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Lorsqua la documant ast trap grand pour Atra raproduit an un saul clichA. il sat filmA A partir da I'angla supAriaur gaucha, da gaucha A droita. at da haut an baa, mn pranant la nombra d'imagas nAcassaira. Las diagrammas suivants iilustrant la mAthoda. 32X 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 .y /' ^^*'«-*»f '-•¥* «■■ aP^fTT O'l' '^1// / '.; 1 • '^ K 5 K: M> I . m i I ' , M l p IMIIIWfTii^t^MMIWMJt^PtWWWMi;^ ' ^M#«Mf'— 'tv^. I9 Report personal jiary. itM py».«»CT.-^g;-rtyr-r-:^m"i i.'J •'^ ^A-S 1 1 , 1 1 > 7. M-i.'i.i.:L 3 M ^o-. ^^"•"fr-i— TW i - ii U ii ■I' !«' >'•■ i9> 'J'o Stl^^o. ■A .•^ajr7t.s- ^.- . ^, ^::p ^ /• ~< ><^^, \VV' •> ^^^^^ .■•t^^ C,.V ^ .^ ^^^^ .A^ vX\^ I'tvass "^ ir ^ ■■>/■ ■*►/. ■.y -> I ! Shep Ciii-"' ' iuja4-..t':''yj. .JfA^- ^^•^' S H E P O D Y BAY % ^'/>^ ALBERT COAL MINES. AND THE SypROUNDiiNO Strata* ^^A»s is tod tty^ V E. ,l''0'4.' ihUH Mm\^ Contutmi2ff also tfu-i Gnu! OhsBi'vatiurtS of J)r. Jaiiu!8 G. PercLval. (.('(•; ■'■'.S /■'''<'' fli ^vnstuufjtuii K'it.^ i Joy\< tuiUtuuj .iO .1 foil-. { ^' I \ REPORT W {>'? o) ON THE ALBERT COAL MINE, CONTAINING The Map and Plates referred to in Dr. Jackson's Report are in the hands of the engravers. The latter requiring the personal attention of Mr. Soneel, -will not he completed hefore January. ROCKS, INCLUDING AND ACCOMPANYING THE COAL ; WITH LITHOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS OF THE FOSSIL FISHES AND PLANTS FOUND IN THE MINE, TOGETHER WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPE- CIMENS, CHEMICAL RESEARCHES ON THE COAL, AND TABLES OP COMPARISON WITH DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF A8PHALTUM. By CHARLES T. JACKSON, M. D., F. G. S. F., MtOIT OF TH« NATIONAL ORDER OF TUB LKOION OF HONOR, LATE GEOLOGIST TO THK STATES " MAINE, NKW HAMPSHIUK, RHODE ISLAND, AND OK TUB MINKRAL LANU8 OP THK CNITKD BTAT«8 IN MICHIGAN, ASSAYER TO THE STATE OP MASSACHUSETTS, VICE PRESIDENT or THE BOSTON SOOIBTY OF NATURAL HISTORY, &0. \ J»» '\Jti i i i REPORT v^) ON THE ALBERT COAL MINE, CONTAINING AN ACCOUNT OF THE SITUATION AND GEOLOGICAL RELATIONS OF THE ROCKS, INCLUDING AND ACCOMPANYING THE COAL ; WITH LITHOGRAPHIC DRAWINGS OF THE FOSSIL FISHES AND PLANTS FOUND IN THE MINE, TOGETHER WITH DESCRIPTIONS OF THE SPE- CIMENS, CHEMICAL RESEARCHES ON THE COAL, AND TABLES OP COMPARISON WITH DIFFERENT VARIETIES OF A8PHALTUM. By CHARLES T. JACKSON, M. D., F. G. S. F., MIG^T OF THB NATIONAL ORDER OF THB LEOION OK HONOB, LATE OKOLOOIST TO THK 8T1TB8 " MAINE, NEW HAMPSHinR, RHODE ISLAND, AND OF THE MINKRAL LANDS OF THE UNITED STATES IN MICHIGAN, ASSAYEB TO THE STATE OF MASSACHUSETTS, VICE PBIBIDBNT OF THE BOSTON 80CIBVY OF NATURAL HISTORY, &0. C( Id 2< ol IE iz n REPORT. Boston, Sept. 24th, 1851. Edward Allison, Esq., Dear Sir ;— I have the honor to present you with my Reiiort on the coal and coal formation of HiUsboro', in the County of Albert, and Prov- ince of New Brunswick, containing the results of a series of chemical re- searches into the nature and properties of the coal, and a sketch ot the geology of the district. , Owin<^ to the numerous and complicated examinations I have been obliged to make, to render as perfect as possible our know edge of the many and curious fossils, both of animals and vegetables, which character- ize your coal, and the time required for the execution of the lithographic drawin<^s, also that required for a series of chemical experiments neces- sary to^'fuUy prove the characters of the coal in comparison witli a great number of other substances, I have been obliged to delay the preparation of this communication until now, and I trust that you wil find that my labors have been successful in fully elucidating a subject that has embarrass- ed men hi 58.8 58.5 removed by heat, ) Coke, 41.2 41.5 100.- 100.- The coke, on incineration, yielded 0.47 per cent, of red brown ashes, consisting of peroxyd of iron, silica and a little oxyd of manganese. A quantity of the coal in powder was digested in oil of turpentine, and a small portion of bituminous matter was dissolved by it, but so little as to give no encouragement to the project of employing it for a varnish, and therefore the weight of it was not determined, since my employers were satisfied that it would be of no account in any commercial point of view. Subsequently, as will appear further on, I did accurately ascertain the pro- portions of bituminous matter that can be extracted from this eoal by all the usual and proper menstrua, and with all the appliances to obtain every trace of soluble matter contained in it. Some time after my analysis had been reported, in the spring of 1850, a cargo of the coal was brought to Boston, and samples of it were analyzed by my colleague, Dr. Augustus A. Hayes, of this city, who designated it as coal, and recommended it, as I had done, for the production of gas for illumination. (See his Ana- lysis.) Early in April, 1851, 1 received a number of samples of this coal from Mr. George E. Cook, of New- York, with a request that I would analyze them, which I did, with the following results. The coal had a specific gravity of 1.09. It yielded, on two analyses, as follows : — Bituminous matter con- vertible into gas, and removed by heat, Coke, 1st Analysis. 61.67 38.33 2d Analysis. 62. 38. 100.- 100. • See letter of Dr. Oesner to Dr. C. T. J., p. 29. I was informed that some persons had raised a doubt as to the occur- rence of this coal in the usual coal formation, and I therefore wrote a memorandum for the chief miner to send me specimens of the rocks, and to search particularly for fossil plants, and in due time I received, through the hands of Mr. Cook, some specimens of dark brown shale, in which I discovered a great abundance of scales of fishes, of the genus Palaeoniscus, which I knew belonged to the coal formation, and were never found in any rocks below the coal gi-oup. Expressing my convictions at the time, that, if I should visit the mine, I had no doubt I could find entire fossil fishes, and thus obtain conclusive proofs as to the true geological age and position of the coal shales, I was-iemployed to examine the mine, and o the 29th of April, in company with Messrs. Cook, Spurr and Anthony, I set out for the mine, and reached there on the 3d of May. On the 5th of May I went into the mine, and obtained a number of slabs of the shale, including the coal, and in presence of a large number of miners, and per- sons interested in the mine, I split open these rocks, and in the very first slab opened, I found an entire and perfect fossil fish, of the genus Palaeo- niscus. On splitting open the other rocks, I discovered three or four more fishes, and an abundance of fish coprolites, with the remains of putrid fishes and bunches of fish-scales. These discoveries, so new and astonish- ing, produced much excitement at the mine, and created an enthusiasm among the workmen to discover more of these curious relics of by-gone ages, and I soon after had the pleasure of receiving a larger fossil fish, from the chief miner, than had been found by me during my first visit to the mine. I observed some very curious markings in the shales, resem- bling the forms of rock weed, {fucus vesiculosus,) but not indentical with any fossil plants that I had seen ; and on further search, at a subsequent visit, these markings were found to be the leaves of the Sphoergedra resembling one described by Lindley and Ilutton, (Vol. iii., PL 159,) and also a specimen from Pictou coal mines, in possession of Mr. J. E. Tes- chemacher. They were found to be attached to branches from a stem, as represented in the annexed drawing, (PI. III., Fig. 6.) The weather proving unpropitious for a survey of the surrounding coun- try, and the snow being still deep in the forests, I could only make my researches in the mine under ground, and there I sketched all the most important features of tlie bed, and its including rocks, and took the course of it and of the strata, both of which have a direction nearly north-east and south-west, with a dip at a high angle to the north-westward. Since all the observations I made on my first visit to the mine, were repeated by me in greater detail, and with greater exactitude, during my second visit, it will be unnecessary to detail those made at the first. I have before me the notes of all my surveys of the mine, and I find that the two agree in all essential particulars, but that the second set are the most exact, since the extended workings of the mine had opened better views of the strata, and disclosed the character of a few of the disturbed masses of rock, called " horses" — those broken strata which have led other geolo- gists into such grave errors, by causing them to believe that they consti- tuted the walls of a vein in a cross-fracture of the strata, an error which more exact researches have entirely corrected, and explained in perfect accordance with my own viewh cuiiucruiug the position of the bed, and of the strata inclosing it. m 6 My first visit to youi* mines, as before stated, was on the 3d of May, 1851, and I then remained until the 13th of that month, when I returned to Boston, and made report of my discoveries to the Boston Society of Natural History. On the 23d of May, I was again called to visit the mine, and met there Richard C. Taylor, Esq., and Professor J. Robb, who had, as I learned, been employed by an individual who had set up claims to the right of soil, and who maintained that the Albert coal was not in the coal formation, and was not coal or any mineral or fossil em- braced within the crown reservations. By your instructions, these gentle- men were to be allowed every facility in satisfying themselves concerning the geological situation of the mine ; but it was distinctly understood that I was not to be connected with them in any joint commission, although I was allowed to invite them to visit the mine in my company. Before reach- ing the mine, this was fully explained to those gentlemen, and I offered to give them any geological information concerning the mine, that was desired by them, and then we descended into it together, and made a few observations on the dip, direction and width of the coal-bed, and the incli- nation of the rocks including it, each party taking notes in their own books, as they sai/fit. No other survey was made at that time, nor did I ex- press any opinion beyond this, that it was obvious enough that the coal had been softened in place, and hence had assumed, on induration, a columnar structure. I steadily maintained that it was coal, and a re- gularly imbedded mass of the same geological age as the bituminous shales in which it is found. This opinion Messrs. Robb and Taylor endeavored in vain to change, by pointing out the masses of strata that were inter- calated in the coal-bed, and insisting that the strata were discordant ; while I, on the other hand, denied that these masses formed the walls, or belonged to the general stratification of the country. I knew that they were what the miners call " hoi'ses," and were masses of crushed and broken strata, that had broken off and pressed into the coal during its partially softened state, and at the epoch of its elevation. This I subsequently proved by causing the miners to cut through tMm to the back walls, which were found most perfectly parallel with the coal-bed, and in accordance with the general stratification of the country. In one part of the mine, both Mr. Taylor and Professor Robb saw the back wall, behind one of these " horses," and took sketches of it. Mr. Taylor was not satisfied with Dr. Robb's sketch, and drew one himself, and I took a sketch of it, too, which is as follows : — Level 8.