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'Coal
var: Anthracite'  | | | | |
Lansfordite (TL)  | | | | Type Locality: | Nesquehoning Coal Mine, Nesquehoning, Lansford, Carbon Co., Pennsylvania, USA | | Habit: | encrustations, stalagtitic with crystal faces at the terminations | | Colour: | white, with notable waxy luster, translucent to opaque | | Description: | Originally discovered by F. J. Keeley and D. M. Stackhouse on the walls and roof of the #1 Tunnel, adjacent to the "fifty foot vein" about 2000' from the entrance. stalagtitic deposits, some with crystal faces at the terminations, and an almost waxy luster were observed. Aided by F. A. Genth, the new species was established. After returning to the collection site, all remaining deposits of "Lansfordite" were removed from the walls and ceiling. It was observed at the site that an alteration of the mineral seemed to have occurred. The the appearence was now chalky white, not waxy. upon testing it was found that the formula remained the same, however with much less water, and thus, another new species "Nesqueonite" was named. Several remaining specimens of "Lansfordite", were housed in the Harvard University collection and preserved in linseed oil and mine water and kerosene, in hopes of preserving it's original compsition. These were later x-ray tested and determined that they too had altered to Nesquehonite. To date [2005], there are no known specimens of Lansfordite remaining from this locality, and no new occurrence has been observed from there since the original find in 1887. | | Reference: | [Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 226; The Mineralogy of Pennsylvania 1922-1965, A Montgomery. pgs 64-65. ref.2) The Mineralogy of Pennsylvania (1874-1922); S. Gordon pg. 68] |
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Nesquehonite (TL) | | | | Type Locality: | Nesquehoning Coal Mine, Nesquehoning, Lansford, Carbon Co., Pennsylvania, USA | | Habit: | prismatic crystals, fiberous, balded masses, cryptocrystalline chalk-like pseudomorph | | Colour: | grey to white, transparent to almost opaque | | Description: | Originally discovered as the new mineral "Lansfordite" on the walls and roof of the #1 Tunnel, adjacent to the "fifty foot vein" about 2000' from the entrance, by F. J. Keeley and D. M. Stackhouse. After returning to the collection site, all remaining deposits of supposed "Lansfordite" were removed from the walls and ceiling. It was observed at the site that an alteration of the mineral seemed to have occurred. The appearence was now chalky white, not waxy. Upon testing it was found that the formula remained the same, however with much less water, and thus, another new species "Nesqueonite" was named. Several remaining specimens of the original find of "Lansfordite", housed in the Harvard University collection and preserved in linseed oil, and in mine water and kerosene in hopes of preserving it's original compsition, were x-ray tested and determined that they too had altered to Nesquehonite. To date [2005], no new occurence has been observed from this locality since the original find in 1887. | | Reference: | [Palache, C., Berman, H., & Frondel, C. (1951), The System of Mineralogy of James Dwight Dana and Edward Salisbury Dana, Yale University 1837-1892, Volume II: 226, 230; The Mineralogy of Pennsylvania 1922-1965, A Montgomery. pgs 64-65. ref.2) The Mineralogy of Pennsylvania (1874-1922); S. Gordon pg. 68] |
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