IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) ^ Hpmc Scieices Corporation V / o t^ "^ ^ ?b ,\ iV \\ 9> .^^^^ 4^.^^ %<^ ^^ 23 WEST MAIN STREET WEBSTER, N.Y. 14580 (716) 873-4503 / o %. %>i^.. ^ f/, IP., ^ i CIHM/ICMH Microfiche CIHM/ICMH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques The Institute has attempted to obtain the best original copy available for filming. Features of this copy which may be bibliographically unique, which may alter any of the images in the reproduction, or which may significantly change the usual method of filming, are checked below. D n n n n Coloured covers/ Couverture de couleur I I Covei's damaged/ Couverture endommagee Covers restored and/or laminated/ Couverture restaurie et/ou pelliculAe n Cover title missing/ Le titre de couverture manque I I Coloured maps/ Cartes giographiques en couleur □ Coloured ink (i.e other than blue or black)/ Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire) □ Coloured plates and/or illustrations/ Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur □ Bourn Reli« Bound with other material/ avac d'autris documents Tight binding may cause shadows cr distortion along interior margin/ La re liure serree peut causer de I'ombre ou de la distorsion le long da la marge intirieure Blank leaves added during restoration may appear within the text. Whenever possible, these have been omitted from filming/ II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajouties lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte, mais, lorsque cela 6tait possible, ces pages n'ont pas ixi film^as. Additional comments:/ Commentaires suppl^mentaires; L'Institut a microfilme le meilleur exemplaire qu'il lui a at^ possible de se procurer. Les details de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-^tre uniques du point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une modification dans la m^thode normale de filmage sont indiqu^s ci-dessous. r~n Coloured pages/ y D Pages de couleur Pages damaged/ Pages endommag^as Pages restored and/or laminated/ Pages restaur^es et/ou pelliculies Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/ Pages ddcolor^es, tacheties ou piquees Pages detached/ Pages ddtachees Showthrough/ Transparence □ Quality of print varies/ Qualita indgale de I' □ Includes supplementary material/ C ndgale de I'impression supplementary materii Comprend du materiel suppl^mentaire Only edition available/ Seule Edition disponible Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to ensure the best possible image/ Les pages totalement ou partiellement obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata. une pelure. etc., cnt m film^es ^ nouveau de facon ^ obtenir la meilleure image possible. This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/ Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiqui ci-dessous. 10X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X r ~/ ] 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X The copy filmed her* hns b« signifio "A SUIVRE", le syi.ibole V stgnifie "FIN". Maps, piatae, charts, etc.. may be filmed at different reduction ratioa. Those too large to be entirely included in one expoaure are filmed beginning in the upper left hand comer, left to right and top to bottom, aa many frames aa required. The following diagrama iliuatrato the method: Lea cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent itre filmte i dee taux de rMuction diffdrents. Lorsque le documen4 est trop grand pour dtre reproduit en un seul cliche, il est film^ i partir da Tangle sup^rieur gauche, de gauche i droite, et do haut en baa. sn prenant la nombre d'Imagaa n^eaaaira. Las diagrammes suivants lllustrent la mAthodo. 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 A GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. ALFRED R. C. SELWYN, Director. REPQT^T ON TEB ^ COALS AND IRON ORES OF PICTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA, BY EDWARD HARTLEY, F.G.S., uiNiNa BNaiNEsa to thb qboloqioal saavBT, BEING AN APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL-FIELD. From the Reports of the Geological Suroey of the Dominion of Canada for 1867-GO. DAWSON BROS.: MONTREAL. B. WESTERMANN & CO. : NEW YORK. SAMPSON, LOW, SON & MARSTON : LONDON. P. A. BROCKIIAUS: LEIPSIO. BALLIJ&RE: PARIS. 1870. value of so imitj exan ded: (11) ce: .. their ] A rom of pi is pi by Dr. dete Mr. KEPORT ON THE COALS AND IRON ORES oy PICTOU COUNTY, NOVA SCOTIA, BEING AN APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD, BT MR. EDWARD HARTLEY, F.G.S., MINING ENGIXEEK TO THE GEOLOGICAL SURVEY. The following Report will furnish information concerning the economic value of the coals of Pictou County, Nova Scotia, together with a notice of some localities of iron ore likely to become of interest from their prox- imity to the Pictou coal-field ; these deposits of iron ore having received examination during my field-work of the years 1868-69. It will be divi- ded into three sections :— (I) Descriptions and analyses of Pictou coals ; (II) Reports of practical trials of Pictou coals as steam and gas-produ- ce: and for other purposes of the mechanic arts ;— (HI) Iron ores and their occurrence in Pictou County. I. DESCRIPTIONS AND ANALYSES OF PICTOU COALS. A number of published papers and reports contain analyses of coals rom the Pictou region ; but with few exceptions, these publications are out of print, or otherwise inaccessible to the general public. In this section it is proposed to bring these scattered analyses together, supplementing them by a series made by myself during the spring of 1869, in the laboratory of Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, F.R.S., chemist to the Survey, and a few more careful determinations made still later, in Dr. Hunt's laboratory, by his assistant, Mr. Gordon Broome, F.G.S., Associate of the Royal School of Mines. A ^5^5 Method of analysis. 2 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANAI'A. «caUon 0. Analyses of coal may be divided into three classes ; (a) practical '"'"^'^-' analyses in the large way, or the determination of the proximate consti u- "ts of the coal, that is, the moisture, volatile matters, coke and ash, by burning a large quantity ; (b) proximate analyses in the laboratory, or the esult of the^drying, coking, and incineration of a few grains in a smal crucible ; and (c), ultimate analyses, being the careful determination of the ultimate elements of a coal or other fuel, such as carbon, hydrogen, cy.^en and nitrogen ; the class (c) being, of course, the most satisfactory for calculations of the theoretical value of a coal. Of the analyses now given, by far the greater number belong to the second class, (b) in which may be included all those made m the Survey laboratory, as the great expense and amount of time necessary for their completion has rendered both practical and ultimate analyses out of the ( uestion. Although far from satisfactory as accurate measures^ of the true value of coals, the crudest analyses enable us to form some idea ot their character, and, in the absence of practical trials, furnish us with elements on which to base an approximate opinion as to what practical service they arc best fitted to perform. The method of analysis pursued in the examination of the samples ot coal obtained in the Pictou coal-field by myself, was somewhat as follows : Dryin- in a water-bath at a temperature of 212^ Fahrenheit, to expel inuistu°e ; heating to bright redness in a closed crucible to obtam the per- centage of volatile combustible matter ; and finally incineration in an open crucible to obtain the amount of ash. In most cases two different samples of each coal were examined, one being coked by a sudden application of a hi"h heat, to obtain the largest possible amount of volatile matter or^as, irrespective of its character, the quantity of coke being thus reduced to a minimum ; while in treating the second, the heat was applied with the greatest care, and raised very gradually, by which treatment the gases obtained are more highly carburotted, and in smaller quantity than when the heat is suddenly applied. In a few cases, determinations of sulphur liavc been made, but from this impurity the greater part of the coals no'v worked in the Pictou region are quite free. The general very light colour of tneir ashes attests their freedom, when properly selected, from sulphur ui combination with iron, 2,^ pyrites, and among the coals examined, the ashes of but few contain an appreciable amount of sulphate of lime, being gener- ally very silicious or sandy in the best coals, and therefore not inclined to form a chnker adherent to the grate-bars. No full analysis of the ashes of any of these coals has yet been made, so far as I am aware. The calculations of the theoretical evaporative power of the different coals analyzed, are based upon the fact, that in burning bituminous coals of the class under consideration, in an ordinary furnace, such as has always beon Theoretical ovaporativc powers. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 8 used for comparing their results in steam production with those of anthra- cites and other fuels, the combustion of the volatile matters of the coal does not, in most instances, produce more than enough heat to effect their vola- tilization, and therefore theoretically, the value of the coals for steam pur- poses, depends on their content of fixed carbon, or the carbon remaining in their coke when the coal is heated in close vessels.* The calculation may be made as follows : — Let the weight of coke, less ash, in parts of one unit of coal — that is, the percentage of fixed carbon — b expressed by C ; the co-efficient of the heating power of carbon by c, and the co-efficient of the latent heat of steam at 212'' F., by /, — then : — = X rr being the theoretical evaporative power. of the coal, or the number of pounds of water which one pound of coal should evaporate from a tempera- ture of 212° Fahrenheit, theoretically. The values given to the co-efficients used, vary with different authors. To vaiuos of co- c — expressing the number of units of water which the combustion of one unit of pure carbon will raise 1* Fahrenheit — Regnault gives the value of 13,268, while by Dulongf it is given as 12,906. To the co-efficient U Regnault gives the value 965.7° ; while the experi- ments of Professor W. R. Johnson indicate for it a value as high as 1030''.$ In my own calculations the values of Regnault have been used, although later experiments have shown a further modification, § inasmuch as these values have been used in the Reports of the British Commissioners on the official reports Naval Steam-Coal Enquiry,^ with whose results a comparison will be most valuable, although in the American reports, (published before Regnault's •Practical experiments have already shown that North Country (or Newcastle) coals> burnt in proper furnacea calculated to prevent smoke, give a practical evaporative etfect higher than the theoretical power based on this supposition, and I hope to bo able at some future time to show a similar result with our coals ; but as. with an ordinary fur. iiace, the method of calculation to be given approaches correctness, and more especially as I wish to compare the theoretical values of these coals with results obtained from experiments conducted some years since, I still, for the time, a-^'here to the old rule. fVide Comptes Rendus, torn. 7, page 871, et seq. JW. R. Johnson's Report on American Coals, 1844, p. 22. §The late researches of Favre and Silbermann (vide Ann. Ch. Phyg. (3) xxxiv, 357 XXXV. 15 — xxxvii. 405.), and of Andrews (Phil. Mag. (3) xxxii. 321, 425), hove slightly modified Regnault's values. For a full digest of their results, see the admirable article on Fuels, by Prof. B.H. Paul, in Watt's Chemical Dictionary, 1864, vol. II., p. 718, et seq. ^Reports of Sir Henry T. De la Becheand Di. Lyon Playfair to the Lords Commissic::- ers of the Admiralty, on trials of coals, 1848 and 1852. See also Johnson's Coal Traoe of British America, 1850, p. 78 Valun of theore- tical resultu. ■( Values from ultimate anal- 4 JEOLOQICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. exhaustive memoir* appeared,) the valuea of Dulong for c, and Johnsoi. for I, have been adopted. The results obtained by these different values do not differ as greatly from each other as they will be found to differ from actual results, and they are useful only in the absence of reliable practical trials. In coals of this class, U. bituminous coals with 25'/, to Zbf of volatile matter, these theoretical indices are generally sUghtly higher than figures obtamed from furnaces of low-pressure boilers where no special arrangements are made for ^^smoke-consumption''— &^ it is called, or more properly, smoke-preven- tion, for smoke once formed cannot be consumed. In cases where ultimate analyses are to be obtained, the theoretical value of all the combustible matter in a coal may be obtained by the following formula : — \i\' KxpTVSsion of mochaniciil force. C X 13268\ (Yi—h X 62470\ / C X 13268 \ V 965.7 / 965.7 = x in which C represents the entire carbon content, both fixed and volatile, H the quantity of hydrogen in a unit of fuel, and h the quantity of hydro- gen which will correspond to the oxygen in the coal ; x expressmg, as before, the number of pounds of water theoretically convertible into steam, from 212°, by one pound of coal, provided all the combustible constituents of the coal could be rendered available ; or, in a word, the highest possible evaporative power of the fuel under any circumstances. The values of x, as used in the two preceding formula, or an evapora- tive value given by practical trial, may be converted into an expression ot mechanical force by the formula : — (W/i) X 965.7 X 782 = «/, in which W represents water, of which n pounds are evaporated by one pound of coal, (thus giving Wn the value of x in the precedmg formulae), and y representing the number o{ foot-pounds of work theoreti cally possible-t "^EOSAULT. RdaUonschsexperknce.mtreprms'^ * * pour determiner les princi- pules loh et les donnees numeriques qui enlrent dans le calcul des machines a vapeur. fans, 1847. See also a translation ot the portion on the latent lieat of steam at different pres- sures, in the Works of the Cavendish Society, vol. I. t This formula is deduced from the fact that n pounds of water, multiplied by 965.7 , or tli& co-efficient ot the latent heat ot steam at 212° F, indicates the number of pounds of water which would be raised 1° Fahrenheit by the combustion of one pound of coal, ilie number 782 arises from experiments on the mechanical force denoted by the elevation of temperature of a pound of water 1° F., that force being equal to 782 lbs. raised one toot high, according to the careful experiments of Mr. Joule on the friction of oil, water and mercury .-(Extract fro.a Report of British Commissioners, from which the formula i* taken.) APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. Johnson greatly tnd they 3 of this r, these led from ,re made !