A Reminiscence Of The Early Use Of Anthracite Coal

A local correspondent of the Pittsbtug Oomarierctal rites: " Anthracite eoal was diaoovered in Penusy Irania aoon after the settiement of the Wyoming YalW, but its íirst practical ose was by i Obediah (lose, iu his blacksmith shop, in the year 1708. Li 1791 Philip Orater discovered anthpaoite 011 tlie Lchigh. In I 1802 Robert Morris, of Philadwrphiíi, formed i eompany, aád purchaaed 6,000 aerea of the property on wHch GHnter Bsoovexed the coa! " The ooaJ compauy was called ' ïho Lehigh Coal Mine.' This oompaay openfld the mine, and foünd tlie veiu to be tittv Eeet tkiok, and lof the very best qntúlty of ooal. The company made every effort to Becure a domaoid for the eoáí, but without suc0688, and having become thorouglily disgnsted with tlwir spacolation, leaeedthe (i, 000 acres of' this mammoth ooal field to Messrs. White & Hazard, of Philadolphia, [or twenty years, at mi anniíal renta] of one car of oom. Messrs. White & Hazard tried to uae the ooa] in the blastfnrnaoe in 1826, but faüed ; tbe f umaees chiUed. In 1K31 Neilson conoeivedthe idea of the hof Mast for saving fuel, and ui 1883 David Thomas adopted the idea oí the hot blaat and antliracile together. White & Eazftrd had, preró)tts to this, formed a company and booght the property. in 1839 David Thomas made fhe use of antliracite for making pig metal a succéss, by ■vhich tlu! tv.-cniv eftxa of oom were transferred into 20,000,000. And this ia the early history of the great Lchigl] coal mines of the present day. I remember well the bonquet given by Burd Pattersonand Nicholas Biddle at.Mount Oaxbon, iu 18-10, at whieh üme they paid William Lynian, propxietoi of tlie, Piooeer Pamaoo, $5,000, the premium öiey had offered for the first Buocessful use of anthracite coal as fnel in the blaat furaace. But David Thomas was the lion of the day. It was he whoshowed them how to (lo it, and hale and hearty today, as then, he stands a worthy repreaeiitativo of Bcience. Long muy he live, and peaceful be liis (1 ';itli, and may the memory of his deeds novel be forgptten by Pennsylvanift. lie is a master meckanic, and I should be pleased to sims the Chair @i Mettallurgy in the Meehanios' High School of Pemwylvaiiia, i marked Thomas."