History and Mystery of a Lump of Coal.

Manawatu Herald, 21 June 1894, Page 3

History and Mystery of a Lump of Coal.

An exceedingly interesting lecture upon Coal was delivered at the Sydney street P.M. Hall on Monday evening by the Rev. J. Taylor, I M.F.L.M.E. ! Sir James Hector presided. Mr Taylor, avoiding as far as possible technical details, gave in a graphic and popular manner the history and progress of coal from its earliest stages. Many definitions were given of coal, and among these he thought that by Stevenson, " bottled sunshine," peculiarly appropriate and absolutely true. Of all the definitions given, however, coal did not appear to have been described as being capable of direct application to the ordinary purposes of fuel. Coal had a long tail behind it and would carry them over a wide area, which he hastily sketched from the times before there was coal in the form in which it had since been recognised. Mr Taylor went to show how geologists had found that the first form of rock known bore traces of the action of lire and water. He described the different early rock systems — namely, Igneous, Metamorphic,' Lauren Man Cambrian, Silurian, Devonian, and Carboniferous (from the first-named upwards.) Specimens of fossils of fishes, etc., found in different periods of the rock systems were exhibited. With the aid of a diagram the reverend lecturer showed and explained the vast series of coal seams, particularly in North Staffordshire. He illustrated the process of mineralisation or the change from a vegetable to a mineral state, and the chemical change which brought that about. Scientific observations had led to the conclusion that for every 1 foot of coal as now unearthed, there must have been 9 feet of vegetable matter in the original state, and every ton of coal we had today represented four tons of vegetable matter. Mr Taylor stated that a single pound of coal contained energy equal to Si horse power, yet for the best steam engiues and machinery of the day only one half of one horse power was being obtained per pound of coal. He mentioned this, and many other examples, to show what a field was open to-day for an inventive genius to devise some mean 3 where by more of the energetic power could be brought forth from coal and effectively utilised. Anyone who could solve this practical problem would win a name greater than Stevenson or Armstrong. In concluding, he asserted that there were miracles to be got out of meahanical science, which, with electrical and chemical science, were the matters of importance of the day. He confidently believed that the great Author of all would presently unfold himself as he had never done before. On the motion of Sir James Hector, a hearty vote of thanks was accorded to the lecturer. A vote of thanks was also passed to Sir James, on the motion of the Rev J. Guy. — Press.