-preven- 3al value following It should be distinctly understood that no calculations based upon mere J^'^^^j-jy^*"* analyses can take the place of trials oi the coals in the large way as steam and gas-producers, for smelting, heating iron, or for any other practical use ; for though, as a rule, these theoretical values furnish us with a gene- ral idea of the use to which a coal is best fitted, it is of not unfrequent occurrence that theory and practice differ greatly. For further informa- tion on practical values of fuel, I would refer the reader to the works of Prof. W. R. Johnson, and to the second section of this Report. COALS OF THE WEST SIDE OF THE EAST RIVER. COALS FROiM THE MAIN SEAM, ALBION MItlES. No favourable opportunity offered during my stay in this district for an examination of samples of the coal of the Main seam, which would enable me to satisfactorily separate the peculiar varieties of the different benches. I therefore reproduce the careful section prepared by Dr. Dawson, which well illustrates the character of all the differen ■ descriptions of coal of this seam.* This section was prepared from an examination of a column of coal from the Main seam, extracted for the New York Industrial Exhibition of 1852 by Mr. Henry Poole, then manager of the Albion mines. SECTION OF MAIN SEAM, BY DR. J. W. DAWSON. 965.7°, or the ands of water )f coal. The ; elevation of aised one foot lil, water and ;he formula is- band of 73 es 10. 11. 12. 13. 14, Roof shale ; vegetable fragments and attached Spirorbis (in specimen) Coal, with sbaly bands Coal, laminated ; layers of mineral charcoal and bright coal ironstone balls in bottom 2 \ Coal, fine cubical and laminated ; much mineral charcoal 3 Carbonaceous shale and ironstone, with layers of coarse coal (Minff stone), remains of large fishes and coprolites. This bed varies much in thickness " , Coal laminated and cubical ; coarse towards bottom 9 Ironstone and carbonaceous shale in the coaly layers, and trunks of Lepidodendron, Ulodendron, Sigillaria, etc., all prostrate Coal, laminated as in No. 6 ; line of ironstone balls in bottom I Coal, laminated and cubical ; a few small ironstone balls ; many vascu- lar bundles of ferns in this and underlying coal 6 Ironstone and pyrites Coal, laminated and cubical, as above ^° Coal, coarse layers of bituminous shale and pyrites 1 Coal, laminated, with a fossil trunk in pyrites 2 Coal, laminated and cubical, with layers of shale passing downwards into black slickensided underclay, with coaly bands 2 Ft. In. 3 6J 41 3 8 2 * Acadian Geology, second edition, pp. 331-32. Dawson'8 sF., (rather above the practical average of 37 Welsh coals) , places the coal very high as a steam- producer. The amount of sulphur is decidedly low, obviously an import- ant fact as regards domestic use, gas-making, and preservation of grate bars The coal lights up readily in a parlour stove, cakes moderately, and gives a hot lasting fire ; the ash is nearly five per cent, less than in coal from the same seam examined by Prof. Johnson, in 1842-43, and one or two per cent, less than coal from the best parts of the seam, tested by Dr. Dawson, in 1854. This is an important feature, as the large quantity of li<^ht bulky ash was then considered the worst defect of the coal. The ash consists chiefly of sandy matters : there is so little lime that there will be but little tendency to form clinkers. The specific gravity is high enough to show <^ood storage character. One cubic foot broken for use should weigh about 52i lbs., and one ton of 2,240 pounds should occupy, in the same state, about 42i cubic feet space in storage. " From its hardness, and the appearance of Ihe contents of the barrel atter about 100 miles of railway carriage, I conclude that the coal would bear handhng and land-carriage without making much small, or dust."* ThesI remarks and analyses comprehend all that can be theoretically said of the value of the Foord-pit coal. I may, however, state that the coke from this coal is of exceptionally good character, and though all the coals from this seam furnish good coke, that from the Foord-pit coal seems to take the first rank, from its coherent and yet very porous texture. It is very light, of a silvery-gray colour, and a metallic lustre. COALS FROM THE DEEP, OR CAGE-PIT SEAM, ALBION MINES. In general appearance, the coal of the Deep seam much resembles Deoi>-seam coai. that of the Main. A section of the different beds of this seam was exam- ined by Dr. Dawson, in 1854, of which he publishes the following descrip- tion, with assays of the different beds.f SECTION OF DEEP SEAM, BY DU. J. W. DAWSON. 1. Gray argillaceous shale (roof). 2. Tender laminated coul ; much mineral charcoal. 3. Laminated compact coal ; less mineral charcoal. 4. Laminated compact coal ; less mineral charcoal. 5. Carbonaceous ironstone, crusts of Cyprids. Dawson's sec- tion of the Uaep seam. •Extract from letter of Prof. H. How, of King's College, (late chemist to the British Admiralty Cc \\ Enquiry), to James Hudson, Esq., G.M.A. fAcftdian Geology, p. 335-336. I 10 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. 6. Laminated compact coal ; much mineral charcoal. 7. Laminated coarse coal. 8. Laminated "ompact coal. 9. Laminated coarse coal. 10. Laminated compact tender coal. 11. Laminated compact coal. 13. Laminated compact hard coal. 14. Laminated compact hard coal ; thick layer of mineral charcoal. 15. Laminated compact coal. 16. Laminated compact coal ; much mineral charcoal. 17. Laminated compact coal ; much mineral charcof.l. 18. Shaly coal ; impressions of plants. The results of assays of the above samples of coals taken, at distances of one foot, in the Deep seam are given in the following table : — Dawson. Analyse?. Volatile by rapid coking. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 0. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. I (24.8 •Good coal ^25.2 I ^28.4 Ironstone end coal 26.3 ^°'^^s^«°'^i \lli Good coal 26.2 Coarse coal. 25.2 ^ Good coal j24.8 > Coarse coal 23.4 \ 23.0 f 27.4 • Good coal "f 26 8 [24.6 Shale and coal 1 7.6 Volatile by slow Joking. 21.0 25.2 23.9 27.5 20.5 20.4 22.4 21.1 20.4 22.3 20.5 20.1 23.9 22.9 21.9 19.9 21.1 Carbon fixed. 67.6 67.3 70.8 18.5 59.1 48.0 70.3 49.3 68.9 64.3 51.2 55.3 68.1 71.5 69.6 63.8 23.0 Ashe?. 11.4 7.5 5.3 54.0 20.4 31.6 7.3 28.6 10.7 13.4 28.3 24,6 8.0 6.6 8.5 16.3 55.9 Coal now worked. The following analysis of a small sample of the coal now being worked at the western face, has been made by Mr. Broome: — Broome, Coking. ^ — ^ Kapid. Slow. Volatile matter 28.1 25.5 Coke 71.9 74.5 100.0 100.0 Hygroscopic water 1.296 Volatile combustible matters , 25t443 Fixed carbon 61.650 Sulphur 861 Ash 10.250 100.000 Specific gravity , , 1.33 APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 11 The ash from this sample contained 75 per cent, of matter insoluble in CTwacteroi hydrochloric acid, which was chiefly aluminous silicate. Iron was esti- mated in the soluble portion, which, by the volumetric method, gave of metallic iron equal to 2.762 per cent, of the ash. Supposing all the iron to exist in this coal as pyrites, this amount would correspond to 0.4243 per cent, of sulphur in the coal. As experiment gave a larger proportion, it is evident that some of the sulphur present exists as a sulphate, probably of lime. The ash was gray, with a faint tinge of pink. This colour of ash is usual with the coal of this seam. Coke, by rapid carbonization, hard; by slow coking, a pulverulent mass was obtained. To this analysis may be added the results of Prof. How, from an exami- nation of a large sample ; probably a better average of the whole seam than the specimen examined by Mr. Broome : — " Coal from Deep, or Cage-Pit Seam.—k-a. average of the large hows analysis, sample sent, (one barrel), gave : — How. „ . , 2.54 Moisture Volatile combustible matter ^ • ^. , , 68.50 Fixed carbon . . 8.50 Ash 100.00 Coke ""^ „ , , 1.G9 Sulphur Specific gravity (average of three specimens) 1-345 Theoretical evaporative power ^•'*^ '"^" " This is an excellent coal, especially for domestic and steam purposes. As compared with that of the Foord pit, it gives a larger quantity of coke, and its theoretical evaporative power is decidedly higher, so that it must prove a valuable steam coal. It burns well in a stove, affording a strong enduring heat ; its ash not being much above that of the Foord-pit coal, it will also be found superior for domestic uses to the coal formeriy raised at your mines. The sulphur is not high, as compared with many coals, though it is rather above the average of that in Welsh steam coal. " The ash is chiefly sand ; there is very little lime, so there will not be much clinker formed. From the high specific gravity, one cubic foot of the coal should weigh about 53 lbs., when broken, and a ton of 2,240 lbs. should be stored in about 42 cubic feet. " The coal is harder and less easily br jken than that from the Foord pit."* * Extract from a letter from Prof. How to James Hudson, Esq., G.M.A. 12 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. COALS OF THIRD AND PURVIS SEAMS, ACADIA MINES. Tiiirdflnd These seams are now abandoned, and no analyses have been made of Turvis seams, ,/., iiiiri the coal from them, as no samples lately taken from the seam could be procured. McGregor seam. Analyse?. COAL OF THE MC GREGOR SEAM, ACADIA MINES. The following extract is from the Report of Mr. Hoyt to the Acadia Coal Company, 18G6 : — " It has been found that the thickness of this coal (the McGregor scam) increases as we progr ^ss westwardly, but diminishes as we work to the cast.* The same remark will also apply to the quality of the coal. At present, only the upper divisions of the seam are worked. The bot- tom coal, which is of a coarse nature, is unsaleable, but would be very suitable for iron-smeltingf ; and in case of the developement of the iron deposits on the East River of Pictou, a good market would be created for it. The slaty band, between the top benches, is a source of much incon- venience and expense in mining ; and with all the care exercised in pick- ing, this foreign matter will, to some extent, get mixed with the good coal, which is thereby injured in character for gas purposes. " The quantity of ash produced by the two top benches presents a marked contrast in the character of the coals, as will be seen by the fol- lowing analyses, which have been obtained from the former proprietor, Mr. J. D. B. Frazer:"$ First bench. Second bencli. Volatile matter 22.50 23.30 Fixed carbon 65.70 70.00 Gray ash 11.80 6.70 100.00 100.00 Coke 77.50 76.70 Specific gravity 1.334 1.301 From these analyses the theoretical evaporative power would be 9.03 9.62 This coal cokes well when the better portions of the seam are selected. A very large amount of iron pyrites exists in the slaty portions of the seam, which, if not mjst carefully removed, makes the coal worthless as a gas coal. Careful attention in hand-picking, will probably obviate this objection to the coal. • See p. 96 of my Geological Report. 1 1 hfive not analysed this coal from the bottom of the McGregor seam, but it appears to contain too much sulphur and ash to be very suitable for iron smelting. i Name of analyst unknown to me. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON IHE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 18 The theoretical evaporative power resulting from the second analysis above given is large ; it should render the coal a good steam coal, if the pyrites were removed. COAL AND OIL-COAL FROM THE STELLAR SEAM. On page 70 of the Geological Report, it is stated that the Stellar coal steiiar oii-coai seam of the Acadia mines has the following section : — Ft. In. Good coal • 1 4 Section. Stellar oil-coal , • 1 10 Bituminous shale 1 10 but it appears 5 These three divisions of the seam are quite separate and distinct in DivisionB of . , . , stellar seanu character. The substances from each were examined some time since by Prof. How, who first described the peculiar substance forming the middle bench, to which, from a likeness in some of its qualities to the so called oil-coals, torbanite and albertite, he has given the name of stellarite, from its throwing off sparks or stars of fire when lighted. From the three benches Prof How obtained the following results : — * How. Analyses. Coal. Stellarite. Sliale. Volatile matters 33.58 66.56 30.65 Fixed carbon 62.09 25.23 10.88 Ash 4.33 8.21 58.47 100.00 100.00 100.00 Moisture .23 Specific gravity 1 . 103 Coal. The coal appears to be merely an ordinary fat cakin2-coal, with coai bench, an unusually small percentage of ash for this region, but the bench being thin, the value of the seam depends principally on the two lower divisions, stellarite, and oil-shale. Stellarite. This peculiar substance was first known and worked at these steiiarite bench, mines by the former owner, the late Mr. J. D. B. Frazer, of Pictou. It appears to be an earthy bitumen, or, to quote Dr. Dawson, " a fossil swamp- muck or mud," f which he has elsewheref shown, is the character of the earthy bitumens and highly bituminous shales of the coal formation gene- rally. • How, Mineralogy of Nova Scotia, p. 24. t Acadian Geology, p. 339. X See Dawson, " On the conditions of accumulation o/coaZ." Journal Geol. See. xxii. p. 95 ct seq. Oil-8balc bench Analyses for oil, etc. 14 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. Bituminous shale or oil-shale. This is a rather heavy brownish- black shale. The following analysis and remarks thereon, include both this bench and the stellarite. The first series is taken from Mr. Hoyt's Report to the Acadia Coal Company for 1866. Analyses under the heading of No. 1 refer to stel- laiite, No. 2 to the oil-shale : — Wallace.* No. 1. No. 2. Volatile matters 68.38 38.69 Fixed carbon 22.35 8.26 Ash 8.90 52.20 Sulphur 05 .23 Moisture , -^S -60 100.00 100.00 Specific gravity l-OTl) 1.568 Weight per cubic foot 67i lbs. 97 lbs. Crude oil per ton 12G gallons. 63 g-Uons. Gravityofoil 844 .850 Coke.percent 31.25 60.4ti Ash in the coke of stellarite, 28.48 per cent I'ENNV.t No. 1. No. 2. Volatile matter 67.26 34.16 Fixed carbon 24.03 12.30 Ash 8-40 52.00 Sulphur -11 •'^* Water -2" __80 100.00 100 00 Specific gravity 1-069 1.612 Weight per cubic foot GGJ lbs. 100 Ibi Crude oil per ton 123 gals. 60 J gals a 1.326 1.310 1.275 a ■o g y. t 15.70 81.04 25.20 71.56 22.50i76.00 1.200 43. 4o!53.08 1.026 47.97 48.03 Hroomhill Lydney VVigan Lesmahagow Capledrae TorbanehlU, I ■Scotland j Hillsboro, ) New Brunswick i N. GlasKOW, 1 1.026 40.80 1 283l42.20 1.276 39. W 1.25156.70 I I.I70I7I.I7 .56.13 47.80 67.66 87.26 7.65 I Nova Scotia. 1.09154.39 45.44 1.103 66.53 25.23 ! I 3.26 3.21 1.50 3.52 4.IW 88.26 84.72 98.79 79.85 79.68 3 07 81. 10.00 2.70 3.52 80.0' Ultimate analysis. 4.66 I.45U77 0.60 5.76 1.56l.2l'3.62 6. 16!2. 10 1.02,0.39 5.28'l.35!l.42!8.58 sl If o s 100: 100: 100: 100: 6.50 1.13 1.46,8.33100; 2.04 2.12 6.03 73.44 26.40J60.70 21.1866.00 0.17'87.25 8.2180.96 6.17 6.69 5.53 7.621.... 6.80il.90 S.58J0.65 9.02;1.75 I 10.15 0.68 1.84,2.8514.37 2.27 50 14 0.36 0.70 6.48 8.08 * 8.80 2.99 t t 4.821H 6.79 5.73I 6.61! 6.93! I 7.55i 7.73 How. 100: 100: 100: 6.90 Vaux. 100; 10. 43, Miller. 100: 11.99;A.Fyfe. 100: 13.00 H. How 100 : 11.02 100: 12.53 SIcssor & How. Description of stellar seam. ♦Nitrogen and oxygen 11.76. 