Arkansas weekly mansion., 1885-11-21
ANTHRACITE COAL.
The Various Sizes Used aud How Calm
Has neen uiiiisrd.

Tho vsriou, Sizes u.ed aud How Calm
lila. Been uiliised.
II 10 but a few years ago that slovo
coal was the smallest size into which
anthracite was broken for market In
fact, from the time anthracite was In
troduacd until comparatively recent
date consumers Of coal purchased Il in
the lamp and broke 1t 10, suit them +,
selves. Coal was used for many years
simply for heating purposes, the idea of
a coal burning cooking.stove no, being
thought OF until long aficrward. with
the Introduction Of coal.burning cook.
ing stoves began the breaking OF coal
nto sizes that could be satisfactorily
used on their gratcs. Stove coal hsd
hecn In use for years before chestnut
coal was introduced by tho Delaware
4 Hudson Canal Company. The size
was long ganing in public favor, but
about ten years ago became the
most popular anthracite fuel. both
for cooking aud heating stoves. -Four
or five Years ago the same company
tried the experiment OF screening q size
10 which was given tho name of pea
coal. This was so small, that consum'
crs Jwcrc still longer in seeing an nd-
vantage In II than thcy had been in tho
ease Of tho chestnut size, Experience
has shown, however, that pea coal has
advantages which are NOT possessed by
tho chestnut, and according to the rc-
ports OF coal tales u the Delaware n
Hudson Canal Company horc for tho
last month the sales Of pea coal exceed.
cd those Of chestnut No one believed
that q 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 this
name OF "buckwhcal." For this sizc
an extensive market has been found IN
tho Hudson River steamboat mon having
found Il Il superior foel fer their boilers.
The most notable features Of the nn-
.hmcitc conl fields are tho great inoun.
tains OF black waste from tho 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 han Hing and storing
OF the waste, which until within u short
time was looked upon MS entirely worth
less. For years Inventors laborcd to
devise some system by which these mill
lions Of tons of culm could bo utilized.
Ingenious machinery has bncn patented
having that end IN view Tho culm, by
means Of this machinery, has boon
pressed, In bricks. with other CON.
bustible mattcr, companies with large
capitals beng engaged in tho effort to
thus make the cum practical aud
valuable fuel. While engaged In
trials upon the waste itself no
inventor seemed TO have thought
Of dcvlsing a furnace or draught by
which the oulm could bo utilized with
out any treatment, Just rs II came from
the heaps, until tanncry engineer.
working whore culm was abundant. one
day fixed simple attachment to the
draught Of his furnace and found that
he could not only use culm without any
difficulty, but that II was better fuel
than any no had previously used. Since
then innnorics, sawmllls glass factor
Ice and all kinds of mnnufHctorles us.
Ing atcAm have utilized the fuel TO q
great extent, and the coal companies,
In this region nj lcast have found In
what has Tor hAlf century been cum
bersome aud unsightly waste a prohtn-
bio adjunct 10 their business. There
was at Rondout. At tho other end Of
tho canal, ono OF tho establishments
sndenvorlng TO maxi tho cnlm Into
bricks Of fuel, but u long since gave
up thu business as lmpracticable.--
Honesdaie (fa.) Hcrdh