Cannel coal (from canny', ((a candle), is black or brownish, has a dull lustre, does not soil the fingers and shows few or no traces of vegetable structure. It grades into bitumi nous shale. It contains from 40 to 60 per cent of volatile matter, lights readily, burns with a steady flame, and is used as a fuel for open grates, but chiefly for enriching gas made from other coal. It is mined in the United States at Cannelburg, Ind., and in the Jellico district, Ky.
Anthracite, called also hard coal, is black with a black powder and does not soil the fingers. The specific gravity is 1.3 to 1.75. It kindles slowly, but, owing to the high per centage of fixed carbon, burns without smolce and gives an intense heat. It was formerly much used in this country for smelting iron and is still used as a steam fuel, but its chief use is for household purposes.
Generally speaking, the less water, ash and sulphur in a coal the better. The water must be evaporated before the coal burns; ash repre sents inert matter and sulphur is objectionable for several reasons. A first-class coal should not contain over 6 or 7 per cent of ash and a good gas coal should have less than .7 per cent sulphur.
The following table gives the composition of some representative American lignites and coals: Coal Fields of the World.--North Amer ica, Europe and Asia contain the great coal fields of the world. In southern Africa, in Australia and in New Zealand are deposits of importance. Only small and disconnected areas are known in South America and the only mines worked on a large scale are in Chile and Argentina. As to Asia, the coal fields of China are vast and of great promise but are still practically undeveloped. Coal is abundant in India and Burma and the output is increas ing fast, particularly from the mines in Ben gal. The rather small coal field of Japan is being opened rapidly. The chief coal-pro ducing states of Australia are New South Wales andQueensland. The South African mines are in Cape Colony, Natal and the Trans vaal.
Great Britain long led the world in coal-pro duction, but was passed by the United States in 1899. The important coal fields of Great Britain lie in southern Scotland, stretching, with inter ruptions, from the coast of Ayr to the mouth of the Firth of Forth; in the north of England, in Durham and Northumberland counties; in central England, where the several fields worked include parts of 10 counties, the most important being Yorkshire and Lancashire; in the west of England, near Bristol, and in the Forest of Dean; and the very important South Wales field in the counties of Monmouth (England), and Glamorgan and Carmarthen (Wales), this field producing the best coal mined in Great Britain.
On the continent of Europe, Germany, France, Belgium, Russia, Austria-Hungary, Italy, Sweden and Spain have coal fields of more or less importance. The French coal fields may be grouped in three divisions, those of the north, of the centre and of the south. The northern field, in the departments du Nord and Pas de Calais, extends into Belgium. The fields of central France are generally small and irregular, the most important being in the department of the Loire. In the south of France the coal fields of Alais and of the Aveyron are of some importance. The coal field of Belgium is a narrow belt extending across the country, ex cept for a short interruption, from the Pas de Calais in France to the Aix-la-Chapelle coal field in Prussia.
Of the German states, Prussia has the largest and best coal fields. These include the Aix-la-Chapelle and the Eschweiler ; the very important coal fields of the Ruhr, or of Westphalia; and, extending into Bavaria, the Saarbriicken field, perhaps the most remark able in Europe for the number of seams and total thickness of coal. In the extreme south east of Prussia are the important and com paratively undeveloped coal fields of Silesia at the head waters of the river Oder. Of the other German states, Saxony is a considerable producer of coal, the most important mines being near Zwickau.
In Austria-Hungary, coal fields extend from Lower Silesia into Bohemia, and from Upper Silesia into Moravia with mines near Schlan, Radnitz and Pilsen. There are also great deposits of lignite, extensively developed near Einbogen and Bilin, and valuable mines of lig nitic-bituminous coal near Ffinfkirchen in southern Hungary and about Syria and Ca rinthia in the Austrian Alps.