1 Sulphur (ifauy) and oxygon, 1.21, t N, S, and oxygen .68. '' In the paper in question I pointed out that the true comparative value of combustible minerals, while partly indicated by the relative amounts of volatile matter and fixed carbon, is only trulj shewn when account is taken of the oxygen ; which la sometimes large in quantity, as is seen above, and is reckoned as volatile matter, to the credit of the mineral, while its real effect is reduction of value. I showed that when the hydrogen eo al to the oxygen present is deducted, taking only those cases where there is an apparent equality in the ratio of carbon to hydrogen, the last three minerals in the table above, stand apart from the rest, thus : — Ratio of carbon to hydrogen after deducting hydrogen equal to oxygen present. Cannel coal from Wigan 100 to 5.65 " " » Leshmahagow 100 to 8.7l» Capeldrte 100 to 10.05 Torbanite from Scotland 100 to 12.43 Albertite " New Brunswick 100 to 10.85 Stellarite " Nova Scotia 100 to 12.43 • Allowing two per cent, for nitrogen. and that theoretically they should be excellent' oil-coals,' as is abundantly shewn by experience."* The size of the stellar-coal bench in the oil-coal seam varies from our or five inches in thickness to some two feet, and its content of oil varies also. As a rule, this seam appears to improve going eastward, as stated by Mr. Hoyt. The general appearance of the stellar coal is peculiar ; it is irregularly bedded, the different layers seemingly inter- laced, giving it a sort of an entangled appearance, or a structure like ' How, Mineralogy of Nova Scotia, p. 25-26. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 17 I" 3 4.82,U.How. 6.79 5.73 6.61 6.93 7.55 7.731 6.9o'vaux. 10.43 Miller. 11.99;A.Fyfe. 13.00 H.How 11.02 12.53 Slc^sor & How. :ygen .&S. rative value ) amounts of )unt is taken 1 above, and vhile its real ;en eo al to 3 there is an iree minerals 1 preient. 5 to 5.65 to 8.7l» 3 to 10.05 to 12.43 to 10.85 to 12.43 s abundantly varies from ts content of ng eastward, tellar coal is mingly inter- tructure like felt. Sometimes the layers are much curved, and have smooth surfaces like slickensides, which appear to have been produced by lateral move- ments, corresponding very nearly with the plane of the bed, rather than by vertical motion, the better portions generally possessing this pecuharity, whence the statement in many notices of this substance that the curly oil- coal is the best. The surfaces of these curved faces have a bright, resin- ous lustre, and a brownish-black colour, while a block sawn across shews a uniform dead-hxfmn surface. It breaks with a splintery fracture, very irregularly, but approximately with the surfaces of deposition ; the strtak has a brown colour and a dull resinous lustre. A large splinter of this mineral may be easily lighted with a match, and burns with a very bright, carbonaceous flame, throwing off sparks like stars, (whence the name), and leaving but a small amount of coke, from which, on burning off the fixed carbon, a grayish-white ash is obtained. Fui iher remarks on the use of this mineral in gas-making, will be found in Section II of this Report. COAL OF THE ACADIA SEAM, ACADIA COLLIERY. Acadia steam coal. The principal value of this coal, is (as its name Acnma steam indicates) as a steam-coal, though a portion of the seam at this colliery may be suitable for gas-making. As the character of the coal as a steam- ])roduccr will receive the fullest attention in the second section of this Report, it has been deemed unnecessary to make any analyses of it as yet, though when time permits I hope to obtain a full series of analyses of the coals from different benches of the seam, by examination of a series of specimens presented by Mr. Hoyt. In the meantime I offer my practical locomotive and steamer-trials, with some other tests of considerable interest, in Section II, which I consider will give abundant evidence of the excel- lence of the Acadia steam-coal. Only one analysis of this coal has been made in the laboratory of this Third bencu. Survey, that of samples of the coal taken from the third bench, or the four feet immediately underlying the fireclay parting. (See page 97 of my Geological Report.) These specimens were selected for analysis, because I believe this bench to be better fitted for gas purposes than the rest of the seam, being apparently the softest coal afforded by the Acadia seam at this colliery. The analysis has lately been made by Mr. Broome, with the following results : — BnOOMK. Coking. Kapld. Coke G5.12 Volatile matters 34.88 Slow. 68.70 31.30 Analysis. 100.00 100.00 23 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. ■ . , „ 2.100 Hygroscopic moisture 32 274 Volatile combustible matter .-' -„ „, , . 07.070 Fixed carbon , . , . , , .oUo Sulphur ^gjQ Aab, (pinkish white) ' 100.000 1 32 Specific gravity The coke by rapid carbonization was firm, but by slow heating a pul- verulent mass was obtained. This analysis shows that a portion of the seam at the Acadia colliery will coke well, and that it contains sufficient volatile matter to mako a gas- coal. The greater part of the seam is a much harder coal than the specimen examined, and, when all the benches are mixed, does not coke satisfactorily in open heaps, and is therefore sold only as a free-burning or steam-coal. Were it desirable, however, I ^bink the third bench could be easily sepa- rated in the working of the seam The coal of this seam is rather more compact in appearance than that from the Main at the Albion mines, and shows but little mineral charcoal on the deposition-planes. The cleat planes and cross fractures of the coal are usually very brilliant, and do not show the laminae or deposition-plane s very clearly. COAL OF THE ACADIA SEAM, DRUMMOND COLLIERY. urummond From a careful examination of the different beaches of coal in the work- "**'■ ing, and subsequent examinations of a series of large samples of the coals presented by Mr. Dunn, manager of the Intercolonial Coal Company, I am Description of enabled to present the following description of this fine seam of coal, as .eain worked. ^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^ Drummoud CoUicry. With my description of the benches, analyses will be given, forming what I believe to be the most careful and complete series of assays ever made of different benches of any seam of con- siderable thickness. These analyses have lately been made in the Surv^ laboratory hy Mr. Gordon Broome, F.G.S., chemical assistant to Dr. T. Sterry Hunt, chemist and mineralogist to this Survey. Description and anabases of the benches of the Acadia seam at the Bruvmond Colliery, Pictou County, Nova Scotia. Roof-,hai,., Eoofsfiale ; black, hio;hly carbonaceous shale, giving a dark brown streak, and containing Spirorbis and Cythere shells, with AnthalUes, Lepi- dodendron, Lepidostrobus, i.ots^Gc\iica\\Y determined, and Cordaites bora- sifolia, 1. Top coal; not taken out m v,he workings. This is left in as a support Too CO ft! X -' _ . . , « 1 1 for the roof. Coal good, principal partings show mineral charcoal, ana nave APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 19 rather a dull lustre. On cleat surfaces the general lustre is brilliant, but the laminae of deposition show plainly in lines of brilliant and dead black. The joints are rather irregular, generally inclined about < 80° to 85° to the deposition-planes, but the surface next to the lower parting, ( ., smooth partivg,^ shows two regular sets of joints at right angles, giving the coal a cubical appearance. Thickness of top-coal bench, 2 feet, 6 inches. ANALTBIB no. 1 ; TOP COAL. Volatile at 100 C, (moisture) 72 Analyst. Volatile ftt 220« C, 7,83 Total volatile, 1. By slow coking , 27.56 " " 2. By fast coking 30.19 Coke, 1. By slow coking 72.44 " 2. By fast coking 6981 Volatile matter 29.928 Fixed carbon 60.350 Ash, (gray) 9.460 Sulphur 2G2 100.000 Specific gravity 1 309 2. Fall Coal; immediately above the fireclay parting, ov holing, this Faiicoai. being the first bench taken down. Coal good ; surfaces of deposition show dead-black patches of mineral charcoal, with bright points, and patches of bright bituminous matter. Cleat surfaces brilliant, the joints running in two systems, giving this bench in some parts of the workings, a cubical, or as it is technically called, d' 'oy, structure. The surfaces of one system of joints show oblong or oval scars, as of shrinkage, while of the second system the surfaces are quite regular and brilliant. Thickness oi fall-coal bench, 3 feet, 3 inches. Analysis no. 2 ; fall coal. Volatile at lOOo 0., (moisture) 1 5y Volatile at 220" C 13 61 Analysis. Total volatile, 1. slow coking 29.78 " " 2. fast coking 31.92 Coke, i. slow coking 70.22 " 2. fast coking 68.08 Volatile matter 31.694 Fit id carbon 60.320 Ash (gray) 7.56o Sulphur , 426 100.00 Specific gravity 1 328 I Flmt bench, AnalyHlii. ScconU bonch. Analysis. Third bench 20 OEOLOOICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 3 Fini bench ; (below tho holing.) Coal good ; all of the surfaces, whether of cleat and fracture, are brilliant, and the dorosition-planes show very little mineral charcoal. The joints are irregdar m direction and angle, cutting the coal up into oblique prisms. This is a remarkably clean and bright coal. Thickness oi first hench, 4 feet. ANALYSIS NO. 3; COAL OP MRST DBNCH , 1.80 Volatile at 100° C, (moisture) ^^^^ ^^^^ Voliitile at 'J^Qo C ' ' " " ' 26.49 Total volatile, slow coking ^^'^^ 11 " fast coking ,. Coke, slow coking ,...., 65.89 I. fast coking 33.52G Total volatile matter ^^ 55.390 Fixed c.irbon •■•'''' ^^[^^^ Aal,, (gray) 5g^ Sulphur 100.000 1.327 Specific griivity • 4 Second bench; (so marked in specimens sent me *) Good coal, lammated and cubical ; in some parts of the seam the cubical structure is very distinct. On the surfaces of the depositio.-planes, there is some mineral charcoal, but all the other surfaces are of a brilhant black. ANALYSIS ^0. 4; COAL OF SECOND !i«:Ncn. . , . 1.31 Volatile at lOQO C, (moisture). ^^^^ Volatile at 220° C ' 22.73 Total volatile, slow coking. . . . : ^ j'^'^ II " fast coking ^^^^ Coke, slow coking gg ^^g 'I fast coking 29.973 Total volatile matters. 60 310 Fixed carbon o gtj^ Ash, (gray) ...".'."..".',''...'.' l"o47 Sulpliur 100.000 1.343 Specific gravity 5. nird bench ; the lower two feet of good coal, next above the coarse coal ; forming the bottom of the seam,. Coal good, laminated dis inc ly ; it is not so bright as the first and second benches, though an excellent coa. Deposition-planes are a dull black, showing much mineral charcoal. Cleat •In my Geological Report, p. 100. 1 have associated this bench with the one below it, which is now called the third bench. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 21 planes show laminae of deposition plainly, and in the joints, in many cases, are seen scales of calc-spar. ANALyeiB NO. 6; coal or thiiid bench. Volatile ot lOOoC, (moisture,) 1.43 AnalyiU. Volatile at 220''C 13.12 Total volatile, slow coking 29.14 " " fust coking - 31.32 Coke, slow cokiny; 70.86 " fast coking 68.C8 Total volatile matters 30.756 '"i.xed carbon 59.890 Ash (gray) 8.T90 Sulphur •'■"^4 100.000 Specific gravity 1335 0. Coarse-coal bench,hoitom of scam; thickness about 2 feet, 9 inches, (om-se-coni Coal coarse and shaly ; deposition-planes show uniform dead-black surfaces. ''*^^""''' Coal breaks with irregular fractures in all directions, giving fracture surfacr of a dull lustre and brownish black colour. Not worked. the one below it. Ahalyhis ^o. G; coal op the coabse-coal bench. Volatile at lOOoQ., (moisture) 1.58 Analysis. Volatile at 220oC., undet. Total volatile, slow coking 29.89 " " fastcoking. 31.81 Coke, slow coking 72.44 " fastcoking 69.81 Total volatile matters 32.81 Fixed carbon 37.16 Asb, (red) 31.03 Sulphur • undet. 100.00 Specific gravity 17.65 '!"..• '.olrs of Nos. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, obtained by the carbonization of the cokes. coal in the small way, (in a crucible), were all strong and light, whether by slow or rapid heating, though of course more compact with a slow car- bonization. When heated rapidly the coke swells greatly, and is of a silvery-gray colour and metallic lustre. All these benches should, if properly managed, furnish an excellent coke in the large way. With the single exception of the Foord-pit coal, no coal from this region which I have examined lias given as good a coke in the crucible. The coke from No. 6, or coarse coal, is soft and brittle. The amount of ash in the different samples is lower than the average A=ih. I 22 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. Drummond coal for gas-makins Thporetica'. eva- porative powers Nova Scotia Co.'b Coal. Silliman'- aualysis. of Pictou coals, and the sulpliur-content is, in samples I., II., IV., V., decidedly low. The coal of the second bench appears to give the greatest amount of sulphur, being somewhat over the average of the best Welsh coals, but in the coal of the whole seam, when mixed together, the amount of sulphur will be found to be exceptionally small. From the amount of volatile matter, as shown by these analyse3, these coals, (/. e. the good coals of the seam,) should all belong to the class of '^as-coals ; in the first bench, No. 3, the content of volatile matter is very Targe, and about equal to the average of Newcastle coals, when rapidly cai°jonized. A reference to the report of Mr. Thompson, of the Pictou v.th a v.ew of ascertaining their evaporative value, had been earned out, so far as the oJ of G°reat Britain and the United States were concerned, by the British and American governments, respectively. My attention was espe- fially called to this matter durin, my examinationof the Pictou district, while cndeavourin.' to collect materials for a report on the coals of that region ; by th alms" total ignorance prevailing, of what work the coals could rrcticallv perform, or for what work they were best fitted. With one excep- i;r *s could be obtained which would prove any of the coals to be valuable as steam-coals, that exception being the values furmshed by a trial incidentally made (for comparison) by the American Government, durinc. the series of trials of United States coals ;-of the Albion-mmes ooal shipped in 1843 or 1844, when the upper twelve feet of the Mam seam was the only coal worked. Although fully satisfied, from observmg the success with which the coals were burnt, in the region, under stationary, locomotive, and marine boilers, that many of the coals were well fitted for steam-producers, I was, at the same time, aware that a i-cpoH merely .nvin^' my own opinion, would not have the value that would attach to a report of iystcmatic trials, of which the results could be stated in ficnires Beincr aware that no experiments could be undertaken similar to° those of the°Admlralty and American navy trials, it became necessary to devise some plan l)y means of which the use of the necessary apparatus could be obtained without great expense. The proper method would have been, of course, the use of the same boiler for all coals, which boiler should be fitted with proper grates, flues, etc., for burning each coal in the most economical manner. As this would have entailed the erection of such an apparatus at the public expense, it appeared out of the question, and the only plan seemed to be to make such trials on locomotives and steamers as could be carried out with a small expenditure, through the liberality of the coal-owners, or other parties interested m knowing the true value of the coals. Ilavin- obtained the consent of Sir William E. Logan, then Director ot this Surrey, I broached the subject to the agents of the several collieries which were in active operation, about the middle of the month of October APPEKDIX 10 REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 83 last, and, throuj^h their kindness, several trials were at onco arranged for. cai trial*. Through Mr. Jesse Iloyt, Manager of the Acadia Coal Company, I was permitted to make a trial of the Acadia steam-coal on the Provincial or Nova Scotia) Haihvay, by Mr. Lewis Carvell, General Suporintondent of the railways of the provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and many facilities were granted me by him, and all the other olRcials of the Railway Department.