The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-10-08
facts ABOUT Use OF CULM
Professor Harvey E. Mole, Of Cornell.
Asks for Them.
SECRETARY ATHERTON'S REPLY
To the Effect That Scranton Possesses an
Incxhaustnbie Supply Of That Kind
OF Cheap Fuei-Growins Agita.
tiOn About Use Of Culm.

At frequent intervals there comes to
the board OF trades secretary, ID. Il.
Atherton, some new assurance that
culm as a fuel is beyond simple theory
and is receiving practical as well as
scientific attention. This is illustrated
in letter received yesterday from one
of the lecturers of the mechanical engi-
neering department of Cornell univer-
sity and asking for facts and figures
which might be used in a lecture to the
students. The letter Is as follows:
ID. II. Atherton. Esq, Secretary Board of
Trade. Scranton, Pa.
Dear Sir-l am preparing a paper to be
read before the students in the mechanical
engineering course at Cornell on "Anthr:t-
cite Culm for Fuel Purposes" and l take
the liberty of writing to you and asking
you to send me any circulars or reading
matter you have relating to the subject.
The culm piles, as remember them, are
very close to Scranton and consequently
just where a manufacturing plant would
be established.
In the event that a large manufacturing
center be established at Scranton, and in
time thus reduce the present culm piles,
would the culm from the daily mining OF
coal be sufficient to supply this center?
and. also. Is any particular kind OF fire
crate needed for burning the culm?
Hoping you can lend me some assist
ance In this matter ] am, respectfully,
Harvey Il. Mole.
Ithaca. N. Y. Oct. s.
Reply of Secctary Athcrton.
Secretary Atherton's reply to the
foregoing was as follows.
Harvey Il. Mole. Ithaca N Y.
Dear Sir-Replying to your valued favor
of the 5th inst, | send you under sepa-
rate cover u copy of our twenty-fourth an
nual report, which contains an article on
cheap fuel that will aid you in preparing
your paper The supply of culm in this
valley Is ineXhaustible, and in the event
of the many enormous piles being entire
ly used for fuel purposes, the daily min
ing would be sufficient to supply any or
dinary demand for the next fifty or one
hundred years.
1t requires special crate to success
fully burn culm. There Is concern here
that manufactures CRATES for this especial
purpose. they being SO constructed that
any size of coal or culm can be economic
ally burned with the very best results.
This subject of the utilization of the
clllm bank for fuel is commanding wide
spread attention, and Is being commented
upon by scientific men all over the coun-
try, and at no distant day the anthracite
valley, of which Scranton Is the metro
polls. will be the great manufacturing
center of the east, power for which will
be supplied from the culm bank. Yours
truly, d. Il. Athcrton, Secretary.
Scranton, Pa, Oct. T.
1t Is Commanding Attention.
The correspondence Is an evidence
that the agitation of the future use of
the culm pile is not strictly confined Ia
hollow talk and paper, and the board of
trade officers, who are most sauguinc
of the value of culm as a manufactur-
ing fuel, are highly elated that the
question will occupy the thought of me-
chanical engineering students. 1t is
upon the present younger generation of
engineers and manufacturers that the
matter largely rests.