70

MR. BURNETT'S REMARKS.

REMARKS ON THE WOOLWICH REPORTS OF
TRIALS OF GREY AND BULLER COAL; and
the tables calculated from these reports,
showing the relative value of these com-
pared with North of England, Welsh, and
New South Wales coal.

The samples of coal both from the Grey
and Buller were taken within a few feet
of the outcrop and almost close to the surface,
and it is only fair to conclude (as indeed the
recent working at the Grey has demonstrated)
that the quality of the coal will improve as
the works are continued further from the out-
crop and deeper below the surface. It is to
be presumed that the North of England,
Welsh, and New South Wales Coal (being
from actual working mines) would be a fair
average of the mineral in its full perfection;
and in the case of the two former probably
from the mines; whereas that from
the Grey and Buller was mere outcrop coal,
not tested for more than 16 months after it
was worked, and after being broken and
deteriorated by shipping, reshipping, carting,
packing, and conveying to the other side of
the world; so it is only reasonable to conclude
that samples of these coals, a moderate depth
from the surface (such as will be produced
when the mines are actually worked), tested
under favorable circumstances would
contrast still better than they do at present.

When the Grey and Buller Coal was
packed in boxes at Nelson the dead small was
taken out and put in bags, but was not
intended to be sent to England; however, by
mistake it was sent; and to this accident we
are indebted for one of the most valuable
results of these trials viz. that "the coal in
bags" (see 2nd Report), i.e. the dead small,
is very nearly equal to any other part of the
coal. This is a most important quality, as it
does away with the necessity of screening, by
which a considerable percentage of other coal
is wasted; the small of Welsh coal particu-
larly is almost useless. Another very valu-
able property is the small quantity of clinker
and ash contained in this coal, and what little
clinker there is, does not stick to the bars;
the amount of disagreeable labor saved by
this can only be thoroughly appreciated by
the working stoker. Indeed it appears that
no stoking whatever is required, "but that
a small increase of the water evaporated per
hour is obtained when the fires are stoked."
This is shown very clearly n table No. IV.,
2nd part, where, in the trials of dead small
6.11 per cent. more water is evaporated in a
given time when the fires are stoked; so it
may be presumed that had the coal in bags
been stoked the result would have been
better in like proportion.

Table No. IV. is a condensation of the infor-
mation contained in the reports and tables
and shows at a glance the comparative value
of each kind of coal tested.

It is interesting to compare the results of
minute and elaborate trials at Woolwich, with
the trials of the same coal on board local
steamers in 1861, (published in the New
Zealand Gazette, Feb. 15, 1862), for it will
be seen that in almost every respect they
agree exactly.

There was only one trial of Buller coal as
only 2 tons were sent to England, owing to
the difficulty of carrying it from the mine to
the port without roads; but it will be seen
that even this one trial shows a result almost
equal to the best, as it is only one per cent.
below Welsh coal in evaporating water in
a given time (see table No. IV., 2nd part).
It is rather singular that Mr. Trickett in his
report says the Buller coal does not cake,
whereas I know from experience that it does
cake, but not so freely as the Grey; possibly
it was so much deteriorated before reaching
Woolwich that its caking qualities were des-
troyed.

From all the trials we have a right to con-
clude that West Coast coal is 15 per cent.
better than either average North of England
or New South Wales coal; and very much
superior indeed in the matter of clinker and
ash. This is a matter of the utmost impor-
tance in the damage service particularly
where the whole distance from Wellington to
the Isthmus is to be performed by rather
small steamers without a coaling station.
This is expected to occupy about 20 days, and
as engines of 500 horse-power will probably
consume about 50 tons a day, 1,000 tons at
least will be required for the run: now if
West Coast coal was used there would be a
saving of 150 tons on this, and consequently
150 tons more space would be available for
cargo and passengers: This of itself would be
an important item in the balance-sheet of the
company.

JAMES BURNETT,
Colliery Viewer.

Nelson, May 11th, 1866.