The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-12-16
FACTS ABOUT Cheap FUEL
They Tell a Story of Great Interest
to All Manufacturers.
SHOW SCRANTON ADVANTAGES
Figures Are Taken from the Advance
Proofs of an Article That VIII Ap'
penr In tho December Number
Of the Engineering News.

An advance proof OF culm article
of special interest to manufacturers
and coal men, and which is to appear
Dec 26, in the Engineering News, has
been forwarded to this city. The ar
tcle is really a favorable criticism OF
the article written by Nelson Perry, and
which was published in the last num-
her of Cassier's Magazine.
After calling attention to the methods
of handling and burning cu!m and other
fine coal particles, a description is given
of the process used at the Suburban
Electric company's plant, where II is
claimed that the culm which occupies
a valuable piece of ground, is procured
for not over 10 cents per ton, and the
ground at the same time is reclaimed.
reference is made to the figures and
estimates compiled by Secretary Ather-
ton, of the board Of trade, showing the
cost of fuel per horse power per year
to be 1898 These figures, says the
writer, will bear further analysis.
Eight hundred and forty-four tons per
day of twenty-four hours for 1G.122
horse power, equals a little over l9-
horse power per ton, assuming a ton
to be 1000 pounds This is 1913 pounds
per hour, or 4.T pounds of coal per
horse power.
Cost of n Horse Power
The writer contends that in some
plants a horse power may be produced
from 1l2 pounds of coal per hour or
less, Yet with variable loads, as in
iron mills and electric plants, and where
no great amount Of attention is paid to
economy of fuel, an average rate of
hour is quite possible
The writer proceeds to quote from
Mr.. Perry's article in Cassier's Maga-
zine for November showing his figures
on the cost of horse power in Scran-
ton. Mr. Perry's figures showed the
cost per horse power for 365 days.
twenty-four hours per day, to be $23.05
in the Lackawanna IRON and Steel com
pany mills, and s2i.54 in the shops of
the Dickson Manufacturing company;
and also the cost per horse power for
3i3 days, ten hours day. was $12O1
in the mills of the Lacl,a wanna Iron
and Steel company, and 1921 IN the
Dickson Manufacturing companys
plant, all the figures including cost of
water firing, etc.
Perry's Figures Arc TOO high.
In the writer's opinion the figures
given by Mr. Perry for the cost of
power. exclusive of fuel. are too high
He perry assumes that on account
of the lower grade of fuel the boilers
can only be pushed to So per cent. of
their capacity, such as twelve square
feet of heated surface per horse power.
and actual capacity in practice, which,
with forced draft. Is apt to be nearly
or quite double the rating. Here the
writer states 1t would have been more
in accordance with forced draft practice
to assume that they would develop $50
per cent. of their rating. The writer
also takes exceptions to Mr.. Perry's
estimate Of the cost of boiler and en-
gine plants and figures for the removal
Of ashes, each of which has been placed
too high.
revised estimate is given which has
for basis the writer's estimate of the
cost of plant, Secretary Atherton's esti-
mate Of the cost Of fuel, and the Dick
son company's prices for the other
items:
Interest insurance toyaa opd