* At Mr. Carvell's re(pu'st, another trial was made, shortly after, on the same railway, with wood, for a comparison of the two fuels. Through Mr. Iloyt, and Mr. Hales, Manager of the Prince Edward Island Steam Navigation Company, a second trial of the Acadia coal was then made, on the steamer " St. Lawrence," of the P. E. L Navigation Curapany's line. As before, I was granted every facility by all the officers of the line, and especially by Mr. Hales. A third trial was that made with wood on the Provincial Railway, as wood trial, above referred to. This was undertaken at Mr. Carvell's request, in order to institute a comparison between wood and coal by practical experiment. P>y reference to that portion of tl\is section headed ' Com- parison of Coal and Wood,' it will be seen that the results were greatly in favour of coal. Coal from the Acadia West colliery had been used on the Windsor branch of this railway, for some months, but, so far as I am aware, no train bad been run over tlie main line from Pictou to Halitax with a coal-burning engine previous to my experimental train— the fuel hitherto used having been wood, furnished the railway by contract. I lielieve that the final result of my comparative experiments will be the complete abandonment of wood as a fuel on this railway, (so soon as the engines can be fitted for burning coal,) with very considerable saving in expense and timcf The fourth trial was made on December 3rd., through the kindness of Mr. Dunn, Manager of the Intercolonial Coal Mining Company, on that Company's x-ailway, with a Scotch coal-l)urning engine, and a loaded coal- train. In this experiment I was materially aided by Mr. William Crawford, C.E.,the Company's Chief Engineer, who accompanied me on the engine, and noted the times of passing many points, by means of which a vc?y complete record of the performance of the engine was obtained. A previous trial had been attempted on this railway, but it was stopped by stormy weather (rain and sleet), which prevented a proper adhesion of the driving-wheels to the rails. I ammuch indebted to Messrs. Dunn and Crawford for the faci lities give n me in these trials. ' M would eswciaUy acknowledge my obligatioiB, for courtesies and iufoimation receivod, to Mr. Alex. MacNab, C. E., Chief Engineer of the Nova Scotia Raihv.y. t A (letiiiled Ileiiort on these expeiim>'nls will be made to Mr. Carvell, during the rresent season, bv i»erraission of the Director of this Survey. S I'-i 34 SEOLOQICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. THai. po.t. A number of Bimilnr trials wcro planned for the middle of the -nonth of •"'"*" December Mr. IIud*jn, General Manager of the General Munng Asao- ciation, placed the railway of that company, ami a fine 2«Mon Enghsh coal-burning engine at my disposal, for experiments on coala of the^Main and Deep seams. Trips on the A3s.>ciation'8 steamer " Dragon, for a trial of Dalhouaie-pit and Cage-pit coals, were arranged for, Init contmuod stormy weather prevented these trials until it became necessary for me to return to Montreal, when it was decided to postpone them untd the corain-r season, during which it is intended to complete the investigations. In all of these exi)eriments the greatest care was taken to burn the coala as economically as possible, and in notes of the performance of the engines and furnaces, the system of minute-blanks, first mstituted, I believe by Messrs. Banning and Richardson, in their experiments (at Devonport, and on the steamer " Weardale,") on North Country coals, was adopted. As my experiments are not yet complete, it is not deemed advisable to puf):i.h these notes in full, at present, and therefore, in the present Repori;, only an abstract of the principal facts of interest obtained, is given, the detail being reserved for future reports, when the scnes of trials for this region shall be completed. To my own experiments on Acadia and Intercolonial eoals, are added an abstract of the experiments on Albion-Mines coal, by Prof. W. R, Johnson,!. 1843-1844, for the American Government ; and a variety of statements concerning the value of the different coals of this region for gas-making and other purposes, which need not be here named m detad. TRIAL No. 1, ACADIA STEAM COAL, Railway trial of Date :-Nov. 3rd, 1869. On Nova Scotia Railway. Acadia coal. rjij-ip :— From Pictou Landing to Richmond (llahiiix). Distance :— 112 miles. DETArLS OF ESFBIUMESTAL TRAIN, Locomotive used :— No. 7, N. S. Railway. Description.-Coal-burncr altered from wood-burner. Built 1857, by Neilson & Co., Glasgow. Tender-engine, four driving- wheels, 5' in diameter; cylinders (2)16^" diameter X 21" stroke. Has a rocking grate, (six bars 2' 9" long X 7 ,V' wide,) hung with \" clearance, making grate 3' 8" wide, and giving about lO^quure feet lire-surface. In each bar there are :jixteen openings \^' X 7i", which, with openings between bars, and at sides and ends, give about 8.5 square feet air-pasaage in grate. Grate is rocked by movable bar. ■..r , ^ rr ■ Founds, WeKiht Tram. Experiment*. Engine.-The total weight of Engine No. 7, without tender is 66,130 (Of this 35,650 lbs. is effective weight on drivers.) Weightof tender, with water, without coal ■ 40,340 1 supply platform-car, (coal) ; weight at start 35,380 5 box-cars, each carrying 100 barrels of flour 181,8&0 Tionth of tiing Asao- m English f the Main igon," for 1 continued ary for me 1 until the BStigationa. ■n the coals ICO of the tstitutcd, I iments (at f coal8, was ot deemed ore, in the 3t obtained, le scries of , are added rof. W. R, \ variety of region for 1 in detail. , by Neilson & iter ; cylinders 3 2' 9" long X id giving about nga H" X n", give about 8.5 bar. Pounds, i 66,130 40,340 , 35,380 181,8&0 APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 85 6 coal (pUtfortn) cars, (loaded) 30S,090 1 firit-c'.uds ])H88engPr-c»r 28,260 Officers and puanengers 1,820 Total weight of train at start 558,910 Or about 249 tons, 10 cwt. The length of thia train, from front of loading-wheels of engine, (forward truck,) to rear wheel of last car, was 457 feet. This train started from Pictou Landing at lOh. '23m. A.M., and with Trip, lengthy stoppages to pass up-trains, at aoveral statior.s, arrived at Rich- mond station at 9.17 P.M. The account of actual time and stoppages is as follows : — H. M. Time of train on road 10.54 Length of stopimges 4.441 Actual running time 6.09J The character of the line run over, may be briefly described as being Line pasani difficult for the first 39 miles, with up-grades as great as 07.58 feet to the °'"'^' mile ; easy, from 89 miles to 52 miles ; and with grades ranging from level to a rise of 50 feet to the mile, for the rest of the distance. The resistance encountered on these grades was materially increased by numerous curves, between Pictou Landing and Rivcrsdale (39 miles), the sharpest of which was 955 feet radius ; and also by several nliarp curves on the line between Windsor Junction and Richmond, the sharpest of which has a radius of only 792 feet. During the trip, the coal had several severe tests as a steam-producer, as for instance between mile-posts 17 and 29, where the grades range from 51.90 to 67.58 feet per mile. These grades were ascended at an average speed of 10 to 13 miles per hour, and on the steepest, (Summit grade,) 67 feet per mile, with a curve of about 1000 feet radius, the engine kept up steam well, losing only 4i lbs. in 6 minutes, with both pumps on ; * and making 59 revolutions per mitmte at the top of the grade. The grate was shaken but three times ; at Glengarry (24 miles), Brook- field (60 miles), and Elmsdale (83 miles). No inconvenience was felt from ash, although the engine had a tight ash-pan, until Elmsdale was reached, when the throats of the dampers, forward and back, were found to be slightly choked with ash, and were cleaned, about 20 lbs. of ash being removed. The smoke-box was also opened, and about a bushel of cinders taken therefrom, which had covered a few of the lower tubes. With an • Pumps of Engine No. 7, are two 2" plungers ; 21" stroke. 3g ^ GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. ordinarv tr.in, it is r^obable that neither of these cleanings Nvould be neXlf but this experimental train ^s'as, I believe, the heaviest ever run over the road. STATEMENT OF COAL BURNT. coa. consumod. r^^^ following is a statement of the amount of coal consumed on this trip: — Pounds. Weight of supply-car at Pictou Landing 35,380 K «< Richmond i9,^?>Q *) 850 Coalpnt on tender _^^^ Deduct coal left on tender _J 5,(33G - Or in round numbers 2 tons, 10 cwt. = 50.3 lbs. per train-mile, or 3.87 lbs. per car-mile. The amount of ash and clinker from this coal was 552 lbs., or about 8.3 """ " per ir T^ ash was gray, with a reddish tint, the clinker brittle with a flesh tint, in some places inclining to reddish. No cliriker was observed adherent to the bars, and no pieces of cliiaker of a size exccedmg three or water evapo. ^"""^^T^lv evaporated was estimated by carefully gauging the tank of "'''^'- the tender at each water-station, and calculatmg the weight of the number of cubic feet passed into the boiler, as given by the gauge-marks. Although liable to errors, it is probable, from the number of gang. ngs that these errors will nearly balance one another, and that the general totals will be correct, ^hc followh.g is the calculated weight of water evaporated between stations :- ^^^^^^^^ Between Pictou Landing and Glengarry. 24 miles,... 10,542 11 Glengarry and lUversdale 15 " 4,860 Rivei'sdale and I'ollybog 26 " .... 5,873 I' Pullybog and Windsor Junction 35 " 10,291 " Junction and Richmond 12 " ^'^^'^ Total, between Pictou and Richmond.. 34,712 This 'S e(iual to G.159 pounds of water evaporated, to one pound of coal """' burnt. The average temperature o^ the feed-water, for the trip, was about 40° "Fahrenheit, and the evaporative power of the coal tor water from this temperature being equal to G.150 lbs., its evaporative power in pounds of water fr om 21 2° F., would equal 7.24 lbs., to one of coal^ 'T^i;^~^;;;;;i7i7^;^^^ed without taking pressures of steam into consideration, whicJi ^Tould involve a lengthy discussion of varying pressures at different points on the road. \\\i only an approximation. ^3 would be est ever run imed on this mds. >,380 ),530 •),850 214 5,G3G ir 3.87 lbs. ,, or about 8.8 brittle, with a • was observed eding three or ins the tank of ; of the number arks. Although no;3, that these il totals will be iter evaporated Pounds. 10,542 4,869 5,873 10,291 3,137 34,712 ne pound of coal ar the trip, was le coal for water vaporative power ) one of coal. * consideration, which , points on the road^ APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 87 This result, which 1 consider remarkably good, was obtained not from a picked sample cf the coal, but from a fair average sample of the product of the colliery. The supply-car was taken as an average of a tram ot ten platform-cars of coal raised at the colliery on November 2nd the day before the trial ; the weight of coal on these cars being somewhat above lOU tons. TRIAL NO. 2, ACADIA STEAM COAL. Date -.-November 5th, 1869,-On Prince Edward Island Steam Navi- |tea.cr.tHai; nation Company's steamer " St. Lawrence." ^, , ,, , ^ .^ Trip:-From Pictou Landing, Nova Scotia, to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. Distance : — About 59 miles. PKTAILS OF 8TEAMEB " ST. LAWRENCE." This vessel is a side-wheel coast steamer, of the American pattern, with st^oamoj- ;' st. saloon and promenade decks above the hull. Her tonnage, accordmg to her papers, is as follows :— To)is. 382 61 Tonnage under deck 170 53 " for propelling power • « houses, over deck ' gi5.63 Gross tonnage Her dimensions are : — Feet. 201.5 Length, total * 30 2 Main breadth, (amidships) "^ Depth from deck Her engine is a vertical-cylinder beam-engine of the American pattern. The detaiS of engine, boiler, etc., are as follows :-- £«,»,..-Cylinder 44" by 11 ' stroke with Steven's cut-off; cutting off at 5 J feet (half Machinery, qtroket (250 Nominal 11. P.) , ^i r „,. iq ' fi" ; and 5 " diameter. steam was uf at the commenoomc • t of the trial, but before putting on .,,„ wei-bed coal tbe furnaees were cleaned ot coal ami ash, aboirt 300 to 7L being left for the start. At 11.30 A.M. 1200 lbs. of coal «re ™; on tbo fl^es, mahing in all VM lbs. put on before start.ng. The sCt at full speed was made atl2 h. 85 m. P.M., and the ongmes were then I 88 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. run at regular speed during the entire trip to Charlottetown. The accom- panying table shows all the detail of firing and performance of the engines, Behaviour of and gives almost all the information of value obtained during the trial. It i'neboliere.'""' ghows the regularity with which the engines were run, and pressure of steam kept up with but little trouble o^n the part of the stoker. The reason that this table is given, is that in several published reports relating to Provincial coals, it has been stated that in using these coals a great amount of trouble is given to the fireman, through the coal clinker- ing and adhering to the bars, requiring perpetual raking and slicing to break up the fire in order to keep up a good draught. These statements are com- pletely refuted by the notes given in the table, which shows that during the three hours commencing with 1, 2, and 3 o'clock, while the steamer was running regularly, no breaking up of the fire was needed; that the fires in all three furnaces were raked only four times, and that so far from the draught being obstructed, the fire-doors were frequently open for a num- ber of mmutes each hour, to admit air above the fires. The table is to be regarded simply as a transcript of the notes ; and a no similar trials have yet been made with which the results might be compared, any farther discussion of these notes will be of no pr".ctical value. Coal conBumed. The weight of coal consumed upon this trial was as follows : — Pounds. Left on fires at start, about 300 Fires banked before starting, with 1,200 Actually consumed during trip 6,441 Total 1.941 of which 1326 lbs., or 16.69 per cent., was ash, clinker, and unbumt coal ; the unbumt coal would probably equal about 100 lbs. No piece of clinker was observed of a size over four inches cube, and none adhered to the grate bars. Tlie bars in the furnaces of the " St. Lawrence " had been Orate in use for eight months, at the time of my trial, during which time Acadia coal has been burnt, and they showed no sign of fire-mark, and were every way la as good condition as when put in. I was informed by Mr. Turner, Chief Engineer of the P. E. I. Steam Navigation Company, that the bars in the " Princess of Wales," of the same line with the St. Law- rence, and also burning Acadia coal, had been in for some two seasons, (the running season being about eight months,) and that they were still in good condition. The importance of these facts will be appreciated by all engineers. The officers of the steamer St. Lawrence, are : — Master, £^. Evans ; Chief Engineer, Jas. Turner ; first assistant, Arch. Livingston ; to all of whom I am indebted for their courtesies during my experiment. I was EAMi HE El 42 ! « ! I r ■ I , . , . i . , [, ...I * 1 4 I I.i ...... J.