The Story of a Piece of Coal: What it Is, Whence it Comes, and Whither it GoesS.S. McClure, 1896 - 168 páginas |
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Términos y frases comunes
Acrogens ammonia amongst aniline dyes aniline oil anthracite appears bark become beds of coal beneath benzene bituminous coal burns calamite carbonic acid carboniferous caused chemical clay club-mosses coal-beds coal-field coal-measures coal-mine coal-seams Coal-shale coal-tar coke colour combustion conifers constituents contained Davy lamp deposited diamond distillation encrinites existence explosion extent fact feet of coal feet thick fire-damp flame forest formation formed fossil fractional distillation fuel gases graphite heat hydrogen illuminating impurities iron known lamps land layer Lepidodendron less lignite lime living ferns mass matter mineral mines naphtha nature nitrobenzene obtained owing paraffin pass peat pecopteris petroleum plants portion production proportion quantity result retorts river sand sandstone seams of coal sediment shaft shale sigillaria species spores square miles stem stigmaria strata substance sulphuric acid supplies surface tion toluidine trees trunk underclays vapour various vegetation ventilation volatile whilst
Pasajes populares
Página 67 - In the Falkland Islands almost every kind of plant, even the coarse grass which covers the whole surface of the land, becomes converted into this substance...
Página 28 - A single trunk of Sigillaria in an erect forest, presents an epitome of a coal-seam. Its roots represent the Stigmaria underclay; its bark the compact coal; its woody axis, the mineral charcoal; its fallen leaves (and fruits), with remains of herbaceous plants growing in its shade, mixed with a little earthy matter, the layers of coarse coal. The condition of the durable outer bark of erect trees concurs with the chemical theory of coal, in showing the especial suitableness of this kind of tissue...
Página 66 - In Tierra del Fuego, above the region of woodland, the former of these eminently sociable plants is the chief agent in the production of peat. Fresh leaves are always succeeding one to the other, round the central tap root; the lower ones soon decay; and in tracing a root...
Página 102 - This is that pernicious smoke which sullys all her glory, superinducing a sooty crust or furr upon all that it lights, spoiling the moveables, tarnishing the plate, gildings and furniture, and corroding the very iron bars and hardest stones with those piercing and acrimonious spirits which accompany its sulphur, and executing more in one year than exposed to the pure air of the country it would effect in some hundreds.
Página 131 - ... Travers in the canton of Neufchatel ; but the most remarkable deposit of bitumen in the world is the celebrated Great Pitch Lake in the island of Trinidad. With regard to its formation, Sir Charles Lyell remarks that the Orinoco, which discharges its vast volume of water right opposite to the island, has for ages been rolling down great quantities of woody and vegetable bodies into the surrounding sea, where, by the influence of currents and eddies, they may be arrested and accumulated in particular...
Página 67 - I was told by a Spanish resident, who had visited Ireland, that he had often sought for this substance, but had never been able to find any. He showed me, as the nearest approach to it which he had discovered, a black peaty soil, so penetrated with roots as to allow of an extremely slow and imperfect...
Página 131 - Iransf'M-mations or chemical changes which produce petroleum ; and this may, by the same causes, be forced up to the surface, where, by exposure to the air, it becomes inspissated, and forms the different varieties of pure and earthy pitch, or asphaltum, so abundant in the island.
Página 111 - The quasi monopoly so long enjoyed by gas companies has had the inevitable effect of checking progress. The gas being supplied by meter, it has been seemingly to the advantage of the companies to give merely the prescribed illuminating power, and to discourage the invention of economical burners, in order that the consumption might reach a maximum. The application of gas for heating purposes has not been encouraged, and is still made difficult, in consequence of the objectionable practice of reducing...
Página 102 - This is that pernicious smoake which sullyes all her glory, superinducing a sooty crust or furr upon all that it lights, spoyling the moveables, tarnishing the plate, gildings, and furniture, and corroding the very iron bars and hardest stones, with those piercing and acrimonious spirits which accompany its sulphur ; and executing more in one year, than...
Página 104 - Edinburgh, last year, that the fine dust resulting from the imperfect combustion of coal is mainly instrumental in the formation of fog ; each particle of solid matter attracting to itself aqueous vapour ; these globules of fog are rendered particularly tenacious and disagreeable by the presence of tar vapour, another result of imperfect combustion of raw fuel, which might be turned to much better account at the dye-works. The hurtful influence of smoke upon public health, the great personal discomfort...