* a. Wall rock ; course N. 45° E., dip N. W. 70°. b. " Horse," or crushed strata. c. Coal seam. d. Level from which coal had been ex- tracted. L_- * For Survey of mb Level, »ee p. 29 In another part of tlio mine, we examined a projecting mass of strata called the " jog " and I made the following sketch of it : — ' h. " Horse," or mass of strata included in coal at the jog. This is evidently a " shift" or " fault" in the strata, such as frequently occm- in coal mines. (See also my survey, plan No. 2.) At the place where the miners had just been extracting coal, in the end of the 9th level, the following diagram was sketched : — Walls. Walls. '^ rf. 9th Level. d. Shale including the coal. c. Crushed coal. 7 feet 10 inches width of bed ; underlie of strata on left 5% or about 7 feet in 25 feet. In the 4th level I took the following sketch Example of the remark- able contortions of the strata. Level No. 4 at N. E. end. In level No. 6, we visited the blowers of fire damp, and ignited the bubbles as they broke through the water at the bottom of the level. After making such observations as were deemed necessary, we came to directly opposite conclusions as to the geology of the mine, and the nature of the coal, and I considered it quite unnecessary for us to hold any further discussion on the subject, since I knew I could sustain my position before the scientific world, by means of documents from the hands of nature, that admitted of no dispute, namely, the fossils which characterize coal forma- tions, and which arc found in adequate numbors at this mine to an"ord all the evidence desired. Nevertheless, I omitted no examinations that were 8 m required to fully couiirm the evidence of the fossil fishes and plants that I had discovered. On exploring the strata along the margin of the brook, near the mine, I discovered several alternations of the gray sandstone, full ot ca- lamites and other usual coal plants, with the fish-bearing bitummous shales of the coal mine. These observations cut oif the last ray of hope m the op- posing party, of classing that sandstone with rocks below the coal series I discovered also specimens of perfect stems of Lcpidodendra, in the shales of the mines, associated in the same specimen with an abundance ot Pateoniscus scales. Large flag-like leaves of plants, which are regarded as a species of Palm, were also found in the same shales, contaming fish-scales. Stems of a fresh-water plant, not yet determmed, were also found in the same shale with the fishes.* With these specimens in my hands, I felt perfectly sure of the geological age of this coal-bed It has been alleged that the rocks of this coal mine belong to the old red sandstone, or to rocks below that system. Now, I confidently appeal to the scientific men of the whole world, and ask if they ever found Palaeo- niscus fishes, Lcpidodendra and Palms in rocks so low in the series as even the old red sandstone, to say nothing of rocks lower in the scale, it is well known that not om of the fossUs found in tM shales of the Albert coal mv^, was ever seen in any rock Mow the regular coal formation, and that no law ot nature is more certain than the order in which fossil anima s and plants are disposed in the earth's crust. Fishes, though proverbially dumb, are cood witnesses in this case, and fossil plants stick to the truth proved by the fishes. I collected a great number of these most interesting specimens, and have now before me two large drawers full of fossil fishes and coal plants, collected at the Albert mine by myself and my friends . Al- ready I have described six new species of the genus Palaeoniscus, and have no doubt that I shall make out several more. I have before me, also, hundreds of specimens of shale, full of fish-scales, coprohtes, and portions of fi'«hes, more or less perfect. That portion of the strata contaming fashes would naturally be less fertile in remains of plants ; hence the latter are not so abundant : but I doubt not that further explorations which shall reach the shores of the ancient lake in which these fishes origmally lived, will dis- close a vast abundance of plants that must have grown on its margin, and fringed its shores. The sandstone, a few rods up the little stream that runs by the mine, is doubtless the sandy shore of that ancient lake, and when opened by the miners' blast, will be found richly stored with plants, forming a hortus siccus, or Herbarium of olden time. This state of things is realized on searching the strata to the eastward of the mine ; and also m the rocks of the Cape near Demoiselle Creek, on the shores of the Pcticodiac River, so strangely mistaken for old red sandstone, which are the gray sand- stones of the regular coal-field, they being full of the usual coal plants and large fossil trees, three of which are seen projecting out from the inaccessible part of the cliff, some fifty or sixty feet overhead, as roughly sketched in the following diagram. * S'mce the Albert i the above was in preas, 1 have seen a sti^iuaria, fonud in the shale ut ft mines, by Mr. Kobevt Foulis.— C. T J. 9 Dip South 10«' to 16". m The sandstone fossil plants and trees are identical with those found at the well-known coal mine of the South Joggins, on the opposite shore of Nova Scotia. At Demoiselle Cape, on the Peticodiac, I found a narrow bed of coal at the base of the cliff, with stems of calamites two feet long by two and a-half inches in diameter. The sandstone is full of the usual coal plants ; so there can be no doubt as to its geological age and position in the series. The general dip of the strata is to the south, a little westward, at angles of from 10« to 15° from the horizon. This lo- cality is east from the coal mine, and hence the sandstone is of the same series with the beds on the Western side. The Cape. Coal. E.— Red Marl. H.— Edgett's. F. — Demoiselle Creek. I. — Gray Sandstone. Gr. — Edgett's Cape. J. — Conglomerate, The strata at Edgett's Cape consist of coarse conglomerate rocks made up of pebbles of quartz, metamorphic slate, or novaculite, sienite, epidote rock, serpentine and slate, cemented by a red clay, with spots of green marl. No fossils were found in this cliff. The next cliff to the south of Edgett's is near Demoiselle Creek, and consists of gray and brown sandstone, or grits of the coal measures, full of calamites and other coal plants, and contains three large fossil trees, and has at the base small beds, or seams of coal. The strata dip to the south, a little westward, from 10® to 15*^. The conglomerate strata at Edgett's pass beneath this sandstone. Tt is proved that this gray sandstone, fidl of the usual coal plants, belongs to the regular coal series, and is the equi- valent of the same kind of sandstone which includes the shales and coals of the South Joggins of Nova Scotia. We come next to compare the gray sandstones of Curry's brook with this rock, and find it as follows : — m •■m 10 itk 0. — Gray Sandstone. P. — Upper Conglomerate. Q. — Brown Bituminous Shale. R.— Coal S.— Fire Clay. The strata dip to the south-eastward. By comparison with the follow- ing section of Demoiselle Cape, it will be seen that there is a conglomerate rock also below the gray grit. JDip 10® to 160 S. W. L. — Fine gray Grit — Fossil Trees. M. — Coarse brown Grit. N. — Fine blue Sandstone. Q 0.— Coal. P. — Under Conglomerate. Q. — Peticodiac River. It is also important to show the geological position of the gypsum of this coal-field, and by the aid of my friend, Mr. Foulis, I was enabled to trace, in a rapid manner, the order of succession of the rocks with which it is associated, his familiarity with the ground, rendering him an invalua- ble geological guide. On visiting Taylor's mill site, on a small stream, a little to the north of east from the Albert mines, we found the rocks upon which the gypsum rests, as represented in the following diagram. 11 ^^^5 T. — Coarse Conglomerate. U. — Gray Limestone. V. — Gypsum. W.— Red Marl. X. — White Head, snowy white Gypsum Hills. In the bed of the brook, and on the side of it, occurs a coarse conglo- merate, made up of pebbles of quartz, sienite, green metaraorphic slate, trap-rock, jasper and carbonate of lime. On this, reposes a bed of gray limestone, in which we did not discover any fossils, but which is seen to rest directly on the conglomerate, with which it dips 10" regularly to the westward, or towards the gypsum, which is found a quarter of a mile fur- ther west It is obvious, therefore, that the gypsum rests upon the lime- stone, and the limestone upon the conglomerate, which is a member of the coal group. The whitehead gypsum, is about a mile south-west from Taylor's mill, and is a bold cliff, presenting a mural escarpment of thirty feet in height, where it is quarried. This gypsum is of a pure snowy whiteness, and is destitute of any stratiform structure, and contains no fossils. In company with Mr. Foulis, I explored the margin of this curiously crushed coal basin, examining, at every practicable point, the rocks, as they were exposed in the beds of streams, or on the hill sides. We searched the bed of Milton's brook, where we found bituminous gray sandstone, which dips gently to the south-eastward, at an angle of about 10". Over this gray sandstone, is another thin stratum of black shale. We came next to an opening, made by Mr. Foulis, in search of coal, and observed the bubbles of light carbureted hydrogen, or fire-damp, that burst through the water. Following the brook towards a small lake, on Mr. Allison's south-west lease, we came to coarse conglomerate, in the bed of the brook, and on the hill. It dips 20" to the northward. This spot is one and three-fourth miles south of the x\lbert mine. Crossing through the woods, about a mile and a-half, we came to a hill of blue slate, much indurated and highly inclined, the dip being 40° to the northward. Crossing again through the woods to the eastward, we came to a ravine, filled with immense blocks of sienite and old greenstone, with large slabs of green hone slate. The nova- culite, or hone slate, was soon discovered in place, and found to have a dip to the northward at an angle of 35° or 40°. This altered slate rock, is remarkable for its distinct cleavages into rhombic prisms, with angles of 70° and 130°, and 80° and 120". We traced the strata of this rock towards the sienite, until it was found to have the bold dip of 70° to the northward. Mr. Foulis had previously explored the sienite rock, on the borders of the lake, and there cannot be a doubt that the elevation of that igneous rock, produced the high dip of the metamor- phic slates which border the coal basin, and it is probable that the slate was indurated by the influence of the molten sienite rocks, at the epoch of their elevation, The coal basin, however, was probably filled with its 12 Hodhuuiitary deposits, after the oiiginul elevation of this rock ; but still tl-.v-'re may have been eoiiMidcrabli! niovcnient in the masses siucu these curious metamor|ihoses took place, for we have no proof of the eruption of any sienite roeks subsequent to the coal formation. It is evident that this is the southern margin of the coal basin. On searching for the north- ern margin on Caledonia mountain, thirteen miles west of the mines, wo foun(l that the rocks at that place did not belong to the Albert coal basin, but dipped to the northward, away from it, and hence were of no importance in this ease. IMetamorphic slates, similar to those I have been describing as occurring near the lake, south of the Albert mine, aro also found in the Caledonia mountain, and had been examined some days before I went there, by Mr. Taylor. We found the places where he had broken off his speci- mens, and made his observations. The strata, all the way from Eeasly's and Stevens' farms to the top of the mountain, dip to the northward at a high angle, and therefore belong to a more northerly basin. It is there- fore unnecessary to describe the locality in more detail, for the strata have no connection with the Albert coal mine. The following diagram will explain the relative positions of the igneous, metaniorphic and carboniferous rocks of this district. I Mg^ } Tayl or's Jirook, at the mill. 1. Sienite and old greenstone, at Foulis' Lake. 2. Novaculito, metamorphic slate, near lake. 3. Conglomerate (lower) on hill, near lake. 4. Gray sandstone, or freestone, quarried. 5. Conglomerate, fupper,) 6. Gray limestone, 7. Gypsum, (white head.) 8. Gray sandstone, full of calamites, brook near Albert mine. 9. Bituminous shales with coal, fossil plants and fishes in abundance. 