-l I '' '■'■''■.'. r"f'i" I'Vt' '.'.'. .. MiMmm^M le accom- engines, trial. It essure of be reason slating to coals a 1 clinker- ; to break are com- uring the anier was res in all from the )r a num- e is to be rials have ly farther EAMI HE El 42 4:; II M m ty trial of rimental I unbumt \o piece of jred to the had been hich time nark, and formed by Company, 3 St. Law- isons, (the ill in good ,ed by all :!:;! . ...|. . niii'iciicT i^ 'jiDrf, (us llQ TRIAL No. 2. ACADIA STEi NOVEMBER 5X11, isr.g, On Prince Edward Island Steam Navigation j. TABLE SHOWING FIRING, AND rERFORMA: Minutes after cncUliour.OT' !| 1 4 5 6 7 8 9 I 10 !; 11 VI Hour. .St;irli(i;inl runiacc ||. ........ j. ...'.•.. |. ..■]••••.•• • 12()'cl M'.nt •• . ••■••; ■■■■, ....;....,••. ^■iiiiii. No. ri'V..l. ]H-r iniimtc..; i..--: •••• ••• ;••• /Viicuum ^'imt;c. i'lciics. ;|. ...,...•!■■.•;•••• I' •'• I" " 1' " ' blcam •• iiniHiils. I J....I j....^....,. .■ 13 1 o'cl. iliivliiiiinl runiaiT'.. M'oH i' I i I I i 'i 'i'l » # ' » I * I • 14 \ No. rev. II. iiiT immiuh;. . | .y-1 i I / X'ai'iiiiiii jjaui,'!'. iiK'li''- -I ^ ........,■• • (^Strain '• liuanils. l'>j ; !••• * , * » ' » 1. * i * * .... !i«ii;... ::: i!^::::\::: 15 16 I 17 I 13 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 2i) 27 2S 20 o'cl. Siarlioaid riii-aaco i M'oii * ■jNo. n vol. p ■!■ niiiiiito..; / Vai'uaai j;aii^'i', iiichi's.. (_Slcaiii ■• poaiidi*.] i ! X X i j X X '.... 1-1 *■ , * X 1 X 2T, 153 ....|. 'Stailioiril liinmco — '. •• liv " i 1'" i- ■■ / ;^iai I VcoMi MMrt •' ""■■'■ \ N,,, i-i'\ol. (ht miliiltc. . . . 1 V j. 16 i....l ... F ...I U !•■ •••| 1 ^^l.. lT\ol. I'lT inniini. ..;■ j , /N'ai-iimii :jaii.;;iMin'lic-; 'rlf'-'M ' ' • '. \ (_Stcani " IMiiilul.-^ l-jj. ...,••■•:••■•;■•■•; Starlioanl I'liniaff. V'i'iiire 'I } o , , I 'I'ort " 1'' '"^ • '\ N 1). rovol. l"'!' miiinto. . ... y VaLMimiigaii,i;i', iiie'Uc* fhlcaiu " piiaiiili V 1... ....... ....I Jii ... '• i.-.i lii I • I I'" '.'. 161 .'Starboard I'liniaci! ■•• ■ •'' ■■• . (I'lilrc " ' 1'" M'orl f^*^''''' .Nil. rcvol. l»'i' laii'iiti' U 1' ..i 16 ,...,! <> 151 :. * ; ** , ^ § iJ f I i t t /i';;:;;;:''""'^'''i::;iu;a;:, ■i^i^ fj-iv'-i^r %'::::-v^ i'^i -iv ■n- n^n'^j _. ..,.1 u "^ to £4 ^ H .... u .,,, ■'! ;;:;; •■■■! V * 16.1 1 ■•j ....!.... ,:;;:'27i 1 ~ 1 _ ' r ...i # "m, 27* 15J 30 31 32 33 34 ! 3.5 36 37 38 ■■■; '.'.'.'.\'.'.''.\.'.'.\ i' '•''-' ^ ■.•.,■■■ t ; t X J X l5^.., ... 27i ..: i6| 17 » * F !•• I....!! 27 i 16" ...27 ... loi! !^.i::::i::::;v F|....'........ ....! 16i ....i.... 27J. ...;.. ..;.... . I 14J ' . . 27.f|....;... Hi....!... l",r ^ ] >^: ■< 16 15 ' 16 ;...!27j'. 153 ■•■• !....!. 16 "~" 1 ■** i^ ^ . j V .... 1 1 *■ * 1 . > . > ::;; 'ih'. 1. . 27t .. .! liii 1 .... 27i!'27i 16 ;.... V I.... ....I ....!. I t CKNKUAI. >'0TKSAN1) HEKKHKNCF-f iiiilli';! i> (.Uici , , ,. „ „„,-„, p„i,.mim iiidlcatps the inimitea aftor tic hoar iinm.Ml in the lirsf, (right) ,m,1umiii. Im (^acli hoai- tliivr liiio> arc ,l..volr,l to 111.' lariiii .-Tho numb..,- hcmhnf: the nm,o« columns indl.atcs ui mt ^ ^^^ ^^^ ^^^^^^^^^ ^^^^^^^ ^^ ^^^^^^^^^^ .^^^^.^^^^^ ^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^.^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^.^^^_^^_ ^^^^^ ^.^,^_^|_^_^^ ^^^.^l^^, r„,nao.-st :team gaiigc " will be at oiici- uial.'rstoo.l. They arc placcil in tlit! minute coluiiui eorrc^iioii. ac 'il niulcr. The ll^nrc^ ,0,0,1 tho three lines in each hour. marUcU " revohmons,- - vacc.n. ,a„gc, an,l ^^J> 3. 2. ACADIA STEAM COAL, NOVEMBER 5TH, lHr,9, EAM Navigation Co.'s Steamer u ;x. y AWRENCE.' (TRIP FROM PICTOU LANDING, N. S., \ TO CHAKLOTl'ETOWN, P. E. I. IING, AND TERFORMANCE OF THE ENGINES. 30 31 32 83 31 35 au 37 38 ....!....: i;;l^ F '.'^:.c.'j F ! I :;;: ::::r;;: .. 1.... a; I ^ liTfi... i... ?!» 40 ?I^ 2Ti...., lu r • • • ■ ... i ; X ' X '\ii'.'.'.\\.VJ}... 41 42 4!! ^ 44 V, 4ii ^ 47 j 48 49 no .:::f;:;''27j!.::: ; I ! ! I . . . . j 27J . . . . IBi 15 i....i.. .1.... X 1 X i . . . ...;....; \ X ! * * '.'.'.''.'.'... Hi ... 27i'. ....... ...1 10 .... .... 61 52 16i 63 54 * * ♦ * 65 66 27) 16 I i ' ... 10 163 ■•■• F ".... i«i:i I I ..I *. ■ * I J,' 1 ..'....',. ..I 15f .... 27i:27i!....:....l....i27ii.... 10 .....,......!..,.] 15i|.... ' ! i i * * * I '^'i'.'.'.'. loiL... 163 l>! X I X 1. X I X !■ S I R ••■!•••' K j F io-i::: ••;:;;::?ir:::|.... I I 67 68 69 60 I |16J....|.... 1 27»!....'.. ;.... 15 1....^. » I F I » I.... f'K!!! ... 16 .|.,..i 27i' .... .'.... 15 i .... . ...i F U ! K .S .... ?ll|.... .... lOi,.... 271.... .... 151:.... ... .!....!• I! It :.... _ , , . i , , , , I . . . . j Commeuccd liriiig at 11..30 A.M., tlio fires banked with 1600 lbs of coal. t Slow, tu'-niiij; enjiiiie* by hand. % Weuther-biuciiiii'iiT 29.0u". Uem.\uks. .... f' . . . . . . . . 'isi . . , , 1 ' • * ' I 27; 153 i 1. . . . ;.... .... t Rilkiiijf out ashes. t t t liakiri); out nslii'.:. X I'reiiaiing lii'o.s to enter t'harlottutown. Stopiied at C'harlottetown dock at 5.14 P.SI. § Half speed. ' • Full speed, t Tuiiiiiig engines by hand. IV IJlowing otrstenm. ]7 ,i, „' .„" ., v.,..',l to 11,.. lm-n,.n.s In these li....s the leiler K indioiUe. that at the n.inute nnd,.- whieh it stands, the starboard, centre, or port lurnac, (as the ca.-e may be,) wa.s/m/. It, the .ame way d lonrthnr lines aie i.e\.il.'d to llie liiinat i s. in tiiis( iimMu. , „ ■ i , „ „ • „>. i f.,il„«-..,l hv the si.-n X that the door was one lalOijen, continuing so, as many niinuU'S as the sij^n X t ,„i„.,.e the ,i,.e.d.,or of the nnnaee-slarhoard, eentr.., or port, :5. " When the air-plate bridge was introduced, it covered 8 mches of the length of the grate, reducing its area to U.07 square feet, and increasmg the mtio of heated to grate surface tofl-.l^- = 26.83 to 1. " Durin<^ a few trials the grate was still farther reduced in area, by the introduction at the front end, next to the fire-doors, of a_ plate of iron d feet 3 inches long, IH inches wide, and one-fourth of an inch thick. This coKing-piate. is tci'med the " cokmg-plater and was used while burmng some of the samples of bituminous coal, which were so fine that large portions were liable to pass through the grate. With this plate in place and the air- plate in its usual position, the size of the grate was reduced to 11.37D square feet, and the heated to the grate surface increased to jVM - •-^•^' ^» ^^ ■^• ''On one occasion, instead of contracting the area of the grate by means of the coking plate, it was diminished by placing a row of bricks flatwise along each iL of the furnace, reducing the grate surface to 10.29 square feet, and the ratio oaieated to grate surface to j?,^-^'^-^^ ^^/-_ "The grate was, in general, about 9 inches at the front, and 10 inches at the back end, below the lower arch of the boiler. On one or two occasions, however, which are noted in the tables of experiments, it was varied a little from tl.' distance ; but as no advantage appeared to attend the change, it was restored to this, as the most convenient working distance for all the varieties of fuel emi)loyed. '^ The grate-bars used were three-fourths of an inch thick, and the spaces between ttiem half an hich wide. They were supported at the centre, as well as at each end, by a cast-iron bar 2i inches thick, and 4 inches deep. Hence, when the grate was at its full size, the total amount ot air passages through the grate was nearly oj sciuare feet. , «„ , a Th, interior capacity of the boiler was such as to contain, when filled to the centre of the gauge-tube, or normal level of tlie experiments, with water of i^^y^ temperature, 12,795 lbs. This is the result ot an experiment made after clearing out and wiping dry the nderior of he boiler, and refining it through the measuring-cistern. Of tins cpiantity 493 pounds were then withd^wn, leaving 12,302 pounds fi img the boiler to withm 1 1 inch of the normal level. On subse.iuently heating tins to .30 , the water in the gauge, after taking all due precaution to withdraw the cold w from the glass tube, and filling it with that which was hot, stood Le more at the normal level. Hence the apparent eyansion of waer in iron, by an addition of 164 degrees of heat, ^f^^^"^^'';:^;:; " ^'^^^^^ or a little more than one tw enty-fifth part of^tsj^ulk^^ ^ • Report on American Coals, pp. 12-13. Grate-bars. Capacity of boiler. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 49 ratio of the carried on )er damper, dies of tlio [ increasing ,rea, by the c of iron 3 thick. This some of the ortions were and the air- .375 square 53.18 to 1. te by means icks flatwise 1.291 square 1 tol. kI 10 inches one or two ents, it was id to attend cnt working id the spaces 10 centre, as : inches deep, ' air passages I, when filled •Imcnts, with n experiment e boiler, and , 493 pounds ilor to within to 230°, the Iraw the cold as hot, stood on of water in .i,:^ 0.0407, JohneoD'8 CIms IV. The details of supply of water, gauges and discussions of the method «^»'.«';^f**''« of conducting the experiments, though of very great scientific interest, c jcupy too much space to be given here. I shall therefore proceed to the results of the experiments, using as nearly as possible the arrangement of the original report. All the facts which follow, are taken from Johnson, and where advisable, his report is quoted verbatim. Under Class IV, (p. 452) of the Report, Professor Johnson includes : ciassrecatioii of " Foreii^n bituminous coals, and those of similar constitution West of the Alleghany Mountains." Among the foreign coals, he includes : — 1. Pictoii, (purchased ia New York.) 2. Sydney. 3. Pictou, (Cunard's.) 4. Liverpool. 5. Newcastle. 6. Scotch. In description of the general characters of these coals, he says : — "In many respects this class of coals bears a strong analogy to the preceding.* . The ratio of the fixed to the volatile combustible matter is, however, General eh something less. The exterior presents often a resinous lustre. The sur- faces of deposition are easily aeveloped by fracture. Great faciUty of ignition and a high degree of activity in the combustion of their volatile constituents, are also general properties of this class. Their high propor- tion of volatile combustible matter renders these coals, when nearly free from sulphur, eminently suitable for the production of illuminating ga? ;and the tendency of their cokes, with few exceptions, to intumesce strongly, renders them, in common with the preceding class, highly serviceable for forming large hollow fires for smithing purposes." iCop>/.-) No. 1. Bituminous coal from Pictou, Nova Scotia, procured from 3Iessr8. Laing und3. (I APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 61 which is 13.389 per cent, of the coal burned. By these data we may assign the following as the proximate constituents rractiwi anaiy of this sample, viz. : — Moisture, (from 28 lbs.) 2.567 per cent. Other volatile matter, (mean of 4 specimens) 27 063 " Earthy matter (from 4153.87 lbs.) 13.389 " Fixed carbon '^^-^^^ 100. Volatile to fixed combustible 1 : 2.1054 The above result in earthy matter, derived from a sample of two tons, exhibits a striking contrast with the analyses of single hand-specimens. The clinker is of a dark reddish-brown colour, in sheets of considerable cunker. magnitude, somewhat porous ; small shaly fragtjients are intermixed, and sometimes adhere to the vitrified masses. It weighed 43.12 pounds per cubic foot, and gained weight by calcination ccpxal to 0.84 per cent., leaving the powder of a light brown, with its finer parts bright red. The weight of the ashes, as they came from the furnace, was 38.56 lbs. per cubic foot ; and the residue of their re-incineration had a colour nearly Ash. flesh-red, while that from the soot was reddish-grey— a shade lighter than that from the ashes. The ashes from specimens a and b are of a purplish-red colour, with specks of white. Tried with the oxide of lead, 20 grains of specimen a gave 544.8 grains of metallic lead, or 27.24 times its weight. Deducting moisture and earthy matter, this gives to one of combustible matter 28.184. In a smith's fire for ordinary work, this coal aiforded a rather dull com- bustion ; made a good hollow fire ; left a fair coke, not unusually hard ; l^roduced a large quantity of cinder, and gave a tolerably ftiir heat. In the chahi-shop, it gave a heavy flame ; formed a coke too hard to be xmijor chaiu- easily brokon up, as the work requires ; was rather hard and unmanage- able, and left a large proportion of cinder. Sixty pound.s made but 11 Unks of a chain 1§ inch in diameter ; while several other coals, tried by the same workman on the same chain, were found adequate to the makmg of from 13 to 20 links, by the same weight of coal. ******** The ignition of this coal is easily effected. It took, on an average of four trials, only 0.937 hour, or 56i minutes, to bring the boder to a state of steady action. In conformity with this fact, is that relative to the unburnt coke, which was, on an ave rage, only 5.689 lbs, at each trial.* . Here fouWiM^l^ih^^^^^^^ ^^^^ ^^V^^''^'"^^'' from which the deduc- tions in the table on the next two pages arc taken. It is extracted verUatun trom Johnson's Report. 62 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. DEDUCTIONS FROM TABLES CLV, CLVI, CLVII. ExpeHments on Pictou KeBults of Trial No. 1, Clasa IV. Nature of the data furnished by the respective tables. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 4' 42 43 44 45 46 47 1st Trial. {Table CLV.) Total duration of the experiment, in hours Duration of steady action, in hours Area of grate, in square feet Area of heated surface of boiler, in square ftet Area of boiler exposed to direct radiiition, in square feet. Number of charges of coal supplied to grate Total weight of coal supplied to grate, in pounds Pounds of coal actually consumed • Pounds of coal withdrawn and separated after trial... Mean weight, in pounds, of one cubic foot of coal. .... Pounds of coal supi)lied ptr hour, during steady action. Pounds of coal per square foot of grate surface, per hour. Total waste, ashes and clinker, fn.m 100 pounds of coal. Pounds of clinker alone, from 100 pounds of coal Ratio of clinker to the total waste, per cent Total pounds of water supplied to the builer. Mean temperature of water, in degrees Fahrenheit Pounds of water supplied at the end of experiment, to restore level Deduction for temperature of water supplied at the end of experiment, in pounds • • • Poimds of water evaporated p. hour, during steady action Ci'bic feet of water per hour, during steady action Pounds of water per .