Iron County register., 1885-11-12
ANTHRACITE COAL.
The Various Sizes Used and How Calm
Has Been Utilized.

The Various Sizes Used and How Calm
Has Been Utilized.
1t is but a few years ago that stove
coal was the smallest size into which
anthracite was broken for market. In
fact, from the time anthracite was In
troduced until comparatively recent
date consumers of coal purchased it in
the lamp and broke it to suit them
selves. Coal was used for many years
simply for heating purposes, the idea of
coal burning cooking-stove not being
thought of until long aften1nId. With
the Introduction of coal cook
ing stoves began the eoal
into sizes that coul WI
used on their graf
was
most Pc
for cooking anoo Ddr
or five wears ago Pany
tried the experiment Or a size
to which was given the nSke of pea
coal. This was so small. that consum-
ers Iwere still longer in seeing an ad-
vantage in it than they had been in the
case of the chestnut size. Experience
has shown, however, that pea coal has
advantages which are not possessed by
the chestnut, and according to the re-
ports of coal GALES of the Delaware &
Hudson Canal Company here for the
last month the sales of pea coal exceed
ed those of chestnut. No one believed
that smaller size than pea coal could
ever be marketable. but the Canal Com
pany recently began the screening of a
coal so small that it was given tn"
name of ..buckwheat." For tk.s s,~e
an extensive market has been fnuuc. on
the Hudson River steamboat men having
found it a superior fuel for their boilers.
The most notable features of the an
thracite coal fields are the great noun
"tains of black waste from the mines
and coal piles which has been given the
name of culm. Fifteen per cent. of all
the anthracite mined goes to the culm
dumps, and millions of dollars are rep
resented in land, machinery and labor
necessary for the handling and storing
of the waste. which until within short
time was looked upon as entirely worth
less. For wears inventors labored to
devise some system by which these mil
lions of tons of culm could bc utilized.
Ingenious machinery has been patented
having that end in view. The culm, by
means of this machinery. has been
pressed, in bricks, with other COM
bustible matter, companies with large
capitals being engaged in the effort to
thus make the culm practical and
valuable fuel While engaged in
trials upon the waste itself no
inventor seemed to have thought
of devising furnace OF draught by
which the culm could be utilized with
out any treatment, just as it came from
the heaps. until a tannery engineer.
working where culm was abundant. one
day fixed q simple attachment to the
draught of his furnace and found that
he could not only use culm without any
difficulty, but that it was better fuel
than any he had previously used. Since
then tanneries. sawmills. glass factor
les and all kinds of manufactures us
ing steam have utilized the fuel to a
great extent. and the coal companies.
in this region at least, have found in
what has for half century been cum
bersome and unsightly waste a profita-
BILE adjunct to their business. There
was at Rondout, at the other end of
the canal. one OF the establishments
endeavoring to make the culm into
bricks of fuel, but it long since gave
up the business as impractica able.-
HOuesIn1e (Pu0 Herald