Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1891-11-25
Texas LigniteS.
Special to the Gazette.


AUSTIN, TEX, Nov. 24.-Previous inves-
LEGATIONS by the geological department into
the ligniteS of Texas, and estimates of their
value as fuel Tor various purposes, are con-
firmed and strengthened by Professor Dunn
ble's preliminary report on the utilization
of Ignite. He found on his recent visit to
Germany, that Ignite is used there quite
generally and very extensively, both in the
raw and manufactured state. He found,
also, that there are there, as here, several
varieties OF it, differing from each other in
quality and excellence. There is not much
difference either in appearance or quality
between the best Ignite and stonecoal.
The lower grades of it contain a large per-
centage of water. and vary as to the pur-
poses for which they may be utilized, and
the form in which they are made most
available. Some grades should be pressed
into bricks, or briquettes, as the Europeans
call them, when they become as valuable as
stone coal for fuel. Other forms of Ignite
are utilized in the manufacture of parafline,
tar, oils, etc, being rich IN all those sub
stances.
The Texas lignites vary in quality as the
European beds do, and are no less extern
sive. The beds or basins of Ignite extend
in belt, diagonally across the state from
Northeast Texas to the Rio Grande in Webb
county. In almost every county through
which this wide belt runs, beds of it are
lOui4 VI luS lIOli d It"
inches to several feet. This belt is called
in geology the eocene tertiary, and lies jus.
east and alongside of the black-waxy belt.
Ignite lacks the hardness and consis-
tency of coal 1t is coal in an imperfect or
unfinished state, and differs from peat in
being further advanced to the coal stage.
1t is very friable and breaks up or pulver-
ICES rapidly on exposure to the air. The
harder varieties are less friable. There
can be no doubt of the value OF Ignite as a
fuel. 1t may require stoves, CRATES and
furnaces of peculiar patterns for burning
it, and some varieties will have to be
pressed into bricks to render them useful
for fuel purposes, aud others will perhaps
yield the best returns from being worked
up into oils, tar, paratfine. etc. The main
question is as TO the commercial value of
Ignite. Unless it can be delivered at the
furnace, CRATE or stove as cheap or cheaper
than wood or coal. its use as q fuel will be
delayed for some time. In the crude state
it has from 80 to IS per cent of the heating
power OF ordinary stonecoal. Pressed into
bricks, its heating power is said to be equal
to that of coal But the probabilities are
that coal will be cheaper, because of the
cost of making Ignite bricks. That how
ever, may not be the case. 1t is not i'm
probable that a way could be found
of converting Ignite at the
beds into gas, heat or electricity, and trans
lllttlIS INC cHSiSs " glass "OThS VI OtleE
sort of factories, where it could be utilized
to advantage. The accomplishment of this
is not beyond the reach of the modern
scientist, and may in the near future solve
the problem of manufactures in Texas.
There is a world Of energy stored up in the
Texas lignites, which, if applied in the
manner indicated, could convert into manu-
featured fabrics all the wool. cotton and
other raw materials produced in the state
So far as known, very little Ignite is be-
ing burned in the state. Attempts have
been made to mine and market it, but for
some reason the ventures did not pan out as
expected, perhaps because people did not
know how to use it, or preferred wood or
coal. to which they had become accustomed
A San Antonio brewer is SAID to burn it in
one OF his furnaces in order to keep down
the price of coal, of which he burns great
deal