=quare foot of heated surface per hour, by one calculation Pounds of water per square foot, by a mean of several observations Water evaporated by 1 of coal, from initial temp, (a) final result Water evaporated by 1 of coal, from initial temp, (b) during steady action Pounds of fuel evaporatirg one cubic foot of water... . Mean temperature of air entering below ash-pit, during steady pressure Mean temp, of wet-bulb thermo., during steady pressure Mean temperature of air, on arriving at the grate Mean te-.np. of gases, when arriving at the chimney Mean temperature of steam in the boiler Mean temperature of attached thermometer Mean height of barometer, in inches Mean number of volumes of air in man' meter Mean height of mercury in manometer, in atmospheres. Mean height of water in syphon diaught-gauge, in inches Mean temperature of dew-point, by calculation Mean gain of temp, by the air, before reaching grate.. . Mean difference between steam and escaping gases Water to 1 of coal, corrected for temperature of water in cistern Water to 1 of coal, from 212°, corrected for temperature of water in cistern Pounds of water, from 212°, to 1 cubic foot of coal... . Water, from 212°, to 1 pound of combustible matter of the fuel Mean pressure, in atmospheres, above a vacuum Mean pressure, in pounds p. sq. inch, above atmosphere Coudllion of the air-plates, at the. furnace-bridge ..... Inche? opening of damper, (U. upper) jlugust 30. 033 333 07 5 75 .0 ,50 ,88 .62 .361 .77 .583 .714 .6911 .788 .0 .8 22. 6. 14, 377, 18 9 978 974 3 54 120 8 13 6 48 7759 82° 782.0 99.0 882.36 14.12 2.337 2.347 7.858 ' 7.301 7.9537 92°. 79°. 254°. 301°. 229°. 84°. 30. 5. 0. 0. 75°. 1G2°. 71°, 2d Trial. {Table CLVI.) Juffunt 31. 59 08 92 25 54 88 161 225 5342 2907 9 61 ,71 7.8258 8.8059 478.74 10.2055 1.4213 6.2219 Open- U. 8 23. 6. 14. 377. 18. 10. 1071. 10(39. 2. 53. 119 8. 12. 6. 48, 8340. 83° 95 333 07 5 75 .75 .612 .138 I .5875 69 .506 .934 .2139 .0695 .0 .0 550.0 69.0 908.88 14.54 2.407 2.397 7.733 7..^ '36 8.0823 92°. 31 80°. 69 259°. 125 ] 334°. 6 229°. 5 ' 86.94 30.079 5.210 0.5366 0.3077 77°. 525 166°. 535 105°. 1 7.7013 8.6658 464.38 9.9532 1.4288 6.3324 Closed. U. 8. ^VI, CLVII. nents on Pictou 2d Trial. (Table CL VI.) JuffWt 31. 23. 6. 14. 377. 18. 10. 1071. 1009. 2. 53. 119 8. 12. 6. 48. 8340. 83° 95 333 07 5 75 .75 .612 .138 .5875 69 .506 .934 .2139 .0695 .0 .0 550.0 69.0 908.88 14.54 I I 2.407 2.397 7.733 7..^ '36 8.0823 92°. 31 80°. 69 259°. 125 334°. 6 229°. 5 86.94 30.079 5.210 0.5366 0.3077 77°. 525 166°. 535 105°. 1 7.7013 8.6658 464.38 5 9.9532 3 1.4288 ) 6.3324 Closed. U. 8. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. CLVIII.OP JOHNSON'S REPORT, PAGES 456-463. coal (from New York.) 53 3rd Trial, (Table CLVII.) 4th Trial. (Table CL VIII.) September 1. 23 10. 14. 377. 18. 11. 1179. 1166. 12. 53. 96, 6 13 5 39 8743 84° 95 00 .07 .5 .75 .0 .5 .61 .89 .614 .9 .887 .195 .2321 651 I September 2. 23. 7 • 14 377 18 9 947 942 4 52 104 7 13 6 46 6661 82° 575.0 72.0 721,9 11.55 1.912 1.893 7.432 7.449 8.4096 89° 79°. 282". 315". 231°. 85°. 30. 5. 0. 0. 75°, 191°, 85° 8 21 05 .42 ,0 .71 .080 .227 .5343 .2845 .53 .72 .33 7.4009 ,05 .083 .07 .5 .75 .0 .0 .89 .11 .611 .01 .392 .642 .3657 .658 .0 .7 Averages. 547.0 69.0 684.59 10,953 1.813 1.794 7.009 6.5802 8.9171 90°. 78°. 278". 306°. 228°. 83°. 30. 5. 0. 0. 75° 189° 77° 33 87 8 ,71 ,6 .0 .104 .247 .5323 .2443 .7 .0 .77 6.9803 8.3207 7.8545 446.10 413.23 9.5855 9.0953 1.4219 1.4122 6.231 6.0876 Open. Closed. U. 4. U. 4. 5.6895 63,5434 110.342 7,842 13.3712 6.1257 45.7916 799.432 12.7908 2.1172 7.508 7.231 8,3407 2680.724 308°, 702 Remarks. With damper drawn 8 inches, the first trial gave, with a clean surface of boiler and flues, and the air-plate open, 7.858 of water to 1 of coal i the second, with the same plate closed, and surfaces with one day's impurity on the flues, 7.733, or 1.6 per cent. less. 0.2818 1770.466 840.69 7.4771 8.4117 450.612 9.7099 1.421 6.2182 In the fourth trial, the decided inferiority of e^ect to the preceding is probably to be as- cribed to the coating of soot upon the flues, jjP(^ ttje wp.nt of sufficipnt draiiffht to bum completely the products of combustion. J Trial of Rsmple from agents. Analysis. 54 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. (.Copy.') No. 3. Bituminous coal from Pictou, Nova Scotia, seyit by Mr. Cunard, agent of the General Mining Association of London. The coal of this sample is, in every external character, entirely similar to that from the same mining district obtained from New York. The specific gravity of one specimen (a) was 1.3155; that of another, (fc,) 1.3352. The mean of these makes the weight of the cubic foot in the solid state 82.885 pounds. The actual weight, determined by 20 trials in the charge- box, is for the least 45.5, for the greatest 52-125, and for the average 49.25 pounds per cubic foot, or 0.5945 of the calculated weight. Hence the space to receive one ton is 45.482 cubic feet. The moisture expelled by thoroughly drying specimen h was 1.079. The coking of a caused a loss, including moisture, of 26.413 per cent. The process having been conducted very slowly, the powder did not become agglutinated ; but another portion of the same powder suddenly exposed to^a bright red heat, became converted into z. well-formed mass. Of specimen 6, a portion coked so slowly, and at so low a heat, that the gas did not take fire, exhibited a loss of 27.1 per cent. Another portion of the same powder, coked rapidly, so as to become completely coalcscent, lost 29.34 per cent. The earthy matter in a was 10.09, in b 11.404 per cent. Hence the Droximate constituents of these two specimens are— Specimen a. Specimen 6. Moisture (not separately determined) 1.079 o,,.,o oilier than) or 09i 5 ^^ ^'°^ Volatile matter 26.413 n^oisture \ ^^""''^ J coking.) Earthy matter 10.090 11.404 Fixed carbon 63.497 61.496 100. 100- Volatile to fixed combustible 1 : 2.404 1 : 2.3633 The moisture expelled from 28 lbs., dried in the steaming-apparatus, amounted to 0.7812 per cent. The volatile matter, including moisture, from the mean of the two specimens above given, is 26.756. During the two experiments on evaporation, there were burned 196:15 pounds of this coal, and the — Weight of ashes withdrawn was 116.00 lbs. ofclinker 121.75 '|^ of soot ^•'^^ d, agent of y similar to rbe specific !.,) 1.3352. ! solid state the charge- he ht. average Hence 3 1.079. L3 per cent, der did not er suddenly armed mass, eat, that the er portion of f coalesccnt, Hence the by slow coking.) ig-apparatus, ing moisture, Tned 1962.5 APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON TUB PICTOU COAL FIELD- 65 The ashes lost 0.04077 of their weight, and the soot 0.60144, by re- incineration. Reducing the weights of these two, and deducting 1 .029 lbs., for the ashes of 355.25 lbs. of pine wood, we have left 245. 481 lbs., for the total waste from the above weight of coal, or 12.508 per cent. From these data it would seem that the coal is composed of— Moisture, (from 28 lbs.) Other volatile matter, (from two apecimeas) Earthy raattur (from 1962.5 Ib-t.) Fixed carbon, (calculated by difference) 0.7812 25.9753 12.5085 60.7350 100. Practical >na- lyeig. Volatile to fixed combuatible 1 : 2.5929. The ashes weighed 39.01 lbs. per cubic foot. The clinker " 38.00 " " The soot " 3.82 " " When re-incinerated or calcined, the clinker became of a dark drab or ciinker. light brown colour, the ashes of a light reddish-gray, and the residue of the so°ot a light drab colour. The ashes from analysis of a were pure white ; from b, dirty white. The clinker, as it came from the furnace, was black, vitreous, and porous, in masses tolerably friable, and not apparently prone to adhere to the grate. Much shaly matter attaches itself to the vitrified portions. ^ With the oxide of lead, specimen b gave 23.355 times its weight in metallic lead. Deducting moisture and earthy matter, we have left 0.87517 of combustible ; by which, dividing the above, we get .tf,H4= 26.686. For the reason assigned in regard to the preceding sample which accompanied this, the trial in smith's forges and in open grates was neces- sarily dispensed with. This is the less to be regretted in the present instance, as the sample of Pictou coal already described has been tested in the forge ; and as the action of the two samples is in other respects almost identical, there is no reason to doubt that in this particular also they would be found to coincide. The mean time required to bring the boiler to a steady rate of evapora- tion was 0.85 hour, or 51 minutes. The weight of coke left unburnt on the grate was very small, being on the first trial, 5 pounds, and on the second 2.5. The combustion commenced promptly, and the flame was long, and accompanied by considerable smoke. The large amount of clinker (more than 50 per cent, of the total waste) rendered it necessary to remove the heavier masses within a few hours after the fire was kindled. ; 4 66 llMulta of Trial. No. 3. CltBg IV. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. DEDUCTIONS FROM TABLES OLXIII, CLXIV, Experimentt on Nature of the data furnished by the respective tables. l3t Trial. (Table CLXIH) 2d Trial. (TahleCLXlV.) 1 Total duratioD of the experiment, in hours 2 Duration of steady action, in hours 3 Area of grate, in square feet 4 Area of heated surface of Iwiler, in square feet 6 Area of boiler exposed to direct radiation, in square feet 6 Number of charges of coal supplied to (jrate 7 Total weight of coal supplied to grate, in pounds 8 Pounds of coal actu lly consumed 9 Pounds of coal withdrawn and 3e|)nrated afier trial. . . 10 Mean weight, in pounds, of one cubic foot of cual 11 Pounds of coal supplied per hour, during sicady action 12 Pounds of coal per square foot of grate surface, per hour 13 Total waste, ashes and clinker, i.om 100 pounds of coal 14 Pounds of clinker alone, from 100 pounds of coal 15 Ratio of clinker to the total waste, per cent 16 Total pounds of water supplied to ttie boiler 17 Mean temperature of water, in degrees Fiihrenheit. .... 18 Pounds of water supplied at the end of e.\pfrinii.nt, to restore level 19 Deduction for temperature of water supplied at end of experiment, in pounds 20 Pounds ofwaterevaporated p. hour, during steady action 21 Cubic feet of water per hour, during steady action 22 Pounds of water per square foot of healed surface per hour, by one calculation 23 Pounds of water per square feet, by a mean of several observations 24 Water evaporated by 1 of coal, from initial temp, (a) final result 25 Water evaporated by 1 of coal, from initial temp, (b) during steady action 26 Pounds of fuel evaporating one cubic foot of water. .. . 27 Mean temperature of air entering below ash-pit, during steady pressure 28 Mean temp, of wet-bulb thermometer, during steady pressure 29 Mean temperature of air, on arriving at the grate 30 Mean temp, of gases, when arriving at the chimney. . . 31 Mean temperature of steam in the boiler 32 Mean temperature of attached thermometer 33 Mean height of barometer, in inches 34 Mean number of volumes of air in manometer 35 Mean height of mercury in manometer, in atmosplieres. 36 Mean height of water in syphon draught-gauge, in inches 37 Mean temperature of dew-point, hy calculation 38 Mean gain of temp, by the air, before reaching grate. . 39 Mean difference between steam and escaping gases 40 Water to 1 of coal, corrected for temp, of water in cistern 41 Water to 1 of coal, from 212°, corrected for temperature of water in cistern 42 Pounds of water, from 212", to one cubic foot of coal.. 43 Water, from 212°, to one pound of combustible matter of the fuel 44 Mean pressure, in atmospheres, above a vacuum 45 Mt-aa pressure, in pounds p. sq. inch., above atmosphere 46 Condition of the air-plates at the furnace-bridge 47 Inches opening of damper, (U. upper) September 27. 25.083 5.267 14.07 377.5 18.75 10.0 992.25 987.25 5.0 49.6125 149.212 10.6 11.62 6.76J5 49 7545 70° September 28, .347 .0 .5 270.0 37.0 1122.86 17.96 2.974 2.988 7.6049 7.522 8.2174 64°. 15 55°. 08 209°. 15 295°. 231 °.0 62°. 115 30.146 5.0246 .5546 .3241 .78 .66 46' 145= 67' 7.5864 8.6249 427.9 9.7589 1.4389 fi.4819 Closed. U. 8. 24 5 14 377 18 10 977 975 2 48 127. 9. 12. 6. 52. 7204. 67°. 383 .333 .07 5 .75 .0 .75 25 5 8875 648 072 505 6199 935 3 406.0 57.0 936.68 14.987 2.481 2.498 7.328 7.338 8.529 64°. 33 55°. 233°. 330°. 232° 59° 30 5 48° 168° 107° 7 8 13 ,0 ,0 ,67 .249 .004 .5572 .3525 .63 .8 .06 .3148 8.3446 407.94 9.5373 1.4408 6.5104 Open. U. 8. [I, CLXIV, >eriinent$ on 2d Trial. tble CLXIV.) ptember 28. 24 5 14 377 18 10 977. 975. 2. 48. 127. 9. 12. 6. 52. 7204. 67°. 383 .333 07 5 75 75 25 5 8875 648 072 ,505 ,6199 935 3 406.0 57.0 936.68 14.987 2.481 2.498 7.328 7.338 8.529 640.33 55°. 233°. 330°. 232°. 59°, 30. 5, 48° 168° 8 13 67 249 004 5572 3525 63 107° 7 06 3148 8 407 3446 94 9 1 6 Op U. 5373 4408 5104 en. 8. APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD OF JOHNSON'S REPORT, PAGES 478-481. Pidou (N. 6.) coal, {Cunard, agent.) 57 Ayerages. Remarks. 3.75 49.25 138.43 9.836 12.0625 6.1927 51.141 In a very close approach to total combustion, as well as ^"'"any other of its properties and modes of action, this sample manifests its affinity with the Pictou coal procured in New York. 1029.77 16.4735 2.7275 The rate of evaporation with air-plate open is 16.5 per cent, less rapid than with the plate closed. 7.4664 7.43 8.3732 221°. 14 312°. 5 .3383 156°. 9 87°. 33 7.4506 8.4848 417.92 9.6481 1.4398 6.4962 With the air-plate open, as in the second trial, the gases going to the ch mneThad a temp'eratnre 35° higher than with the same P'ate c osed as iTthe first experiment. Tlie considerable coating of soot on the flues ly -.lave helped^o keep the gases at their high temperature, and to diminish the evaporative effect, as seen in lines 41 and 43. The second trial had the advantage of a stronger draught than the f.st. I 58 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. klriniimond iinH'r. account of the large amount of smoke produced in burning them, and their buunr(fut"'' low evaporative power, as compared with anthracites, or the so-called free- prSdicerf"" burning coals of the Welsh coal-fields. The heavy black smoke emitted from the funnel of a steamer burning these coals rendered them quite unfit for the use of ships of war, and in towns and cities became a serious nuisance. Their evaporative powers, as has already been stated, were supposed to be dependent on their content of fixed carbon, which supposi- tion seemed to be quite justified by practical experiments. The most careful trials with the old style of furnaces tailed to give them the value of the Welsh steam-coals, in proof of which I may cite the final results of the British experiments (De la Beche and Playfair's) , in evaporative powers :— Average of 37 samples from Wales 9-05 lbs. II 17 " " Newcastle S-^' (I 28 " " Lancashire "-^^ K 8 " " Scotland '^•''^ II 8 " " Derbyshire ''•58 Resemblance of Of the above list of coals, the coals of the Pictou district approach nearer ^Ith country to the Newcastle Hartley, or North Country coals than to any other class °°'''' T^ell known, and it will be, therefore, of the greatest interest to show the chan<'e of opinion which has taken place with regard to these coals within the kst few years ; to mark how all the old prejudices have disappeared, and to ascertain with what success these coals are now consumed as steam-producers. . j i ii. To accomplish this object in the most direct manner, I cannot do better APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 63 3d doors, iragraph < demon- r under 1-1 • ,1 3 to any issary to ch coals, rtance to icticable, , it must d against Savy, on and their tiled free- e emitted uite unfit a serious ted, were 1 ?uppo3i- The most ic value of ults of the )ower3 : — lbs. ch nearer )ther class > show the )al8 within lappeared, isumed as t do better than quote from the " Report of a Committee appointed by the North of England Institute of Mining Engineers, to investigate the smoke question" f^^j^J^^",^"' (dated Oct. 24th., I860,) After mentioning the causes that led to the