10. Gray sandstone, with calamites, &c. 11. Coal shales, with fish scales, &c., brook, near Albert mine. This system is mostly seen on the south-east side of the basin ; the other side is not yet explored in sufficient detail to be given. I have designated the position of the gypsum on the south-east, as it was determined by observation, on the north-west side it was not sufficiently explored to determine, with accuracy, on the Fuller lease, and at Milton's, on the southerly side of the basin. Its positions there are shown on the accom- panying map, furnished by Mr. Foulis. The gypsum is evidently one of the carboniferous group of rocks. In this opinion I am sustained by that of Sir Charles Lyell, Mons. Jules Mafcou, traveling geologist to the Museum of the Garden of Plants, at Paris, and by the observations of Mr. Dawsou in Nova Scotia. The position of all the rocks given i i the above diagram, k known from actual observations made by Mr R Foulis 18 and myself. I do not undortako to give any representation of the disturbed strata at the crush in the mine, knowing that it would bo quite impossible, without a coinploto book of drawings, to show all the dislocations in so disturbed a spot ; but I can show how geologists have been deceived by curved strata, the edges of which came in contact with the coal in a few spots, thus : Tho continuous linos represent the strata actually seen to be curved as seen in the mine. The dotted lines are their undoubted continuations beyond where they were seen. They are a more crimping or curving of the strata, a very common appearance in well-known coal mines. Some- times portions of strata were forced out of place, directly into the coal- bed, and form those masses called by tho miners " horses," worthless rocks in the coal. These are seen in several places in this mine, and one is represented in a preceding diagram. The position of the mass of shale, with relation to tho neighboring gray sandstone on the south-east of the mine, is thus represented from the results of the observations of Dr. James Gr. Percival, Mr. R. Foulis, and myself. A. — Gray Sandstone. C- B.— Brook. D.- -Mine. -Gray Sandstone with calaraites, &c. The gray sandstone dips southerly, from the Peticodiac River to the mill east of the mine. On the brook, near the mine, the strata of shale alternate with the sandstone, and the former are full of fish- scales, and the latter full of calamites and other coal plants. Those alter- nations prove that the sandstones and shales are of the same geological epoch, and that they all belong to the coal formation. By examination of the accompanying geological map, the relations of the rocks of this interesting district, will be more fully understood than by any single sectional profile. It has been prepared from careful and extensive observations made by Mr. R. Foulis and myself, and derives most of its value from the well-known and laborious researches which Mr. Foulis made during nearly two years past, while he was engaged in searching for coal on neighboring estates. In expressing my _ obligations to this scieuiifie gentleman, I perform but a simple act of justice to one whose geological labors have done so much in bringing to light the valuable minerals of this province. 14 PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHARACTERS OF THE ALRERT COAL. Tho coal of tlio Albort county mine has been stated to he entirely uniform, and an argument in favor of its being asphaltuni has been based upon this assumption. That it is not uniform in density iS well known to those who have purchased it, and tho results of my experiments in tho coal taken from (liflFerent levels of tho mine, prove indisputably that there is a great difference in its density, as may be seen in the following table of specific gravities of the different sj)ccunens : 1. Surface in Duffy's slopo, sp. gr- 1.1120- -water being 1 . 2. u (( ii (( 1.1140 3. i( (( u u 1.1014 4. <( « u « 1.1023 5. Level No. 6 u 1.1057 6. (( No. 9 u 1.1093 7. (( No. 8 u 1.1040 8. a (( (( 1.0990 9. (( No. 9 (( 1.0950 10. (( u a 1.0905 11. u No. 2 (c 1.0886 12. u u <( 1.0890 13. Rotto m of D uffv's slopo u 1.0916 Trinidad asphaltum has a specific gravity of 1.328. Asphaltum from Egypt, sp. gr. 1.142.* Hence a low specific gravity cannot be adduced in favor of the identity of tho Albert coal with asphaltum. The powder of Albert coal is jet black : that of asphaltum is snuff brown. Asphaltum melts and runs when heated — Albert coal does not melt and run. CHEMICAL EXPERIMENTS. The following experiments were made on the Albert coal, the specimens being taken from Level 8. Sixty grains of the coal, treated in fine powder, with a fluid ounce of naphtha, and corked up tight, and shaken several times per day. At the end of some days it was filtered on weighed filter, dry, at 212*^, and left of undissolved coal 56.5 grains ; hence 3.5 grains was dissolved by the naphtha, or 5.83 per cent, was soluble, and 94.17 insolu- ble. The 56.5 grains which naphtha would not dissolve, was washed with pure ether, and then digested in highly rectified oil of turpentine in a flask, loosely corked and boiled. It was then filtered on a weighed filter, dried at 212°. It weighed 48.5 grains — hence 8 grains had been dis- solved out of it, or 14 per cent., and 80.17 per cent, of coal, perfectly insoluble in all menstrua, remained. A specimen from the 9th Level was pidverized, and 10 grains of it weighed and digested in pure benzole, so long as any matter could be dis- * Hogbead coal, from SeoMnml, has n speoific gravity of 1.155. l,ieliting, Jan 10, ISM. -Journal of Gnt 16 Bolvfid out of it. It was then filtered on a weighed filter, dried at 212**, washed thoroughly with benzole and ether, and dried again at 212". It had lost two grains of soluble bitumen, or 20 per cent. The remaining 80 per cent, of coal was perfectly in.solublo in all the Molvonts that would dissolve bitumen. Samples of several varieties of the Albert coal were acted upon by pure chloroform, which dissolves about as much of it as benzole does. These experiments wore repeated several times with the same results. lUe bitumen dis,solved out by oil of turpentine was found to be perfectly insoluble in alcohol, and was not any kind of resin. It dries and forms a pellicle on the dish from which the oil of turpentine is evaporated, and alcohol will not remove it, even when aided by heat. Specimens of asphaltum from the Dead Sea, and chapapoto, from Cuba, were found to bo instantly and entirely soluble in cold benzole, chloroform, and warm oil of turpentine. Asplialtum, from Trinidad, also immediately dissolves, and leaves nothing but a little gravel, with which it was mixed, The Albert coal was compared with all the varieties of asphaltum above-mentioned, and with some specimens froni Egypt, furnished me by Mr. Teschemachcr, and no analogy was found between them in any of their chemical characters. All the specimens of asphaltum melt readily at a heat a little above that of boiling water, while the Albert coal does not melt, even in molten zinc, at 700*^ F., and is not in the least affected by the heat of melted tin, a solid tin dish filled with it melting readily, without the coal being in the slightest degree softened. So, likewise, a thick lead cup, filled with the Albert coal, was slowly heated to tL- melting point, and melted, without in any way softening tho coal. Every advantage was aiForded to enable the heat to melt the coal at 612'', but no change took place in it. Specimens from all parts of the mine were tried, but not one could be found that would i. , tt the above- named temperature. I next made an experiment suggested by Mr. James E. Tescheraacher, of this city, taking the Albert coal in fine powder, and covering a sheet of platinum with it, and placing it over a Berzclius spirit-lamp, and heating it as quickly as possible, to see if it could be melted at all. It was found that it could not be melted, and did not even agglutinate or cake, but when sufficiently heated was converted into coke, taking fire as the heat reached redness. On making the same experiroer/ "^th every kind of asphaltum which I had in my cabinet, and on aVl kinds . — could be obtained, they, without a single exception, when heahed as the Albert coal had been, at once ran into a liquid mass, boiled and decomposed, leaving little carbon on the platinum. I also tried by every means in ray power to melt the Albert coal m a ladle, and in crucibles, so as to pour it out, as had been alleged could be done, and in no case was I able to melt it ; while on the other hand all kinds of asphaltum were readily melted in, and poured out from the ladle, like molten pitch, and when cold the asphaltum was found but little chanired in character, being only a little porous from air bubbles. I brought home some of the coal-tar pitch, which was so abundantly scattered about Hillsboro' by Mr. Edgett and his associates, and found that 16 it softened readily in boiling water, and could be melted in a flame and used for sealing wax. It melted and >in when placed in the flame of a lamp, was decomposed at the temperature of melting tin, and corresponded so well, in all its characters, with the description given in Mr. Taylor's report to the substance he describes as asphaltum, that I could not avoid be- lieving that some one had changed Mr. Taylor's specimens, for not one of the pieces of Albert coal which I took out of the mine and gave him has any of those properties. . . From carefixl examinations, with every possible advantage for arrmng at truth, I cannot find any reason to regard the Albert coal as any variety of asphaltum. TABULAR STATEMENT. We come now to tabulate the geological evidence that the Albert coal is in the regular coal formation, and not in the old red sandstone, nor below it. 1st. The rocks in which this coal occurs, are the gray sandstone, like that which includes the coal and coal shales of Nova Scotia. 2d. That these sandstones contain the usual plants that characterize coal-grits. 3d. That these sandstones alternate with the coal-bearing shales of the mine. 4th. That the shales immediately including the coal contain the usual plants found in other well-known coal mines, viz., Lepidodendra, Pahn- like leaves and stigmaria. 5th. That these shales are filled with the scales of fishes, and contain, also, perfect fishes of the genera known to occur in the coal formation of Europe. 6th. That the shales are uniformly bituminous throughout the coal dis- trict of this mine, and must have been formed at the same time, and of the same materials usual in coal deposits, and could not, by any possible means, have been impregnated so generally and uniformly with bitumen, if they were formed before the epoch of the formation of the bituminous matter of the coal itself. 7th. That such bitumen was the result of spontaneous changes of vegetable matter in the mud or clay that formed the shales, it having been proved by the observations and researclios of Dr. James G. Percival and myself, that such bitumens do form under water in clay and mud, even in modern times. 8th. That there is no other known origin of bituminous matter than that of changes in vegetable substances, by the process before alluded to. viz., the alteration of vegetable matter under water. 9th. That clay, by holding water long stagnant, peculiarly favors the conversion of vegetable matters into bitumen. 10th. That the shales, when deposited, must, in accordance with the laws of gravitation, have been deposited horizontally or nearly so, and that they since have been uptilted at the Albert mine, and are now set at a 17 highly inclined angle with the horizon, but are generally parallel with the included bed of coal. This is proved by the position of the fossils. 