The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1892-06-04

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0saanpdAsas fr0n 1xine g nm. IS
ine now plan Of pumping coal through
papes from the mines 10 fhe CENTER ~
ptl0n y attracting widespread It
eensaon. The belief Is growing that Il
VAL af1ord . practical solution Of the
problem Of cheap transportation and
prove an ehectual check to the monouo-
nst.c schemes Of the coal carrying rail-
road managers.
Inc coal Is to be pulverized at the
mouth or the mine, where it can be done
most cheaply and at an average cost of
three cents per ton. It will also ha
passed through water boxes and purified
oy well known process in practical
use and which can be done for five cents
per ton. 1t is admitted that the value
OF coal thus pulverized and purified Ia
much enhanced to the consumer, equal
10 at least the small cost of doing it. It
Is not good commercial practice to send
sulphurets of iron, dirt and slate to mar
ket In coal and mixed with the coal, re-
sultlng In 10 to Is per cent. of ash and
clinker when burned.
Mr.. W. G. Andrews said to me: "As
70 the cost of sending coal by pipe,
nave demonstrated the easy flow of the
mixture at half and half. Where the
world has been mistaken is that it is
supposed that this mixture would clog
up the pipes. | find that there is no
tendency whatever to do this. Another
wrong impression has been that people
supposed the coal to be so very much
heavier than the water, that is, much
heavier than it really is. The fact is
that when pulverized to fine powder
measure for measure, coal is the highest.
because of the air it contains. When
| sent through the pipe line, however, and
delivered into tank or settling ponds and
becoming quiescent. it settles very
readily; 30 per cent. will settle the first
hour and the balance say over night,
and the water is ready to be drawn off
the next morning.
I'm this condition of moist substance
of pure coal, it is all ready to be im1ne-
| dlately put into cooking ovens by chain
conveyors or other convenient method,
or used for making gas When de-
nVered to be used under steam boilers.
| the small amount of moisture remain
ing can be evaporated, and when the
| dry powder of bituminous coal is blown
into the 6rebox the atoms will explode
| and form the next best fuel to natural
| gas. For domestic use it will be made
| into brlquettes, as is now done extern
sively in Europe. The cost of making
briquettes is quite moderate"
1t Is claimed that among the other ad-
| vantages Of the new method of trans
portation are the facilities of tapping the
pipes en- route at any point where de
sired for delivery and the cheap termi-
nails or places of deposit. Mr.. Andrews
declares that any ground can be leveed
with suitable embankment of earth and
divided into ponds of acres in extent as
may be required for large storage or
places of deposit, and far better and
cheaper than the present methods of re-
| ceiving and storing coal
The question is asked, Will this in
jure the railroads? The answer is, No
Anything that promotes the general in
terests of society, that builds up cities
and towns by stimulating established
industries and creating new ones, bene.
fits railroads. Mr.. Andrews takes no
stock whatever in the fear that q dis
covery or an invention. however i'm
portant. which shall prove of real bene-
fit. such as the introduction of cheaper
and better fuel. will injure anybody or
anything. The law of compensation is
always at work.-New York Telegram.
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