appointment of this committee, they state : — " They (the Committee) cannot, however, forbear remarking that there is really very little left for them to do. A few years ago, in 1855, there was an impression that North Country steam-coal not only made smoke when burnt. b\it, wna of an inferior evaporative power to that of the so-called smokeless Welsh coal, ^ince then, on two subsequent occasions, this has been proved, most satisfactorily, to be an error. In 1856-7, experiments were made at Elswick, conducted by Sir William Armstrong, Mr. J. A. Longridge and Dr. Richardson, which fully demonstrated that Hartley could ^"'^•'^''p*'* give, without smoke, 12.9 lbs., and Welsh 12.35 lbs. of water evaporated from 212°, per pound of coal, in an ordinary marine boiler ; and in 1864, Mr. Miller, at the request of the House of Commons, made a series of experiments which proved again most satisfactorily that Hartley could give without smoke 10.68 lbs., and Welsh 10.13 lbs. of water evaporated from 100 per pound of coal. Again, at Wigan, in 1867, Messrs. Fletcher and Dr. Richardson conducted a series of experiments proving most con- clusively that a bituminous coal, more difficult evtii to manipulate in the fire than the coal of this district, can be economically and smokelessly consumed. All these results have been accomplished with the smallest possible alteration of the furnace and bars of ordinary marine boilers. Your Committee, therefore, have, from many and various sources, the highest authority for stating that, as far as experiments can do so, the question is practically solved, and more particularly in connection with any ordinary quality of round coal, and in Cornish or marine boilers of ordinary construction. It could hardly be expected that any further experiments would produce better or more conclusive results, or be attested by gentle- men of higher reputation and position. #♦****»«*** " Believing, as they do, that the semi-bituminous steam-coal of this district can be burnt without smoke, so as to give as high, if not a higher and more speedy evaporative power, than Welsh (as might be expected from its chemical composition), your Committee can by no means aver that this most important fact is comprehended by the great bulk of consumers ; but they are not of opinion that any further experiments in this direction are necessary, as it seems to them that data on this subject are so numerous already, that the public may be properly left to draw their own inferences thereon. " If your Committee were asked for the reason for so much incredulity on a subject so important to the interests of the Northern coal-owners, they I Mr. Itunning's «x|i«rimeDts. g4 OEOMOIOAL SOEVBT OS CANADA. «ould suggest that it, to a certain extent, arises from the fact that the Ilhipf built in the neighbouring ports arc not, as a rule, by ^y me n successful either in their attempts to prevent smoke, or to obtam the Set results from the coal of the district. These steamers, gomg from port to port, and from country to country, assist in advocatmg the v.e™ r hose who refuse to recognise the value of the Northern steam coals 1 your Committee regret that the hoile« of these *P» f .'-' ^^^ consLcted so as to bear out the results so labon.aslj obtamed at such ^'Manytf 'the statements in the above extract will apply with almost equal force to'our own coals. It is scarcely possible that we shall ob am the very high results in evaporative power above md.cated, from the Pictou ooafs, from the fact that the amount of ash in these coals a most mvar,ably Tce^d, that in the coals of the North of ^f^^^^^^^^ ™ith proper furnaces, the evaporative power of our coals may .c .i! JonaLy Lrcased, probably to the extent of from twenty.Sve to th,r ty per cen ., and thercsoems no reason to doubt, that, in thematter of smoke, our coals may be as successfully burnt as those of the North Country. ll this connection it will be interesting to examine mto the success with „hich the Newcastle coals are b,-nt ^"*out smoke and to th,s end an Ibstract of the experiments of Mr. T. W. Bunning, of Newcastle-on-Tyne, r h steamer " WeaMe," will most conclusively show the wonderful Ir ements made from the resultsof the old system of burnmg the coa , bv rve,T sli.ht change in the furnaces and bars. A senes of smoke-tnals tere m de on this stoLer with the ordinary furnace, fitted w.th grate-bar five fc"t lono, and the e.xact amount of smoke produced by Hart ey eoa Z obtlined by a method presently to be described. -An altera .on was ;:„ made in tlfe furnaces, 'which consisted simply in *orten"|*;^- to three feet six inches, and introducing an mr-pMe (oS iire-br, ks w th open spaces between them, hung on iron bars), at the b-" "^ *« / 2 Underneath this air-plate was a flue, or open space, separated from the ash- ^,: he furnace by acast-iron plate, carrying the brick formmg t e br, gc proper of the furnace. Tl,is cast-iron plate was p.erced wtb a hole gmng communication between the ash-pit and air-plate flue, when open, and thu admUt n.. air between the fire and the chimney, through the spaces be ween ttr "brick forming the air-plate ; or this hole could be closed by a shovel- Mi of Ihes and cinder. Beside these s,mple alterations the furnace-doors «re fitted with perforated flash-plates, through wh.ch the a.r «=^^ alowed toBass nto the furnace, in front of the fire, but above the grate. Alter the Son a.other seri;s of experiments was ^-^^f^fi;^^:^::^. V,th the most signal success. The results were published m tbcTransac til ot the North of Englan d Institute of Mi ningagmeers^and^ccom- ^^ruusacU.™ SrtrorEa8i«« 3 results of the very latest trials. KE8ULT OF EXPERIMENTS AT POUT8MODTH, 1869-70. ■ -mcnts u " A very comprehensive series of experimental trials have been carried J'.o?t™lV ' ^^^ ^^^- tj^e past twelve months on board Her Majesty's steamerd "Lucifer" at Portsmouth, with Welsh and North- 180y-70. "Urgent" and of 1868-9, Weardale, itioned the sh-pan and ront of the Under date d for much knowledge, )solutely no nts, and of some future steam-coals zed, that, if md as easily nment trials terial change en a position ietly used in 'erv highest ffected by its e attention of iractical trials experiments without inter- results of the ^reat addition very material ide, cannot be led the length ,r of the Coal Mr. Bunning. ials. e been carried sty's steamerd jh and North- APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOD COAL FIELD. 67 Country coal mixed, and burnt in two forms of furnace, for the purpose of ascertaining the best proportions in mixed coal, and form of furnace for the consumption of smoke. The trials have been carried out under the direction of Captain E. Rice, A.D.C. to the Quccu, commanding the Steam Reserve at Portsmouth, and the superintendence of Mr. G. Murdock, Chief Inspector of Machinery to the Reserve ; and the resiiUs are considered to be so important, that orders have been issued irom the Admiralty for the furnaces in the boiler-rooms of her Majesty's ships Change of fiir. xiticos in the to be altered according to the plan finally adopted in the trials as the best navy. for the consumption of smoke. When the comparative trials between the • ordinary and the new form of furnace comracnceil, the proportions of the mixed coal burnt were one-third North-Cuuntry and two-tliird.^ Welsh : but in all the later trials the coals have been bu ut in oijual proportions, and under these latter conditions less smoke has been emitted from the smoke-consuming furnace funnel than has been emitted from the tunnel over the ordinary form of furnace, when the latte • was burning the very best description of Welsh coal. The last three uiuls made on board the " Ur"cnt " afford conclusive evidence of the success of the new form of h. m. s. "Lt- „ gent. " furnace over the old. In the trial made on the 27th ult., both sets of furnaces were used, the coal burnt being Ferndale and Cowpen's Hartley, in equal proportions. The report of this trial gave the following results : — Now Kuriiaco. Old Furnace. Smoke 1-55 4-55 Coal burnt per hour 2,940 lbs. 3,294 lbs. Producing Asb 23.14 32.75 Soot 2.82 5.16 Clinker 35.08 25.00 " The last two trials made were on the 2nd and 11th insts., the new furnaces only being used on the former, and the old furnaces only on the latter trial, the coal burnt in each instance being equal quantities of Powell's Duffryn and Cowpen Hartley, with the following results : — Now Fiiniaco. Old Furnace. Coal burnt per hour 2,912 3,397.3 Producing Ash IV.73 24.34 Soot 1-9-1 4.0G Clinker 31-0 40.G " In these two trials, the new furnaces exhibited a saving upon the old, of 14.28 per cent, in fuel, an increase of 7.50 per cent, in horse-power, and a positive gain in the consumption of smoke, of 21.84 per cent." 68 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. HpqulsitPi* of a gus-cual . U as-content. * Quality of gas PRACTICAL TRIALS IN GAS MAKING. The most important requisites of a gas coal are : — 1st. That it contains a large amount of volatile combustible matter (gas);— 2d. That this vola- tile matter be of good illuminating power, and as free as possible from sulphur, and— 3d. That the coke furnished by the carbonization of the coal be bulky, and at the same time firm, (i e. not inclined to be granu- lar.) The importance of the first requisite, will be evident to all. The per- centage of volatile matter in true cods usually employed in gas-making, is from 25 to 40 per cent., and in cs.nneh it rises to 60 or 70 per cent. The true bituminous coals of this district which are now being worked, average, according to the latest analyses, as given in the first Section of this Report, about 28 or 29 per cent, of volatile matter ; the content of the hardest being 20.4G per cent., and of tl>e softest being 38.84 per cent. The oil- coals, oil shales, and a single cannel range higher in gas-content, the Btellarite reaching 68.38 per cent., and Lawson's cannel 41.18 per cent., which last figure is not, however, a high percentage of volatile mat- ter for a cannel. That the ])ereontage of volatile matter, given by ana- lysis in the small way, is not always a true index of the value of a gas- coal, will be seen by a reference to the analyses of the Foord-pit coal, ■which stands nearly at the head of the list of Pictou (true) coals, as a gas- producer. The percentage of volatile matter appears rather low in this case, in fact so much below what wouhl be expected from so good a gas-coal, that I am inchned to suspect that the samples analysed in the small way, •were not fair averages of the produce of this colliery. That the gas produced from the coal be of good illuminating power, is most important, will also be seen, though from the fact that the standard of illuminating power can easily be raised by the addition of a few per cent, of some rich cannel, or substance of the character of the stellarite, many coals, which produce gas of a low standard, but in large quantity, (if they coke well,) are often used as gas coals. The stellarite has b.-^n used to raise the standard of illuminating power of gas from other coals ; as are also, torbanite, albcrtite, caiuiels, and many oil shales. To instance a case of this kind, I may state that Mr. Thompson, of the Pictou Gas-works informs me that when using a coal giving per se 15-candle gas, he adds 10 per cent, of Leshmahagow cannel, in order to raise the gas to the standard of 18 candles.* « Thu siiindiu-d candle in testing gases, 13 of spermaceti, burning at the rate of 120 grains to the hour. To compare the illuminating powers of gases, the light given by a standard burner burning five (5) cubic feet per hour of the gas uialer examination, is compared with the light of one of tliese standard candles, the result giving the ca?idk' APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 69 it contains t this vola- mh\e from ion of the be granu- The per- ■making, is cent. ig worked. ; Section of itent of the i per cent. ;as-content, 41.18 per olatile inat- en by ana- ) of a gas- rd-pit coal, Is, as a gas- low in this [ a gas-coal, small way, ting power, he standard ew per cent, iai'ite, many ity, (if they ).>pn used to oals ; as are instance a u Gas-works ;as, he adds ! gas to the the rate of 120 ght given by a examination, is ng the catidU' The majority of the coals of the Pictou region furnish an excellent coke coko. in the gas-retorts, if properly carbonised, as will be abundantly proven by the statements to be given below from some of the first gas-chemists of this continent. Statements have recently been published to the effect that coke from these coals is worthless. In a single case this may be war- ranted ; in the majority of cases it is not, as from a number of the coals I have seen most excellent coke made in the gas-retorts of the Pictou works. It is true that if the heat is not properly applied, the coke cannot be properly formed, and a few of these coals will never be successfully coked, but the testimony of our first gas-chemists, sucli as Buist of Halifax, nnd the engineer of the Boston Gas works, who have used many thousand tons of the coals, is that some of them furnish good merchantable coke. The greater number of the coals of this district will, I believe, compare favourably with those of any district of the world in regard to sulphur. A number of analyses in the first section show the sulphur-content of the different coals, which in most cases is considerably below 1.00 per cent. These determinations of sulphur may be compared with the following table, giving sulphur, averages of determinations of sulphur in a large number of the coals of Great°Britain, from the analyses given in the reports of the British Admi- ralty Trials • — Per cent. Average of 37 samples from Wales, gave of sulphur. ... 1.42 11 17 " Newcastle, " It It 28 8 8 If Lancashire, Scotland, Derbyshire. (I II i< .94 1.42 1.45 l.Ol Further statements concerning the small amount of sulphur in Pictou coals, will be found in the extracts of letters from Messrs. Buist and Greenough, given below. GAS TRIALS AT THE PICTOU GAS-WORKS. Mr. Alex. Thompson, of the Pictou Gas-works, has used all the coals G|«t^|ai^at which have been worked to any considerable extent in this region, and he has been kind enough to supply me w ith notes of his experience, from which the following tabulation has been compiled^ ^^^^^ power~o{tho gas. Thus if we 8iii^|)ose a gas burnt in a Kve-foot burner to give fifteen (15) times the amount of light furnished by one standard candle, the gas is said to have IS.candle power or to be 15-candle gas. Tiie standard of gas in our large cities ranges from 13 to 18-candle power. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA. 70' PBOPUOTION O^ OAB. A«D QUAUTY O, 0A8 A«D COKK. FKOK TAniOr« COALB AT THE P.OTO^ (1A8-WOIIK8. (TOOM MOTES OF MB. ALEX. THOMPSON, MAHAOKR.) Company shipped by, and name of mine. RmuIU of trials Gkn«kai> Mini^o AosoriATro^. ati-lctou. ^j,^.^_^^ (Old) Minos QO a*" Value dillerent coa.s. yorstor I'it. Dttlhous'e I'it Cagy I'it, (old ghipraentg)... . Acadia Coai. company. McGrcpor workiiiRS Frasur Mino, stellar coal — " oil-slinlt? Acadia Colliery, west plopo IHTERCOLONIAL CoAL COMPANY. Drummond Colliery Nova Scotia Coal Compaky. Kova Scotia slope 8.(V)0 7.700 a " 18 16 0,IM¥J j 13 7,800 Montreal and Tictou Coal Co. Montreal and I'ictou pit... PiOTOU Coal Minino Company. Marsh Colliery 7.