11th. That the general direction of the strata which include the coal is north-east and south-west, exactly parallel with the contiguous strata. This is also shown by Mr. E. C. Taylor's map of the mine, and is proved by an actual survey made by myself, with the assistance of Mr. Brown, the captain of the mine. (See the plan.) 12th. That there is not any reason to believe that any igneous agency- was ever exerted upon the rocks of this mine ; but, on the contrary, their soft clay-like nature, the abundance of volatile matters, bitumen, and ammoniacal salts which they contain, positively prove that they have never been exposed to igneous agency, such as would result from volcanic or plutonic disturbances. That the. Coal is a true led or mass included beticeen strata of rocks before proved to belong to the Coal formation, and has the structure of Coal. 1st. By its being a bed running in the same direction with the including strata. 2d. By its being generally parallel with the laminse of deposit of the strata, as shown not only by the structure and cleavages of the shales, and by the position of the fossils that were deposited between the layers of sediment forming the rock. 3d. By the structure of the coal itself, which shows layers of different shades of color, and diflferent composition or arrangement, that the now highly inclined or nearly vertical bed was once horizontal, and exactly parallel with the strata of the rock at the time that they were de- posited. I do not refer to the columnar structure which has resulted from changes which the bed has undergone since it was tilted up, nor to the crushed coal which has been broken by movements since the coal became brittle ; but to the solid coal itself, which, on being viewed, shows lines of structure crossing the columns nearly perpendicularly, and to the fact that the coal in many places separates parallel to that struc- tural arrangement, especially where it has been exposed to the action of the atmosphere, as in Duffy's slope, near the surface of the earth. Mr. Teschemacher thinks he is able also to detect the remains of organic structure in the coal itself, as he has so successfully done with respect to anthracite, and other coals, the vegetable origin of which was also at one time denied or doubted, as that of this coal recently has been by the Geo- logists employed by the party adverse to your claims. In some specimens we think there are pretty distinct remains of the structure of stigmaria in that portion of the coal which was sustained, while in its original pulpy state, by the clay that now forms the shale roof and floor of the mine. The conchoidal fracture of the Albert coal, which is often referred to to prove it is not a coal, is merely the result of the perfect fineness of the pulpy vegetable matter that formed it. It is probable that the highly bituminous character of the Albert coal is owing to its never having been subjected to heat, which would have removed a portion of the bitumen, if it had acted on it, and would have rendered it less bituminous, like the ordinary bituminous or semi-bituminous coals. 2 18 I* 1 ! i .'I t ! i ,1 : ' h 'i Conchoidal fracture is common to many coals, and is o^^^f ^^^^^ *^^ recent coal formed by the spontaneous bitumimzation of peat, "^s Jo* In any way a reliable character, but is a mere accidental result or he resdt of fine composition and structure. I would also observe that the folor of the powdL of this coal is black while that of ^1 -netie^^^^^^ asphaltum is brown, or nearly the color of Scotch snuff. This is a phy M character admitted by mineralogists in the d^f^.'-f^^n thTco oJ bodies, and is characteristic of species much more certainly than the color of masses. Fossil Fishes of th Coal formation found in tlu Coal Mine of Hills- boro\ in Albert County, in the Province of New Brunswick. It is generally conceded by experienced geologists that the character of the ogfnic remains found included between the strata of such rocks a were fSmed since the earth was inhabited by living beings is the most Tel able Tvidence of their geological age, and best determmes their position n the scaYe of rock formations." Eminent naturalists Y""' ^;:: f^l.t unfrequently, to discover the true age and geological position of a rock, which they had never seen in place, simply by the examination of a few fos Us which were put into their hands. These fossil remams of animals and vegetables are^he great seals by which the Ckkatoh stamped th^^^ epoch of formation, and the relative age of every sedimentary depo ^^ at the time it was made, thus writing, in unmistakeable characters, on these « tables of stone," the history of Creation from the dawn of organic h^^^ We approach these relics of by-gone ages with mingled fc^i«g« of curiosity and awe, knowing that they are the work o P^^^J^J^^^^^^^l and tvpes of that order of beings which was the first mtroduction ot ver- tebrate^ animals, a system of which man is the completion and perfect %teTorW during the epoch of the coal formation, was far from being a desolaTwa^te of L „Leral matter. Life had already clothed he earth with rich foliage, and crowded the waters and the groves with ;ol: animab, enloied with orpns of sensation of much hgher^^^^^^ mo.e delicate powers of perception than were possessed t>y those of a more ancient date, for the nervous sensorium of the animal creation has steadily advanced in process of development from the earlier organisms of the Lore ancient Jalseozoic rocks to'the coal period and from thence forward with rapidly increasing perfection, to the actual epoch, or the time of "^Theworld'^we may feel assured, swarmed with life during the coal period, for otherwise we should not discover in the few ' tjf ^^^ « «« '" Lken open by the feeble labors of man, such a profusion of their en- tombed remains. We may not be able to penetrate at once mto all the laws which brought about this wonderful conservation of relics ot former ife nor be able to picture in the mind the precise manner m which each fosJil animal came to his death, nor learn exactly by what means he wa^ bured embalmed or petrified ; but we have already learned much, and Should be'hankful for that, without lamenting that we are -t able to tear " . , ., /. _^_'__ „„ J t« Ti-^M^o" i^a whnlnintfirnal machinery, asunder the veil of crcauuu, ana to ga^v .5i!>.. --- ••"- ^ - _ and learn all the details. So far as the researches of man have gone, in the 19 examination of fossils of the coal formation, everything seems to indicate that climate temperatures did not at thav epoch depend solely upon the solar radiation, or if they did, tlie earth must have had a very different position in the ecliptic from that which it now has. Otherwise we should not find remains of intertropical plants in the rock formations constituting the coal-hearing strata of the Frozen Zone, as in Melville's Island. Nor should we find such orders of plants in the coal-fields of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. The fossil plants of the coal formation all belong to extinct species, and their nature is known only by comparison with living plants. Vast progress in this most interesting department of science has been already made, as is proved by the ponderous volumes, full of descriptions and plates of the ancient fossil flora, which have resulted from the labors of Brongniart, Lindley & Hutton, Baron Sternberg, and others. Invertebrated and molluscous animals, especially such as had testaceous coverings, are most abundant in rocks below the coal formation, and some of them are found alternating with deposits of aquatic vegetation of the coal-field. But the most important type of vertebrate animals, such as fishes, are extremely rare in rocks antecedent to coal, though the labors of Hugh Miller and others have laid before the world, in their works and those of M. Agassiz, a number of the strange fishes of the old red sand- stone group in Europe, proving that the type of fishes began in rocks anterior to the coal, while not a single species found in the old red sand- stone occurs in the coal rocks of any country. I shall have occasion to show, as we proceed, that there is not any difii- culty in distinguishing fishes of the coal formation from those of the old red sandstone, and that any intelligent person who has spent a few days in examining specimens, can pick out, with absolute certainty, every fish that belongs to the coal formation, from a cabinet filled with heterogen- eous assemblage of fishes of the old red sandstone, and of the coal forma- tion. Our lithographer, M. Sonrel, who executed M. Agassiz's plates of fishes of the old red sandstone, on viewing my fishes from Hillsboro', declared that there was not a species among them belonging to the old red sandstone, and wondered that any one could have mistaken them for fishes of that epoch. It is said that an entke fish, not then discovered, was delineated cor- rectly by Agassiz, from an attentive examination of a single scale, and the fish subsequently discovered agreed, in all essential particulars,, with that sketched in advance of its discovery. This, at first, seems a very difiicult thing to do, but after a few weeks' study of fossil fishes, I will venture to say, that any ingenious person can do it, without any instructor ; for the laws of organization of fishes of this ancient type are peculiar, especially in the formation of their scales, which are so characteristic as to afford all the data required for the reconstruction of the outlines of a fish, even from a single scale. This is particu- larly easy with regard to ganoid fishes, of the genus Palajoniscus ; their broad, firm and brilliant scales, like plated mail, being found perfectly preserved with every striation, serration, and articulating process.* It » It is not mv intention to diminisb in any way th« credit due to Mr. AtfassiJi for thii experiment, but on the contrary to give it credibility among .tbwse who Lave not a just M)pceciation of the unerring laws of scientific induction. Like the egg expenment of Columbus, it is easy enough to repeat aft«r one has been shown how to do it. I nil 20 ^A^.. r.«Pofi^^rv however, that particular scales should be obtained, rto«t skmedTtoarawthe oullmea of an unknown speoesfrom «ltLt^"tal*LTHnowte exact history of the. discoveries, JZL 1 cpyfrL 2rr;'^'»^:™'thrsten^tendent of the On reccmng a p.eec of hale, ^""O ^«j% „„„„Ji,ed, in a moment, .T' '^Tp^^oSr fS^^^Vo in Ve"ar'spiin.en, a to'oth the g«»"« P/i*'°'„7;tici no other remams or impressions have yet been of a «-^r«^^.f J^ at the time to the members of he found. „^^.^«/P^^.°'^J" j;, Higtorv and the prediction was hazarded, that Boston Society of Natural ^^^^^ry ' *^*;;. g , ^ ^^.g orjer mentioned. '^ITZV^oXoi^^Ll^X^i^-''-^ I accepted with pleasnre the°it:^hii,^i w»f,/p!;?