to the mark.” At the Kanhan bridge works, it 
was tested in a small portable engine. “ With Chanda coal steam was got up in 1 hour and 25 
minutes with a consumption of 36fts., the coal being wet, a strong breeze blowing and rain 
falling at the time. The coal burnt clear, and freely and very clean, leaving a small residue of 
gray r ash without clinkers, and evaporated on the average 4Ibs. of water per 1ft. of coal consumed. 
With English coal steam was raised in 1 hour 35 minutes, with a consumption of 28fts„ the 
coal being drier, but small and deteriorated from exposure, but the weather was fine at this 
part, of the day and very little wind. The evaporation was at the rate of 6'5fts. of water 
per 1ft. of coal.” The Chanda coal is specially- noted as “ burning clean.” 
The trial on the East Indian Railway was the only one in which the Chanda coal was 
compared with other Indian coal. “ The Locomotive Superintendent reports that the con¬ 
sumption of Chanda coal on two trials was 88f cwts. and 85 cwts. per 100 miles, against 
67 cwts. of Ranigunj coal for the same distance. The coal did not work well at first, partly, it 
appears, owing to the construction of the fire-boxes, and partly, perhaps, to the stormy weather 
in which one of the trials was made, but it did better afterwards.” 
These trials show the ‘ dirty’ of the coal to be as compared with English coal (‘small 
and deteriorated by exposure’) as 4: 6‘5, or 61 per cent., or, in other words, it is fths worse 
than this English coal. 
As compared with Ranigunj coal, its duty was as 67 to 87 (mean of 88’75 and 85’), 
or 77 per cent., or nearly yth worse. It is not stated what “ Ranigunj” coal was in use. 
The coal, however, did the work required of it, and in a satisfactory manner. 
These coals were, as mentioned, from the pit sunk at the Wurdah. To test the coal 
met in the boring near that river, as given above, Mr. Fryar was requested to forward 
specimens. Of these ho sent 33, one from each of the three-feet seams above the thick coal 
and 31 from it, these being taken from the material brought up by the pump at intervals of 
about a foot of sinking. These were all assayed carefully by Mr. Tween, and the results are 
given below. 
There can be no doubt that assays of this kind, and more especially when made on the 
stuff broken down by a boring-chisel, are only approximate indices to the value of the coals 
tested. But in the absence of better means, they do afford fairly comparable results, and 
do unquestionably give a fair indication of the economical value of the coals. Indeed, the 
very- results given above are singularly confirmatory- of this. The assays were completed for 
several weeks before the above results of actual trials were received. , 