«00 11.000 8,000 7,000 7,700 7,000 6,000 6,000 15 17 o o O a. O a** 14 36 .10 13 15 14 13i 14 85 34 32 34 34 ■32' 34 32 28 28 Kemarks. S3 Good. << Xot Rood. (iood. Good. Fair. Not good. Good. Fair. Not good Coke un.-mmo,..i Company, I procured a special gas-trial of three ;a'^, rom the three '' upper divisions of the Acadia seam, as worked at the .h-i nond colliery. This trial was made under the superintendonco of Mr. Alexander Thompson, Engineer and Manager of the Pictou Cs / uopany, at their works. The samples were of two barrels each, and believed to be tair sijeciaua- averagcT of the difiereut benches. They were marked and numbered as follows : — Sample No. 1,— Top of seam, (2 feet 6 inches thick) left in the workings. " No. 2,— From the fireclay l.olinj, 2 feet up to the smooth parting. (Fall coal ) " No. 3,— First bench. Below the holing, and 4 feet thick. The numbers of these samples correspond to the numbers of the divisions and analyses of this seam at the Drummond colliery, in Section I. of this Report. The following is a copy of Mr. Thompson's Report :— {Copy.) Gas Wouks, Piotcu, N.S. December 4th, 1869. Mr. Tlionipson's Keport. Edward Hartley, Esq., Geological Survey, Sir,— At your request I have carefully examined the contents of six (6) barrels of coal from the Drummond colliery, marked respectively Nos., 1, 2, and 3, with the following results :— .,.,,.. No -^Yields at the rate of 7,000 cubic feet of gas and 32 bushels ot coke to the ton. No'o'_ " '« " 7,500 " " " 32 " No 3- " " " 8,500 " " " 36 » Th^ gas has an illuminating power of 15 candles. The volatile combustible matter ,3 such in amount and character as to promise well in gas-making. The coke .s firm and of good quality, well adapted for heating the retorts in gas-makmg, and can thus take the place of coal for that purpose. I am, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) ALEX. THOMPSON, ^ ^ Engineer and Manager. Beside their use as steam and gas-producers, several Pictou coals are sold extensively for various other purposes, among which may be mentioned, re-heating iron, blacksmithing and domestic p urposes. The coke s of one "V^^T^^o'gi^al Report, Section 4, pp. 67-eI17q., beds 71-73, See also page 96 of the same Report, and the first Section of this Report. 74 QEOLOaiCAL SURVEY OF CANADA. t* Locftlities of iron ore. or two of the coals have also been, to a certain extent, successfully used in iron-sraelting and founding. I am not at present able to furnish any exact data concerning the success with which they are used in rolling-mills etc., and no iron-smelting is at present carried on at any point near the Pictou district ; but I am awaro that in the Eastern United States, the coals are used in various forges and rolling, mills, with very good success, and I am assured by Mr. E. A. Jonc , Manager of the Acadian Iron Works at Lon- donderr}', Nova Scotia, that he has used Albion Mines coke in iron-smelting, and finds it better suited to this work than any other Provincial coal he has used. For domestic purposes these coals are well and favourably known ; they light easily in the grate and burn well and long with very little attention, except in the few cases where the content of ash is very large. III. IRON ORES OF PICTOU COUNTY. A number of localities are known in the vicinity of the Pictou coal-field, where ores of iron have been found. None of these have ever been developed to any extent ; and the few trial-pits upon the deposits, afibrd vci'v un?;itisfixctory evidence as to their size and value. The ores of iron which have been recognized in this vicinity arc ; specular iron, limonite or brown hematite, and spathose ores (crystalline carbonates of iron) ; besides the clay-ironstone, or argillaceous carbonate of iron of the coal measures. In the following paragraphs, mention is made of those localities only which I have personally examined, though a large number of others exist, of greater or loss value. My field-work in this district was confined to the pro- ductive coal-field, except in the few cases where examinations beyond its boundaries were made at special request. The samples analysed, where no statements to the contrary arc made, were taken by myself ft-ora the deposits, and are believed to be the averages of the ores. The analyses have been made in the laboratory of this Survey, by Mr. Broome. SI'ECULAK IKON. S)>ecuiar iron Several deposits of specular iron were examined ; these all occurred in a x-ange of metamorphic rocks lying ten or twelve miles to the south of the coal field. The ore of the variety known as micaceous iron ore, Avas noted at Battery Hill, near Glengarry station, and proceeding eaat from this point at a number of localities near the line of the Provincial Railway, the range of rocks including it finally crossing this railway and the East River of Pictou, several miles above Springville. Of the age of this for- lly used in I any exact -mills etc., ;he Pictou coals are , and I am 'ks at Lon- i-smelting, oal he has own ; they attention, I coal-field, ever been >sits, afford he ores of Dn, limonite 3 of iron) ; of the coal ilities only ers exist, of I to the pro- heyond its rsed, where f from the le analyses ne. )ccurred in south of the , Avas noted t from this ail way, the d the East of this for- APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD. 75 mation, I cannot speak with certainty , but it is probably Upper Silurian ; the rocks consist of quartzitcs, of light and dark green, purplish, brown and black colours, and slates highly altered, generally of a black colour and giving a white streak. The quartzitcs are sometimes coarsely granular, AKP^ofinciuding but as a rule, compact and fine grained. This formation appears quite distinct in lithological character from the series which has been described in the Repoi-ts of Sir William E. Logan and myself, as occuring near the Pictou coal field, at McLellan's and McGregor's Mountains, and at Waters' Hill, and which are believed by Dr. Dawson to be of Devonian age. I have made no attempt to obtain fossils in these rocks, nor has any bed been observed likely to contain them, at the few localities examnied ; but it seems probable that the fossiliferous beds mentioned by Dr. Dawson in Fo^siUferous his Acadian Geology, (pages 5G8-570), as occurring near Springville, are included in this series. These beds, from which a large number of fossils have been collected by Mr. D. Frazcr of Springville, are of un- doubted Upper Silurian age. The specular iron appears to exist in true fissure-veins, but of no con- siderable size, at any locality which I have seen. In many cases the rocks holding it appear to be much shattered, and the specular iron, with a com- pact granular quartz as a veinstone, appears to fill the fissures, which are often confined to a particular bed of rock, and sometimes so numerous that the entire bed contains a large per centage of the ore, and may be con- sidered as a single deposit. The most important deposit of this class Avliich rhamctcroftiie I have observed, occurs on the west side of the East Branch of the East River about three and a-half miles above Springville, on the lots of John McDonald and Arcliibald Thompson. Here the specular iron seems to exist over a considerable area, some portions being quite pure, but as the deposit is opened by two shallow pits only, it is impossible to state its size, or exact relations to the including rocks. The minor veins are often of several inches in thickness, and are included in alight greenish-drab granular quartzite, which they traverse in the most irregular manner. A sample of this ore was taken by me, which appeared to represent an average of what might be mined, provided all the larger lumps of quartzite taken out in mining were rejected. This sample gave on analysis :— Sesquioxidc of iron 65.14 Analysis. Silica 32.50 Hygroscopic moisture •• -^ 98.50 Total amount of metallic iron pcr cent. 45.60 Specific gravity ^"^"^ From the amount of silica present this ore would require a considerable amount of limestone as a flux, or it could be advantageously smelted I On-^znnn from tliese deposits. Analysis of a yozzan. 76 GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. with a calcareous sparry iron ore like that used for mixture with hema- tites at the A-cadian Iron Works at Londonderry. The locality is well worth a careful exploration, as the deposit seems continuous, and of a considerable width. It is, in common with many other of these deposits, easily traced upon the ground, from the bright rust colour of the soil, and the presence on the surface of a large amount of partially decomposed ore, or gozzan, which is easily recognised. The appearance of this substance is very deceptive to the inexperienced eye, and I liave frequently had specimens of it brought to me, by parties who, from its uniform rust-red appearance, had been led to imagine it a very rich iron ore. Attention to its low specific gravity will often show how small an amount of iron it contains. The following is the result of a partial analysis of a sample of one of the best of these gozzans which I have seen. It was sent me from Rockland fulling-mills, on ^liddle River, by Mr. Robert Frazer, and in appearance was quite equal to some of the pure ochrey gczzans which are found in some other localitiea, but analysis shows it to be merely a porous mass of granular quartzite, deeply stained with iron-oxyd. Sesqiiioxide of iron 25.48 Silica 62.61 Hygroscopic moisture ^ 1 Volatile at a red beat 4.43 9.^.33 Amount of metallic iron percent, 17.84 The remaining constituents were lime, magnesia and manganese, which were not determined. LIMOXITE OR BUOWN UEIIATITE. Mmonite. Numerous boulders of a very pure variety of limonite, have been found in the vicinity of Springvillc, on the East River, bnt so far as I can learn, the ore had not been found in place until Oct. 15;^ 1868, when a bed was discovered, on James Frazer's land, about if miles above Springville, (on the east side of the East Branch of the East River), by Mr. A. P. Ross, of Pictou, and myself, while visiting the locality. The only exploration we were enabled to make, was a shallow pit, sunk in a few hours by one man, but this was sufficient to expose a mass eight feet in thickness, of a pure limonite of the maramillary, stalactitic, and fibrous varities. It was overlaid by a close grained altered sandstone or granular 'quartzite of a light greenish-gray colour, and appeared to be conTornuible to the stratification. The bottom of the bed was not exposed ; it was hidden by a high drift bank ; neither was the deposit traced for any APPENDIX TO REPORTS ON THE PICTOU COAL FIELD- 7T with hema- locality is 13, and of a ?e deposits, he soil, and nposed ore, s substance [uently had rra rust-red Attention t of iron it a sample of 3nt me from izer, and in s which are 3 merely a 7cl. ,48 .61 .81 .43 .33 .84 anese, which e been found far as I can 15;' 1868, iut IJ miles of the East visiting the as a shallow , to expose a y, stalac.titic, •ed sandstone peared to be not exposed ; aced for any distance on the strike. Should it prove to be a persistent bad, it would be a most valuable deposit, as the ore is one of the purest IcnoA-'n. No substance save the pure mineral was discovered in the bed, the roof appearing well defined. The following analysis is of an average specimen taken by myself. It will be obcerved that the sihcious residue does not equal half of one per cent : — Sesqiiioxide of iron 84.94 Analysis. Combined water 15.43 Hygroscopic moisture 92 Silica, (insoluble residue) 41 101.70 AmouBt of metallic iron per cent. 59.46 The rocks including this deposit appeared to belong to the same series as those further south, holding the specular iron deposits above described. Sl'ATHOSE ORES. On the land of Neil McLanrin, about one and three-quarter miles simtho?oor.' south-west of Sutherland's bridge on Sutherland's river, a peculiar deposit isu. of iron ore occurs, included in Indian-red and greenish-drab sandstones, apparently of the Millstone-Grit scries. This ore, which I designate as spathose iron ore, appears to be a mixture of spathic iron, or crystalline carbonate of iron, and red hematite, or anhydrous peroxyd of iron, with but little impurity. The ore is seen in place, on the south bank of Suther- land's brook, where it is exposed by a number of costeening-pits, and it has also been traced for about 100 feet west of the point where it was first opened, the strike appearing to be very nearly E, and W., and the attitude nearly vertical. Whether this deposit should be considered a bed or a vein, is still a size of deposit matter of uncertainty, but it appears to bo comformable with the stratifi- cation. Its thickness, where exposed, varies from ' u'.-. ' to fourteen feet. Several attempts had been made to trace it farther westwiird at the time of my visit, but the pits sunk had failed to penetrate the drift. That this deposit, if found to be persistent, would be of cons" • rable value, may be judged from the following analyses. No. 1 is of .i ..i;ecimen from the outcrop, on Sutherland's Brook, and No. 2, from a costeer.lng pit, about 75 feet farther westward. Pr ITinit's" (iliiuiiiii on the Spatliose ore. Clay-ironstone 7g GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OP CANADA. I. 11. Sesquioxide of iron 16.98 20.52 Cmbonate of iron 65.61 57.40 Carbonate of manganese 7.98 8.29 Carbonate of lime 2.G7 4.02 Carbonate of magnesia 3.23 5 6(5 Silica 3.76 2.38 Hygroscopic moisture '^^ 1.43 Sulphur none. undet. Pliosphorus 0^3 Organic matter trace. none. 101.003 99.70 Amount of metallic iron 43.56 42.07 Dr. T. Sterry Hunt has kindly furnished me with the following note on these specimens : — " The iron ores from Merigoraish, Nova Scotia, consist of an admixture of red hematite and sparry carbonate of iron, with considerable manga- nese and but Uttle lime, magnesia and siUcious matter, and they appear, moreover, from the results of their analysis, to be remarkably free from sulphur and phosphorus. Their composition is such as to make them very readily reducible with a small amount of fuel in the blast furnace, while the presence of manganes*^, and their comparative freedom from sulphur and phosphorus, should make them peculiarly well fitted for the production of steel, either by puddling or by cementation." CLAY-IKONSTONE. A large number of bands of clay-ironstone were noted during my examination of the Pictou coal-field, but none of a size generally con- sidered workable. Some thirty years ago, however, a cross-cut was driven by the General :Mining Association upon the measures underlying tho Main seam at the Albion mines, and several beds of ironstone were intersected. No reliable record remains of their size and -luality, and the attempts which were then made to smelt them are known to have failed, but whether from mismanagement, or from the poor liuality of the ore, is not certain. At the present day these ores are better understood, and it would seem probable that some of these beds could be worked in connection with one of the seams, and smelted with some of the richer ores of the upper East River. fit. xl> Montreal, P.Q., 22nd June, 1870. n. !0.52 57.40 8.29 4.02 5 GO 2.38 1.43 ndet. II Done. 99.70 42.07 [lowing note n admixture Me manga- they appear, iy free from e them very rnace, while rem sulphur ic production during my snerally con- it was driven ing the Main ; intersected, the attempts e failed, but [le ore, is not t would seem inection with of the upper IS. H. ■•# , - ■ .