„r- r°i? tjt.:^'^:^ scales shming ^ith si very brilliancy, though «f * ^f^j^^ ^ p^i^^- It is a regularly embalmed, not petrified fish, (bee ±-1. i., ig- , nisciis Alberti.) ^ ^^^^^ specimens of the away m fragments ^^ ,*';^^^^^^^ Numerous :lhef':f firSes^sLiJnd: ^^^i:^^^^ l^^t:t^r^^^rXL^^ Td^UVs.whic,;, I havl no doubt, is the true explanation „„crements of fishes em- .aJ^rsimt: si:5=i^|5-£ -- These are called fish coprohtes, and, on ^"^•yf ' \P'JJ^i„ t^e excremen- 21 it open, patches of carbonate of ammonia were found condensed in the cooler portion of the rock. This was proved, by tests, to be carbonate of ammonia. „ , , r j Numerous aquatic plants, of the genus Sphoersedra, were tound asso- ciated with the fishes and fish-scales, but no other perfect coal plants were found in the shale during my first visit to the mine ; the stormy weather and snow preventing deliberate search. :, -, r ^^ On the 13th of May, I returned to Boston, and exhibited the fossil fishes to the Boston Society of Natural History on the 21st of that month, and described the species so far as I had examined them. On the 23d of May, I was again employed to visit the mine, for the purpose of making a more complete survey than the weather would permit on my former visit, and also for the purpose of explaining to two geolo- gists, who had been sent there by a person setting up claims to the mine, under pretence that the coal was not in the coal formation, and was not coal, but asphaltura, which he was understood to allege was not one of the minerals reserved by the crown, but appertained to the soil. On the 26th of May, I reached Hillsboro' and completed my sur- vey before the 8th of June, collecting a large number of fossil fishes and coal plants at the Albert mines, and returned to Boston on the 12th The miners, since my first visit, had learned how to find the fossil fishes, and Mr. Brown, the captain of the mine, discovered the finest specimen that has yet been seen, and he presented it to me. (bee Fl. 1., mrr. 2, Falaoniscus Brownii.) Another beautiful specimen was dissected out by Mr Barber, one of the assistants of the superintendent. This is represented in PI. I., Fig. 3. Another very large species was discovered bv me, after my return home, on splitting open one of the slabs ot shale. This is represented in PL I., Fig. 4. It is the largest that has yet been PI II., Fig. 1, represents a portion of a beautifully preserved Palapo- niscus, having the four great dorsal scales anterior to the dorsal fin, like the P. decorus of Sir Philip M. de Egerton. (See Trans. Geol. Soc, Lond., 1849.) „ , . i. Flexures 3 and 3 bis., represent a very pretty Palseomscus, much con- torted, as if it had struggled to clear itself of the mud, when imbedded It is compressed so as to represent the back, and the gill plates are pressed open The head is pointed as would result from vertical compression ot the fish. This individual must have lain upon the muddy bottom ot the lake, with its back or abdomen up, for such the position of the strata ^Tkure 4 is a perfect fish, discovered in my presence by Mr. Wallace, deputy collector of the port, and the head is pointed as m that specimen. Acoproliteis seen apparently under it, protruding along the upper side of the curved fish. . , , . p + „i.i, Fiff. 7 is a PaliBoniscus' lower jaw, contaming the whole set ot teeth, placed in a lim firmly fixed in the jaw, like those of a salmon. These fishes 1 shall now describe more minutely ; and if my descriptions are imperfect, M. Sonrel's beautiful lithographic drawmgs will supply any omissions that I may make. 22 DESCRIPTIONS OF THE FOSSIL FISHES OF THE ALBERT COAL MINE. PI. I., Fig. 1. This fish is the first one that was discovered by me at ^tscmtiTN.-Fish, four diameters of its body long ; head, obtuse or blunt, as if obliquely compressed on upper and front part ; whole length, 3 3-10 inches ; width, in middle of body, 85-100 mch ; M, one dorsal, opposite anal, small triangular, 3-lOths of an inch ^J,^^^^' f^*^^' ^^P" ini as if the fish was dead before it was mclosed m the mud, (now shale). MaL small, triangular, a little larger than dorsal ; Pectoral small, com- pressed into'mass of sc'ales of body of the fish ; Tml bifurcated, unequal very long, and tapering in upper division, which extends to a fine point Ifie S run down on up|er division of tail, and become gradually smaller to tip : amdal rays come exclusively from under side ot upper, and from lower division of taU. Scales of body brUUant, rhomboidal, wavy, serrated on posterior margins, color light-brown. This fish is embalmed and not petrified. No ridge of bone is seen to indicate the vertebral column, hence the bones must have been cartilaginous and compressible. Ihe gUl plates are too confusedly compressed to J^^ ^^«?««^tf / . .?,*°"^; find i^ any published book any figure of a fossil fish identical with his It is evidently a Palseoniscus, and is probably a young individual aa seems to be indicated by its small size, and the delicacy of its scales We will name it, provisionally, Palaomscns Alberti, m commemoration of its being the first fossil fish discovered in Albert county, in New PI I Fi<» 2 This beautiful fish was found by Mr. Brown, the cap- tain of the mine, subsequent to my first visit to HiUsboro' It is one of the largest, or full-grown species. It was unfortunately broken in the operation of extracting it, but it still is a very valuable specimen. Th s Sg the first fossil fish found by the chief miner, I have named it Palceoniscus Brownii. „ , , . • x DEscRiPTioN.-Fish nearly whole. It is one of the largest species yet found, and its length is three times the greatest width of it^s body ; whole length, 5 3-lOth inches ; breadth, 1 7-lOth inches ; head broken off just in front of pectoral fin ; extremity of tail broken ; abdommal fin missing, it having been broken in getting out the specimen Dorsal fin, a little behind middle of body, opposite, or rather a little in front of anal. PI I Fig 3, represents a perfect fish of the genus Palaeoniscus which was found on the 3d of June last. In its general form and appearance it resem- bles the FalcBoniscus Elegans of Prof. Sedgewick, (Loud. Geol Trans., 2d series. Vol. iii. PI. 9, Fig 1,) and Agassiz, (Recherches sur les Poissons Fossiles Vol ii., Tab. 10., Fig. 5,) but it differs from that species m the dtriation of the scales, the striae of the Hillsboro' species being parallel te the anterior and lower margins of the scales, and the shape of the scales differing essentially from Mr. Sedgewick's species. . •, v j Description --^Fish, long and slender, 4 1-2 diameters of its body lone • length of head, a little less than the largest diameter ot the body ; the head has the shape of an equilateral spherical triangle ; tip ot nose, or 23 snout curiously tuberculated and dotted ; gill plates cannot be dissected, they are so brittle and confused with the head ; fins, pectoral a little behind eUl plates, and extend below the fish 3-lOths of an inch,— it is a narrow- pointed fin, well marked with its rays. Dorsal fin far back towards the tail, a Uttle anterior to anal ; it is half an inch long and 2-10th8 of an inch high, and is well marked with its rays. Anal fin somewhat larger than dorsal, a little posterior to it. Ahdcminal fin very small, situated a very little in advance of the middle of the body ; tail unequally bifurcated or heterocercal ; scales run down on it becoming smaller and more and more -"-ately rhomboidal or lozenge shaped as they recede ; caudal rays come exclusively from under side of upper division of tail. Scales obtusely rhom- boidal on anterior and middle of body, and are distinctly striated parallel to r^nterior and lower margins, while they are smooth and very brilliant towards and upon the tail ; dorsal scales large and m form of obtuse spherical triangles pointing backwards towards the dorsal fin. 1 his species is not described in any book I have examined, and believing it to be new, I shall take the liberty of naming it Palcemiscus Cairnsii, after the highly intelligent superintendent of the Albert coal mine, William Cairns, to whoselictive and unremitting labors I am indebted for so many specimens of these interesting fossils. , PI I Fig 4 This large and elegant fish was most untortunateiy broken "in splitting it out from the rock, only the posterior part of it having been saved in a fit condition for delineation. The whole length of the fish was originally fifteen inches. That portion which remams entire is 5 1-2 inches long ; it was broken off through the posterior edge of the dorsal fin. It was an old fish, as is evident from the appearance of the scales which are thick, heavy, and have their stnations m part obliterated, while the serrations are extremely sharp and deep, ihe scales are elongated rhomboids, and have many striae upon their surface which run parallel with their upper and lower margms Uudal scales, acute lozenges. They run down on upper division which is long and covered with scales. Rays of tail come off very distmctly, exclusively from underside of the upper division, and the tail is unequal or hetero- cercal UntU we obtain an entire specimen, perhaps it will be prudent to abstain from giving a specific name. It is a species of the genua PI II Fig 1. This species so nearly resembles the PaZaowwc^s «?e- corusoi Sir Philip M. de Egerton, as on first view to pass for it ; but on examining the lines of striae, we are forced to regard it as another species. The four great dorsal scales, anterior to the lorsal fin, exactly resemble in form those represented in Sir Philip M. de Egerton's plate. (See Quarterly Journal Geological Society of London, for 1849.) The scales of one specimen are striated, parallel with the superior and inferior margins, and are deeply and acutely serrated on their posterior edges. The lines of striation are worn away considerably, indicating, perhaps, that it was an old fish. It was, when entire, about eight inches long, and it is two inches in diameter from the anterior edges of Jhe dorsal and anal fins The lithographic delineation gives a sufficiently full exhibition ot the 'characters of this specimen, which appears to be of the same species, y near the species, la!?t described. ,• „ 4^ai. Fig: 2, 2 bis. are delineations of specimens of shale, representing a tish or 24 and its counter print in the rock, just as it was split open. It is a small Bpecies of Paljxjoniscus, compressed vertically, and is contorted as it the fish had strucrgled to extricate himself when imprisoned in the mud that now forms tlds rock. The line of dorsal scales, in the middle of this fish, proves its position to he as I have stated, and this opinion is still further confirmed by the shape of the head, and by the open gill covers. Ihis fish must have been caught in the mud alive, since it was in an upright ^°Flr3. represents a beautiful and perfect fish, found at the new pit of the Albert coal mine, by Mr. Wallace, Deputy Collector of Hillsboro , who kindly presented it to me. It is compressed vertically, or trom tne back towards the abdomen, and the head is also vertically compressed between the strata. The large dorsal scales, so characteristic, are seen along the middle of the fish. There is a coprolite seen projecting from near the middle of the fish, and it is not certain whether it is included partially in its body, or was in the mud before the fish was deposited or caught. The body of the fish curves over the coprolite as if it had been a hard substance. , , , ■. j o i o Description.— Fish is 4 1-2 diameters of its body long ; body 3 1-2 inches long; head in form of equilateral spherical triangle ; giUs open ; back of head beautifully marked by tuber culations, or striae and dots ; dorsal scales oval-shaped and striated, the most pointed part of the scale being towards the tail,— they run along the entire back to the tail, excepting at the place where the dorsal fin is compressed ; scales of body serrated on posterior margins, and striated parallel with their upper and lower edges, and wavy in middle. I am disposed to regard this individual as belonging to the same species as the one before described. _ Fiff 2 2 bis. — Figure 7th represents a lower jaw of a Palaeoniscus troni the Albert mines. It is interesting as showing the mode of dentition of these ancient fishes ; the teeth are here seen to be in a hne fixed in regular sockets in the jaw, like those of salmon ; the jaw is beautifully marked with little raised dots visible under an ordinary lens ; the teeth agree with those observed by Sir Philip M. de Egerton. (See Quarterly Jour. Geol. Soc, Lond., 1849.) . , , , n,, Fig 8 —This specimen was discovered by me m the shale ot the new shaft of the Albert mines. It is peculiarly interesting on account of the entire preservation of its abdominal fin, and also on account of its associ- ation with a coprolite which seems to have belonged to this individual. Description.