PRELIMINARY REPORT
ON THE
UTILIZATION OF LIGNITES
Hon. John E. Hollingsworth, Commissioner of Agriculture, Insurance, Statistics and History:
SIR—
In accordance with your instructions, under an act of the Legislature directing an investigation into the methods of using lignite in Europe, I visited the principal deposits of browncoals in Germany and Austria, compared the different varieties with those of Texas, and examined the various methods of utilizing them.
While the limited time which I could give to this investigation prevented my visiting the deposits of France and Italy, the results are so satisfactory, full and conclusive, that an inspection of these localities was not absolutely necessary, although it would doubtless have been instructive in many ways.
Throughout my entire trip I met with the kindest attention and with the most ready and valuable assistance from the geologists and mining officers, both public and private; and it was only through the opportunities thus afforded that I was enabled, in the time at my disposal, to cover so much ground and gather the necessary information. In the following report, which must be regarded as merely preliminary, I have summarized the results of my investigations. As soon as I can prepare it, a full report will be made which will contain many details, references and descriptions which cannot be included here.
EUROPEAN BROWNCOAL.
The browncoal of Europe may be divided into four general classes, viz,: 1, Lignite; 2, Common Browncoal; 3, Pech Coal; 4, Glance Coal-all of which have representatives in Texas.
LIGNITE.
In Germany and Austria this term is only used to designate such fossil fuel as fully retains its woody character and fiber. It is usually found accompanying other varieties of browncoal, and consists of those fragments of the original woody material from which the beds were formed that have escaped maceration and decomposition. In some places, however, when conditions were favorable to its preservation it forms the main body of the deposit. Sometimes it occurs surrounded by earthy browncoal, and often has particles of fatty browncoal or jet inclosed with it, following the rings of growth. Much of it as it comes