Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 6.djvu/72

Rh 58 GOAL [COAL-FIELDS iron-smelting. The annual production is about 260,000 tons. Similar coals occur in the Lias at Dreukowa, and near Fiinfkirchen, where there are 25 workable seams, together about 80 feet thick, also of a good coking quality, but very tender in working, making a great deal of slack. Secondary coals occur in the Trias and Oolitic strata at various points in the Alps, but are only of local interest. In the Gosau strata belonging to the chalk, coaL is worked at various points in the Alpine lands, the average annual production being about 25, 000 tons. Eocene coals occur in Dalmatia, and Miocene lignite in the Vienna basin in Southern Moravia, one seam, about 10 feet thick, cover ing an area of about 120 square miles. In the Styria-Hun- garian Tertiary basin, Tertiary coals are developed on a very great scale, especially in Styria, at Salgo Tarjan in N. Hungary, and in the depression between the Matra and the crystalline rocks of Upper Hungary. These localities represent only those best known by workings, many more being undeveloped. The lignite beds are often of great thickness, e.g., 70 feet at Hrastuigg, and 130 feet at Trifail. The production of Tertiary coal in Styria is about 500,000 tons annually. At Leoben and Fohnsdorf, lignites are worked of a quality closely approaching to that of Carboni ferous coal, and are largely consumed in the production of iron and steel, having almost entirely replaced charcoal in the local forges. In Bohemia, Miocene brown coal strata cover a very large area, the principal basins being those of Eger, Carlsbad, and Teplitz, together about COO square miles, the main seam occasionally attaining a thickness of over 100 feet, The trade in this coal is very considerable along the entire valley of the Elbe. The coal-fields of Russia have been but imperfectly known until a comparatively recent period, when the de mand for fuel caused by the extension of railways and the increase in manufacturing industries has stimulated ex plorations, which have resulted in the discovery of coal- bearing strata of considerable magnitude and extent. These belong to the period of the Carboniferous limestone, like the lower coals of Scotland. In Central Russia the coal-bearing area belonging to the Carboniferous limestone is said to cover about 13,000 square miles, the centre of the basin being at Tula, S. of Moscow. There are two principal seams, 3 ft. G in. and 7 feet thick, in the bottom of the series near the top of the Old Red Sandstone. The coal is of inferior quality, con taining about 12 to 16 per cent, of ash, and from 2 to 5 per cent, of sulphur. In Southern Russia, between the river Donetz and the head of the sea of Azoff, a more important coal-field occurs, also in the Carboniferous limestone, covering an area. of 11,000 square miles. There are sixty seams of coal, forty- four being workable, with a total thickness of 114 feet. The best is a dry or semi-anthracitic coal, resembling that of South Wales. At Lugan and Lissitchia Balka, a thick ness of 30 feet of coal is found in 900 feet of strata. In the Ural, coal is found in sandstones, iuterstratified in the Carboniferous limestone in the district north of Perm, between the parallels of 57 and 60 N. latitude. The strata dip at a high angle to the west, under the Permian strata. The thickest coals are at Lithwinsk at the northern end, where there are three seams worked, measuring from 30 to 40 feet each ; further south they become thinner. The coals appear to be similar in quality to those of the central coal-field. In Poland, about Bendzin and Lagorze, N. of Myslo- witz, an extension of the Upper Silesian coal-field covers an area of about 80 square miles, being partly covered by Permian strata. Nine seams of coal are known, varying from 3 to 20 feet in thickness ; but they do not occur to gether, except in a small part of the centre of the basm. The aggregate thickness of coal is about 60 feet. This is the only district in which true coal measure strata are found in European Russia. Among the southern countries of Europe, the first place Span must be given to the coal-fields of Spain, but even these are of comparatively small importance, when measured by a northern standard, consisting of a few small and scattered basins, in which both Carboniferous and Secondary coals are represented. The Carboniferous limestone acquires a con siderable development in the Cantabrian chain along the north coast, and is associated with overlying coal measures near Oviedo and Leon. In the former area the coals are often considerably disturbed, becoming anthracitic at the same time. The best seams are from 5 to 8 feet thick. In the Satero valley near Sotillo, N.E, of Leon, a seam called El Carmen, averaging 60 feet, is sometimes 100 feet thick, and is said to be in places associated with another which is occasionally 180 feet thick. Another basin of importance is that of Belmez and Espiel, occupying a narrow valley iu older Palajozoic strata, about 20 miles north of Cordova, which has recently been traversed by a railway connecting it with the main lines from Lisbon and Cadiz. This pro duces coking and gas coals of good quality, which are in considerable demand for smelting in the lead and other mineral districts in the neighbourhood. The other principal localities are at Villaneuva del Rio near Seville, and San Juan de la Abaderas in Catalonia. Coals of Neocomian age are found at Montalban, in the province of Teruel, and lignites of Miocene age, among other places, at Alcoy in Valencia, and Galas in Catalonia. In Portugal a small tract of lower Carboniferous strata, Portuga containing anthracite, occurs at San Pedro de Cova, near Coimbra, but the produce is very small. In Italy there is very little Carboniferous coal, what does Italy. occur being mainly of an anthracitic character in very dis turbed strata in the Piedmontese Alps. Tertiary lignites are worked at several places in Tuscany and in Naples, but the total output is inconsiderable when measured by the standards of more northern countries. Extra-European Coal-fields. In Turkey, Carboniferous coal is found at Heraclea in Turkey. Asia Minor, and has been worked from time to time, but hitherto without much influence upon the coal produce of Europe. Lignites are known to occur near Smyrna, and in the Lebanon and various other points in Syria. It is doubtful whether any Carboniferous coal exists in Africa. Africa. Coal-bearing strata, probably of the age of the New Red Sandstone, the so-called Karoo beds, cover a con siderable area, both in the Cape Colony and Natal, but little is known of the details of the coal-beds beyond state ments of the excellence of the quality of the coals. Lig nite occurs in the high lands of Abyssinia, and probably at numerous other points in the interior. The coal-bearing strata of India occur in numerous de- India, tached basins, which are widely distributed over the whole peninsula, their aggregate area, however, being but small. The principal development is in the valley of the Damodar river, one of the southern tributaries of the Hugli, the largest coal field being that of Raniganj, on the line of th a East Indian Railway, about 140 miles W. of Calcutta, wluch covers an area of about 500 square miles. It is a basin resting upon crystalline schists, and partly covered by Triassic sandstones iu the centre, and by jungle and alluvium, to the eastward, so that the real area is not yet known. The strata are divisible into three series as follows : Upper or Raniganj series coal-bearing. Middle or Ironstone series no coals. Lower or Barrakur series coal-bearing.