— Fish, entire ; length, 3 7-10 inches ; width of t^e body, 7-lOths of an inch ; length of the head, equal to the greatest width ot the body : fish, four diameters of its body in length ; fins, one dorsal, opposite anal, situated in the posterior, third of body,— anal fin little larger than dorsal ; abdominal fin small, situated a little m advance of the middle of the body of fish ; pectoral fin a little larger than abdominal ; scales, large and brilliant, having a light-brown color striated parallel to anterior margins transversely, and longitudinally in middle, but finer than on anterior margins ; tail, more regular than the before-described species, but still unequal ; has scales in upper division. This specimen also pre- sents another curious feature; its tail having been amputated by a shift of the strata, and the fracture being polished and re^cemented a httle out of place. Head more acute than any of the before-described species, and 25 very perfectly preserved, having tlio fine markm ;s of the gill covers and the striae and markings distinct, and also, what appears to be the imprespion of the tongue of the fish. The orbitar ring is also preserved, and is a horn-like circle, or ring, filled with bituminous shale or clay. A coprolite under the abdomen of the fish, is a cylindrical mass, rounded at each end, 7-lOths of an inch long, and 3-10th8 of an inch in diameter. It is of an ash-gray color, and includes what appears to be small black scales of fishes. FOSSIL PLANTS OF THE ALBERT COAL MINE. My attention was so much occupied by the fossil fishes of this interest- ing mine, that I had omitted to look for the usual coal plants, when I was suddenly called by one of my companions to look at an impression which he had found in splitting a piece of the shale. The instant I saw it I recognized it as a perfect stem of a Lepidodendron, a well-known plant of the coal formation. The rock with the fossil plant was delivered to me, and I have both the stem and the imprint in the rock which contains it. This fossil rendered any further search into the geological age of the fish- bearing rocks of the mine unnecessary ; but wishing to obtain more speci- mens, a number more of slabs were broken open, and large^ expanded leaves, resembling a species of palm, or a plant quite common in the coal formation of our country, were found, having all the delicate markings, cross veins or bands, and other characters of palm leaves, as has since been shown by Mr. Teschemacher. Three specimens of this plant were also found in a specimen of the shale, which I obtained on my first visit to the mine. I found a perfect Lepidostrobus, a fruit of the Lepidodendron, according to Brongniart. A number of stems of plants were also found, and some of them, from their forms and delicate curves, appeared to have been succulent hollow stems, or aquatic plants of some kind. These have proved to be species of Sphoeraedra. [Lindley Sf Hutton, Vol. iii., PI. 159.) Accurate drawings convey a better idea of the form and character of fossils than any verbal description, and therefore I must refer to the accompanying plate, on which are faithfully delineated ^me of my fossil plants, which were obtained from thk coal mine. Plate III, figures 1 and 2 represent the Lepidodendron found in the shale of the Albert coal mine. Fig. 1 represents the stem of the plant, with its carbonized bark, having all the cortical scales which a,re so cha- racteristic of the genus. On comparing this plant with the Lepidodoidron gradle, in BrongniarVs Historic des Vegeiaux Fossiles^ Vol. ii., Plate 15, I feel no doubt of its close analogy with that species, which is a well- known plant of the coal formation. Figures 3 and 3 bis. represent the Lepidostrobus found by me in the shale of the Albert coal mine. Fig. 3 is the fruit in relief, and 3_bis. is the counter-print in the rock split from it. It is difiScult to identify the species by comparison with Brongniart's drawings ; but no one who com- pares it with the species of Lepidostrobus, in his plates, (Tome ii.. Plates 22, 23 and 24,) will have any doubt of its belonging to that genus. It is probably the fruit of the Lepidodendron gracile, above-mentioned. Figures 4 and 5 represent Sphoerjedra of the Albert mine. r*i 26 I I Fieure 6 represents our palin-likc leaf. It is too wide to bo the leaf of a Lepidodendron. Further researches may decide this question I have Lepidodendra, with their beautiful foliage from the shales of the coal mines on the Grand Lake, upon the St. John K^ver very closely resembling the plant figured in Brongmart^s Vegetaux Fosnle^, (Tome ii PI. 17, Fig. 1 ;) but none of the leaves have a width of more than half an inch, while these arc more than two inches wide 1 have before alluded to these palm-like leaves, so cbaractenstic of the coa^ formation, a fact that no one who is competent to decide will presume to deny, for they arc common in all our coal-fields, from Cape Breton to Virginia, both in the bituminous and anthracite coal shales. Instead of objecting to the rocks of the Albert coal mine as being poor m fo3sil plants, I would rather express my surprise at finding them at aU, con- sideriu'T that the abundance of fossil fishes in those shales mdicates that the coal was formed in the bed of a lake, estuary, or sluggish strea-m Plants will doubtless be found more abundant, as we approach, by mining operations, the shores of this ancient basin, and there may be found niore abundantly the fossils of ferns, stems of stigmaria and sigiUana, such as occur in the neighboring coal-fields of Nova Scotia, within fifteen miles of this new coal mine. , . . The sandstones, I suppose, were the bars and sandy shores of the ancient basm, in which the coal was formed, and if delicate fossils were as well preserved in sand as in clay, we should doubtless find them richer in their flora than the more richly endowed and conservative clayey shales. I come now to the conclusion of the whole matter, by deciding that the Albert coal mine is in the true coal formation, and the rocks being accom- Danied with the most indisputable evidence of the coal fishes and the coal plants, which alone would settle this question, if we had not abundant stratigraph cal proofs of the same fact, which are everywhere extant around the mine, and in the immediate vicinity. I also declare that the fossil fuel obtained from this mine is a highly bituminous coal, suitable toi tlie production of gas for illumination, and for flaming fires, and that it ts not S;S:, and'wiU not serve as any substitute for it - the Art., i^^^^^^ incapable of fusion by heat, and not appUcable to any of t^e purposes tor which asphaltum is usually sold in the commercial markets of the woild. The foUoTing contrasts of the characters of asphaltum and of the Albert coal, uet in a clear light the characteristic differences between ^em Ever; one of the experiments has been faithfully performed by me. .1 r. 7 c. Coal from the Albert Mines, of Asphaltum from the Dead ^ea — —.A, . ,^ ^ ,,..-_.j i.. ™., from Cuba, (Chapapote,) and. from Trinidad. HiUsboro\ N. B., obtained by my- self at the mine, May and /ttnc, 1851. Reduced to fine powder, and spread on a sheet of metal, and heated to 400^ F., melts and runs into a perfectly fluid mass, boiling rapidly as the temperature rises, ^^^.^j,^ ^„.. and giving off a vast quantity of ) ^ot soften, volatile matter and smoke. Reduced to fine powder, and spread on a sheet of metal, and heated to 400« F., no change whatever takes place. It docs not melt, run or smoke at all, and docs 27 At a tcmpcraturo of 600° ^-j ^* is decomposed with great ebullition and rapid diacngagcni ont of smoke. In mass, at a temperature of 300*^ F., it melts and runs ; at 700<^ the asphaltum is entirely decomposed. In boiling water asphaltum softens and becomes plastic, and adheres to the bottom of the vessel. It gives off naphtha. At 600* it does not decompose at all, nor does it melt at any tem- perature, but decomposes at a red heat, without fusion, or running to- gether at all. At aOO'' no change ; at 700"=> it begins to soften a little, and becomes like Newcastle coal, soft, or ce- ments, and then at a red heat de- composes and forms coke. Dropped on to melted tin, which has a temperature of 442*^ F., it is immediately melted and decom- posed, with copious fumes. When dropped upon molten lead, which has a temperature of 612® F., it instantly melts and decomposes, with a great sputtering, floating on the surface of the lead, and boiling rapidly, giving out thick and dense smoke and fumes. Dropped into melted zinc, which has a temperature of 700* F., it decomposes instantly, giving off a dense smoke. Asphaltum is readily melted in a ladle, and can be poured out like tar or molten pitch. In boiling water the Albert coal undergoes no change, and remains as brittle as ever. It does not give off any naphtha^ Melts, and runs, and drops, in a liquid state, when placed in the flame of a candle or lamp, so that it re- quires some management to set a lump of it on fire, so as to keep it burning when removed from the flame, the heat of the lamp causing it to drop. Dropped upon melted tin, it does not melt or undergo any change whatsoever, and when held beneath the molten metal it does not melt, nor give off any volatile matter, nor even soften. Albert coal, dropped into molten lead, does not melt, and even when plunged beneath the surface of the molten metal, and held there by forceps, it does not decompose nor yield any gaseous or volatile matters, or smoke in the least. Dropped into melted zinc, Albert coal does not melt nor decompose. Held under the molten metal, by means of forceps, it becomes elastic, and softens like Newcastle coal, but does not give out any gas or smoke. Albert coal cannot be melted in a ladle, and poured out. In a confined place, as in a crucible, with steep sides, or in a thimble, the Albert coal swells and cements, but does not melt and run. In the fl&me of a candle or lamp, the Albert coal takes fire, but does not melt and drop, and can be burnt to coke on the under side, without any dropping from heat of the flame after removal from the lamp. 28 Diasolvcs readily in naphtha. DocH not dissolve in naphtha, but only yields, at the most, 5 83-100 nor cent, of its bitumen, when heated in that fluid for some days. Dissolves instantly and entirely in benzole and in oil of turpentine and in chloroform. Yields resin to alcohol and ether. Is commercially employed, on ac- count of its ready fusibility and solubility, and is used for cement and for varnishes. Yields, at the most, from fourteen to twenty per cent, of its bitumen to all these solvents, and the 86 or 80 per cent, of matter remaininf]; is entirely insoluble in all li(iuid hydro- carbons. Melts, and runs immediately through the grate bars, so that it cannot be employed as fuel, and cannot be burnt as a coal. Docs not yield resin to alcohol or ether. Is commonly used for coal, and in gas works is employed in the pro- duction of bi-carbureted hydrogen gas for illumination. Is not fusible, hence cannot be used like asphaltum for cement, and yields so little soluble matter as to be of no commercial value in the making of varnishes, and cannot be sold in the market as asphaltum, without fraud. Does not melt or run through the grate bars, but burns freely, like hif^hly bituminous or fat coal, form- ing a spongy coke, that cakes readily, and after the bitumen is burnt up the coke burns, like that of New- castle coal. Respectfully, your obedient servant, CHARLES T. JACKSON, M. D., Assayer to the State of Massachusetts, S^c. 8fc. State Assayer's Office, Boston J Sejit. 27th, 1851 J Note — W. C. Redfield Esq., of xNew-York, on examining my fossil fishes from the Al- beS Tal mine, dedares his conviction that they are fi.hes of the coal fo™f ^'"n- Mj; Ked- field is weU kiJown as a gentleman well acquainted with the fossil fishes of America. 29 Plan of Level .Vw «, Surneyedhy V. T. Jurkfitn, June Gfh, IRiil. COPY OF DR. ABRAHAM GESNER'S LETTER TO DR. JACKSON, nFFF.RRF.n TO ON FOURTH PAGE. Halifaa; HJth March, 1851. Dear Sir :— I bad taken the liberty to republish your analysis of the New Brunswick asphaltum, Tvith that of Dr. Chilton, and others, because it agreed so nearly with the vioww of English and Scotch chemista and geologists, who had visited the deposit. Dr. Chilton has subscribed since to a certiticatc directly contrary to his first one, and I have deemed it but duo to you, as wel as to Pro- fessor liobband others, to nmUo my acknowledgements to your superior discern- ment and ability. Being the proprietor of the asphaltum mines, 1 have not that interest in the question some have supposed, whether the material is either one. or the other, namely co:il or asphaltum ; my title does not altogether rest upon I^send^you the papers I have written upon the subject, merely for the purpose of introducing the local facta that might not reach you through any other aource, and I may find it necessary hereafter to solicit your services to explore the district, to establish the character of the rocks in which the asphaltum is found As soon ns the vessels begin their trips, I will send you some of the naphtha an. petroleura.associated with the compact material, and I can only add that it will afford me much pleasure to aid your inquiries in this quarter, and to promote your interests in these provinces. I write under heavy domestic affliction, which it has pleased God to lay upon me, and trust that you will make every allowance for this mode of introduction. I am. dear sir. very truly, respectfully yo^Bj^^HAM GESNER. CiTARi.KS T. Jackson, M. D., Professor of Chemisinj, §-c. ^'c. P. .S. Since writing the above. I have found a small piece of petroleum ^om the place, and beg to send it herewith. A. U. *\oTK nv Pr ni.TSHEns.-ln reforcnoe to this assumption, it ia only necessary to state that r ' Co'ner o d."a en-o of fonr acre« of land, ^^ except and remved, "^r'J,?^^ ' ;•' fr Vouv,, all coal,, awl aho all <^dd and silver, and other "'»«ff "'l!""';'';''„ „,f,'^^7„?^^ F ilii-on Cairn- and othrr-.. !i<>!d .- lieen«e from tho Crown. " to work any inines ot go .1, e^lVer oopper platina coal, or other mineral of any and every doscnpUon,'- «nd aI^o the land K hi fS a.ljoinin« the al ove four acre., beneath which th« dopo«t is sup- Xat"ex-i't [SeothVHon. the Mnster of Roih" decision, adverse to Ur. Gesner, ^d ApriM8o1.J I 30 RICHARD C. TAYLOR, ESQ., OF PHILADELPHIA, Geological and Mining Engine,,; cml Aut/wr of ^^ Statistks of Coal;' testified at Dorchester, N. B., as follows :— " To melt is one of the dlHtinguisliing features of asplialt." ''As a Geologist, I would mt pmwmm a suhstaim v^hich would refuse to meU vyon iron, heated to 600'^ P., to U asphallim:' . "I found no soft liquid or brown-colored Bubstanco, OJ- springs oj naphtha or petroleum, at the Albert mine or near it. 1 looked pr them in the mine and its vicinity, but found nouo. ./ did exped to find them m the Albert mint.'''' REPORT OF DR. JOHN BACON, Jr's., MICROSCOPIC EXA- ]\HNATION OF THE HILLSBORO' COAL. Boston, Nov. 3d, 18.51. Edward Allison, Esq. : Bear Sir ;^As tbe result of my Microscopic Examination of the Hills- boro' Coal, I am able to report the existence of vegetable structtire in the interior of the masses. The specimens examined were taken by myself from a barrel of coal in the laboratory of Dr. Chs. T. Jackson, stated by him to be from the Albert Mine, in Hillsboro', N. B. Sections of the coal were ground sufficiently thin to allow light to pass through them, and carefully polished. Some of these exhibit, under the microscope, contorted fibrous tissue, enclosing cells, and penetrated by numerous apertures, approaching a circular form, which appear to be transverse sections of vessels. Others show elongated cells or ves- sels, ranged side by side. These tissues occm- in patches not sufficiently extensive or continuous to enable me to form a positive opinion in regard to the nature of the plants to which they belong. It is always a matter of difficulty to detect microscopic structure m bituminous coal, as the vegetable tissues are usually obliterated, more or less completely ; but the evidence of structure in the Hillsboro' specimens are abundantly sufficient to prove that the substance is coal, and not ashphaltum. Respectfully yours, JOHN BACON, Jr. *« REPORT ON GEOLOGICAL RELATIONS OF COAL MINE IN HILLSBORO% BY DR. J. G. PERCIVAL, GEOLOGIST, OF NEW HAVEN, CONN. I] In the following fltatement, I confine myself to the aeological relations of the subject in question, and to a few of its more obvious characters, without touching on its specific chemical properties, or on the specifio characters of the fossils in the accompanying rocks ; such specific chemical properties and fossil characters have been referred to Dr. 0. T. Jackson. After an examination of the mine, and the immediately accompanymg rocks, as well as the rocks in the vicinity ; and after testing the substance by the action of heat and combustion, in connexion with different speci- mens of asphaltum,— I have come to the conclusion that this substance in question is a coal, and not am, asphaltum. The immediately accompa- nying rock is a brown bituminous and calcareous shale, partly thm, and partly thick and more calcareous, with interposed barjds and nodules or balls of limestone and ironstone, with iron pyrites in seams or disseminated, with fossil fishes and fish-scales and teeth, in some parts abundant, m others less so, and with occasional distinct remains of plants, and a few distinct points of charcoal lignite. The surface of the layers i8 generaUy smooth and glossy, particularly in the waUs of the mine, and occasional layers occur, composed of very thin shelly fragments, still more smooth and glossy, and readily decomposing into a soft clay. Such a shale, com- posed of very small fragments, I have sometimes found forming a thm stratum between the coal and the adjacent thicker shale. The shale in the vicinity of the coal-bed is, on the whole, thicker and more calcareous and bituminous, than at points mo.e remote in a lateral direction, but at an excavation in the direction of the bed towards the north-east, made by Mr Foulis, the shales are nearly or quite as bituminous as at the mine, and abound in similar fossils. In tracing the bed of the streams near the mine, I found, as I receded from the mine, interposed thm beds ot blue limestone and gray fine-grained sandstone or grit. _ In examining the country east and south-east of the mme, towards the Peticodiac River, I observed first a dark-brown conglomerate, apparently deriving its color from the matter of the shale, which I judge, from its position and dip, as compared with the eastern border of the shale, as far as observed, to overUe the shale. The shale, which I last observed m place in that direction, had a moderate dip (about 15") easterly. The 82 conglomerate, where observed nearest the shale, and at no great distance, is on higher ground than the shale, and with the same dip. Hence 1 conclude it probable, although the junction of the two rocks has not been there observed, that the conglomerate overlies the shale (Since writing the above I have been able to observe the junction of the shale and con- glomerate, in a ravine on the south side of the ridge, north of Frederick Brook, three-fourths of a mile west of the mine. The shale there dips under the conglomerate ; the two rocks being separated by a narrow bed of fine-grained sandstone, with which the shale is there also interstratified. The same irregularities in direction and dip occur there in the shale, as m other locaUties noticed, and it finally dips with its sandstone under the con- glomerate, at a moderate angle north-west. At one pomt in the ravine the shale includes very thin seams of coal, similar to a coal in a similar shale, in simUar very thin seams, at a locality two or three miles south- west of the mine (Martin's). At that locality, the coal is regularly interstratified in even layers in the shale ; at the ravine it occurs m seams interposed in a fragmentary shale.) Further easterly, towards the Peticodiac, the conglomerate is succeeded by an overlying friable and decomposible argillaceous red sandstone, with interstratified beds of gray sandstone or grit. This band of red sandstone appears to me, from its position and direction, to molude the deposits ot f^psum at the Whitehead and vicinity, and at the Demoiselle River, near Wilson's. The red sandstone and gypsum, at the first-mentioned locality, are underlaid by a bed of blue limestone, resting on a brown conglomerate, resembling that approaching the shale of the mine. This limestone and conglomerate may be traced to the hill west of the Peticodiac, just north of Mr. W. Cairns' residence ; the gypsum being found m the hill next west. In proceeding easterly from the mine, the red sandstone is overlaid by a coarse light-brown conglomorute, with interposed beds of gray sandstone, which forms the summits of the hUls to the banks of the Peticodiac, the red sandstone appearing in the vc ilejs. On the bank of the river, at the two points south of the coal wharf, the overlying rocks appear m an order correspo.^ding to that just stated ; but by an apparent deflexion in their course, the dip is southerly (about S. S. B. ;) a darker brown conglom- erate appearing at the ba.iG in the north point, overlaid by the friable red sandstone with an included bed of gray sandstone, and this by the hght- brown conglomerate with its beds of gray sandstone, while in tlie south point, there occur, from the southerly dip, only the upper part of the red sandstone, and the light-brown conglomerate, as above . In the upper light- brown conglomerate and its gray sandstone, at least at the south point, are found large and distinct fossil plants of the coal formation (jomted calamites, and other reed-like plants, such as everywhere occur in the true coal formation of this country,) accompanied with .ther smaller more flan and appearance on drying. In the definite action of oil of turpentine, the distinction betwcn bitumona and coal is seen in the solution of the former, while only a small portion of bitumen is dissolved from the latter. When, instead of Albert Company's coal, we take Scotch cannel, a well characterized coal, the samo brown solution is obtained by the use of boiling oil of turpentine. Tiiis partial action of turpentine, shows a resemblance between these two coals. Action or Benzole. — This substance, as derived from the dcstructivo distillation of coal, is an excellent solvent of bitumens. Both chapapote and asphaltum are dissolved in it, with or without heat, into uniform n^d-brown fluids, which pass the filter. Albert Company's coal gives, as in the case of turpentine, a brown colored compound to this fluid, while the coal remains undissolved. By using three portions of the fluid on the same coal, the third solution, even after boiling, is nearly colorless, and nearly the original quantity of cojil remains. Action of Rosin Oil. — In the distillation of rosin, this product is ob- tained as a light yellow-colored oil. It dissolves bitumens, and forms, with chapapote and asphaltums, clear, brown, heavy varnishes. Albert Cfompany's coal gives, as in the case of turpentine, a brown color to the oil ; the first and second portions being removed after digestion, the third becomes only slightly colored. The coal, after being washed and dried, exhibits its ordinary appearance. Action of Linseed Oil. — This substance is used in the arts for dis- solving asphaltum ; its action on chapapr iv h tho same, forming with both a brown varnish, in which all these bitumens disappear. Albert Company's coal. The oil in this case was heated to 300" F., some time on the coal, no alteration took place in either. Some fragments of tin were added, and the temperature raised until the tin was fluid ; after some hours the oil had suffered the same changes as attend heating it, while the coal remained unaltered. Action of Sulphuric Ether — This solvent of oils dissolves chapapote and asphaltum, as it does other bitumens. Its prolonged action on Albert Company's Coal, causes the solution of a naphtha-like fluid and a resinous body ; the coal remains softened, but regains its original appearance by drying. « , • The action of these solvents affords the strongest evidence of the mineral of the Albert Company's mine being not only coal, but bituminous coal, well characterized. All the bituminous coals yield, to one or more of these, some portion of their more inflammable parts. Action of Nitric Acid, sp. gr. 1.20. — Chapapote, when warmed in this acid, colors it, swells, and at 212° F. is converted into a porous, coke- like mass, which, at a higher temperature, decomposes the acid. Asphal- tum exhibits nearly the same action, more humus, or tannic acid being produced. Albert Company's coal, heated to boiling point of tht: acid, it exhibits no change, the acid is not decomposed. Action of Sulphuric Acid, (50 Oil Vitriol, .50 TTtt^cr.;— Chapapote melts in this acid, at 214" F, into an adhesive balsam. Asphaltum melts 48 , some at 217- F., in thm acid, givefl vaporH of potrolouin, and combines slightly with the acid. Albert Oompany'B coal, digested m the acid at 214 b ., suffers no alteration ; at 250" F., no change is produced on the coal or **' Action ok Oii. of ViTRioL.-Chapapote melts in oil of vitriol, at about 214" F • at a higher temperature, colors the acid black, and is decora- posed. ■ Asphaltum melts, chars and blackens the acid, leaving a brown ""Tlbcrt Company's coal, heated to 300» F., in oil of vitriol, undergoes no change. At 450", bubbles of gas escape from the pores of the coal, and the structural lines become developed; no swelling or tendency to melt or form coke is exhibited. At near 600° F., the acid is decomposed sulphurous and carbonic acids escape as gases. On cooling the acid, its color remains unchanged. This is a character which distinguishes coal. These arc some of the many trials which have been made and among them no result has been obtained ,- uowiug a correspondence between cha- papote, asphaltum and Albert Company's coal; but the more they are multiplied, the stronger the points of diversity become P^'J^if ^*- . ^, The chemical relations of these bodies, are deemed the strictly important ones, as they depend on the composition of the matter from which each was formed originally. They in fact make up the whole valuable proper- ties of these substances, when we include the influence »* heat. Considered geologically, physically and chemically, the Albert Com- pany's coal is entireTy a Afferent natural product from either chapapote or asphaltum. It is a highly bituminous coal, and has its place m a systematic arrangement, near to cannel coal. . ,. In its destruction by burning, the Albert Company's coal F^s^^t^^^f^- cations of its origin from cellular tissue, in the small proportion of ashes afforded bv a given woi-ht. Thus, 100 parts of different samples give from S 54 to 1.32 per cent."of suuff-briwn colored ashes.^ Th s small amoun belongs to a peculiarly pure organic matter only, and is a character of some importance, in connecting this with other more dense «oals. Taking the pufer European coals, we have the Alais Rochelle, sp. gr 1.322, affording 1.41 per cent. ; Commentry, sp. gr. 1.319,0.24 per cent ; R^vede Gier, Grand Croix, sp. gr. 1.302, 1.44 per cent ; common coal Ob^rnkirc^en sp. gr. 1.279, 1 per cent. ; coal of St. Columbe, sp.gr. 1.305 0.89 per cent ; Westphalia, sp. gr. 1.288, 0.70 per cent.; Konigsgrube, sp. gr. ^' bIs also rremTrkabl/dry coal, 100 parts exposed to a temperature of 400" F., lose only 1 percent, of moisture. . , ^, ,. , j? ^.i «, As a material for manufacturing gas, either with other l^i?d«. ^^ «o'\\'. °^ alone, this coal has a high value. Its application as an aid m kindling fuel of difficult combustion, and in mixture with o her coals for mak ng a cheerful fire, will add greatly to our resources of this article of necessity, "" luIpSbk," too, that its uses in the arts, as the basis of black paints and cements, wQl extend, as its introduction increases. Respectfully, \va. A. HAYES, _^ ^ Assayer to State of SUkssacrmsetts. 1 Pine St. Boston, 15th Sept., 1851. i 44 REPORT OF DR. JAMES R. CHILTON, NEW- YORK. I HAVE analyzed the sample of coal from Hillsboro' N. B., which you left with me and I find it to be a highly bituminous variety. It yields, by aualysis, the following : j j } j Volatile matter, 53.48 Fixed carbon, 40.86 Ashes, 0.66 100.00 Some time in June last, I analyzed this same article for Dr Gesner • the result of that analysis was about the same as the above. The article was at that tune put into my hands under the name of " asphaltum," and 1 so designated it in the statement given to Dr. Gesner. The external appearance of the article being such, as not to lead a person to doubt that It might be asphaltum, and the object of the analysis then, was only to determme the proportions of volatile and fixed matter, to show its utility for gas manufacture. In this respect, it bears a strong resemblance to asphaltum and some varieties of canncl coal. T ?l J"™?ous experiments, which I have recently made with the article, 1 nnd that It does not possess those properties which distinguish asphaltum trom coal. Asphaltum dissolves very readily in oil of turpentine, naphtha, chloroforni, &c., and forms a thick solution, which is used for a varnish! 1 tie Hillsboro' coal does not dissolve in either oil of turpentine, naphtha, or chloroform, even when boiled with them. The liquids, under these cir- cumstances, become a little discolored, which is owing to the coal yieldin" a small portion of its excess of bitumen. Jo When asphaltum is held against a piece of heated iron, it melts readily, like common rosin ; while the coal in question, similarly treated, does not melt at all, nor does it become more softened than some other kinds of bituminous coal. In adition to the foregoing, I may state that I have examined some of the shale, said to be from the walls of this coal-bed, at Hillsboro', which has portions of the coal adhering to it. I find it to be a true coal shale, containing organic vegetable structure. Yours, respectfully, JAMES R. CHILTON, M. D., Chemist. New- York, April 13, 1851. REPORT OF GEORGE C. HUDSON, OF LIVERPOOL. This sample is a true jet coal, or lignite : specific irravity, 1 .091 . TTpnr. being subjected to dry distillation, (as in the ordinary of'gas making,) it yields 61 per cent, of inflammable gases, of high illuminating quality, leav- ing 39 per cent, of light gray, silvery coke. It is entirely free from any contamination by sulphur, and on this account, and the comparatively low » )RK. which you yields, by , Gesner ; rhe article turn," and e external loubt that IS only to its utility iblance to he article, [isphaltum , naphtha, a varnish, iphtha, or these cir- il yielding ts readily, does not • kinds of i some of o', which oal shale. 46 temperature required for the elimination of the gaseous products, I am of opinion that it would be admirably adapted for the purpose of gas illumi- nation. It might be objected, perhaps, that its low specific gravity, and consequent bulky form, would be a hindrance to its use for gas purposes ; but when tiu, slight degree of purification^ which would be required for the gas, and the capability of a more frequent charging of the retorts, owing to the facility with which it parts with its gaseous components, are taken into account, the objection to its lightness and bulk must fall to the ground. The purity of the coke is such, that it might be advantageously used in the manufacture of steel. It is quite distinct from the substance called asphal- tura. It is not affected in consistence by a heat of 212°, whereas asphaltum is partially liquefied in boiling water. It (the jet) is scarcely soluble in ether, and is intact in pure alcohol ; it is scarcely affected by turpentine, or any of the essential oils, and is only acted on, to a moderate extent, by pure coal naphtha, or distilled oil of petroleum, whereas asphaltum is more or less soluble in all these agents, and in the latter, (oil of petroleum,) especially, it is entirely di?solved. The mean gravity of asphaltum is higher, being 1.160. The jet coal, under notice, would be applicable to many ornamental uses, but it? chief utility resides in its gas affording pro- perties, for which it should meet a ready sale. GEO. C. HUDSON, Liverpool, April 24, 1851. Consulting and Analytical Chemist. REPORT OF DR. URE, OF LONDON. London, 24 Bloomsbury Square, 14th March, 1851. I hereby certify, that the shining, black, solid pieces, which you put into my hands this morning, are lumps of pitch coal, a true mineral of the geological coal formation, and therefore, in every sense of the term popular, scientific, and legal, a truly mineral production or substance. I am tri'ly yours, ANDREW URE, M. D., F. R. S. Chemist. >0L. ! . Upon iking,) it lity, leav- from any tively low REPORT OF DR. JOHN TORREY, Professor of Chemistry, Sfc, College of Physicians and Surgeons of New- York. I HAVE examined, with much care, a specimen of mineral combustible matter left with me by Messrs. Cook & Smith, of New- York, and said to have been found in Hillsboro', New Brunswick. It is my decided opinion that this substance is a highly bituminized coal. It differs from asphal- tum, in not being fusible, the heat merely causinn' it to swell as it doe" some of the varieties of bituminous coal. It is likewise insoluble in spirits of turpentine, even at a boiling heat ; whereas nsphaltum dissolves readily in the fluid. This new variety of coal is re.njivkable for the large quantity of volatile matter which it contains, nearly equal to 60 per cent., whilo 46 the quantity of ash left when it is perfectly burned, amounts to less than one per cent. j^^^ TORREY. Laboratory of the College of Physicians and Surgeons, New-York, March 13th, 1851. REPORT OF PROFESSOR JAS. C. BOOTH, Assayer of tk United States Mint, ^c, at Philadelphia. Philadelphia, April 4, 1851. I HFREBY certify, that I have carefully examined the bituminous coal frol HUlsW I^w Brunfdc,^^ '^^.'-^r I^ -taiSin foo';S;T?5tt^r; wS pts'eitrat1llS|l9.75 volatile -«er ? P^ l' t .^S 25 of fixed carbon, and 0.25 of ash ;-the two last makmg 38Y-2 S cVSof a ^ Itis shown to. be bituminous coa^ Vdfj.halt because it has a similar composition to some English Wtumlrcot ; and like them, swells up in coking, without a true fusion ; tcareT s nSle in boiling alcohol, oil of turpentine, and pure because It is mso b ^^ ^^^^^^^ in boiling ether ; and r''''«!thfwuctsof a careful distillation are different from those of aSalt I C careful^compared it in all these pmnts, with aspha t fro'm he Dead Sea or thai asphalt from which that substance derives its nre and characteristics, and have found it different from i^ in all. JAS. C. BOOlxl, Professor 'of Chemistry applied to the Arts, University of Pennsylvania. REPORT OF DR. FREDERICK PENxNEY, OF GLASGOW. Glasgow, 16th April, 1851. Tv oomnliancc with your request, I have made a general chemical exa- CJck 'Ty auJon Id cxpcriMont, .era dircCeJ oxcludvel, to ture of rrue coai^ an ^^ ^.^^^^^ j.^^^^^^^ therefore, be regarded as a .trLinSvC the common coal of Great Britain. I is remarkably iSit ImingT^^^ g-vity of 1,097, which is the lowest density of any coal I have had occasion to examine. 47 ? I A tLorough analysis of it gave me the following results Volatile matter, 61.0 Coke. I ^'^^ ^°^«' 100.0 It would yield a large proportion of very fine and rich gas for the pur- pose of illumination, and much more than the cannel or gas coal of Scot- land and England. It is perfectly free from pyrites, and hence the gas produced from it will not contain any injurious " sulphur ingredients." In coking, this coal swells very considerably, and the coke takes the form of the vessel in which it is made. The coke is extremely friable.^ and from its want of compactness it is, in my opinion, of inferior quaUty. The amount of incombustible ash contained in it is exceedingly small, and quite insignificant. Trusting that the above will be, in the mean time, a sufficient answer to your inquiry, I remain, sir. Yours, very faithfully, FREDERICK PENNEY, Professor of Chemistry, REPORT OF ROBERT FOULIS, ESQ., OF ST. JOHN, N. B. I CONSIDER the mineral found at the Duffy mine, in Albert county, N. B., now in the possession of Mr. Allison, to be a very pure bituminous coal. I designated it as asphaltic coal, merely from its containing a greater por- tion of bitumen than is common to the ordinary coal in use, and a les3 portion of earthy matter than is usually found in most kinds of pit coal causing it to have a smaller specific gravity. I have found it, on analysis, to contain the same constituents that are essential to common bituminous coal, namely — carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and azote. It is found, as to its geological position, in a coal formation, and encased in a true coal shale. Unlike asphaltum, it does not melt at the temperature of 212*^ ; nor does caustic potash dissolve the notable quantity of this coal that it does of asphaltum. Neither does the action of oils, petroleum, or sulphuret ether furnish the .same products with this coal, that these substances do when united with asphaltum. Like true coal, (when found at some depth,) this mineral has a regular and distinct cleavage of a laniellated character, which quite distin