The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-10-09
MAKING GAS FROM
THE FINEST CULM
Experiment Made 10 this City Shows
That Il Is Possible.
PAPER PREPARED on the SUBJECT
Will Re Read ut the Meeting Of the
Board Of Trade on Monday, Oct. 10.
Recent Discoveries Promise TO
Make the Anthracite valley the
Greatest Gas Producing Region in
the World.

FOR the past three years the scranton
board of trade has spent great deal of
time, money and energy in setting
forth the advantages of our cheap fuel.
which is stored in such large quantities
in the culm banks OF the anthracite re-
eions.
In "Electricity." OF Aug. |. 1894, ap-
peared n four column editorial under
the head THE Culm Bank VS.. Niagara
Falls" This article was based upon
statistics compiled 10y Secretary .Ather-
ton on the cost of fuel per horse power
in Scranton. and the author easily
proved that steam generated by the
use of OsIlm as asfuel was cheaper than
electricity generated at the great Nj
aSara.
In Casters November. 1899. Maga-
zine. appeared an article by Nelson w.
Perry, an eminent engineer Of New
York. on the question of culm as u
steam fuel. Mr.. Perry after spending
several weeks in Scranton investigat-
ing and experimenting. found that culm
used as a fuel for steam production
was cheaper Than electricity furnished
by the Niagara company. In the De-
cember, 1885. number of the Engineer
ing News" can be found an able article
on The Utilization of Anthracite Culm
at Scranton. Pa" This is review of
the two articles mentioned above. and
the deductions of the writer not only
prove that steam generated by culm as
4 fuel Is cheaper than electricity. but
that the cost per horse power is even
less than claimed bv the writer's of
either of the above articles.
Naturally the attention Of the world
has been called to this subject, and
many experts in this line. both in
America and Europe, have given the
question great amount of study. The
question. how best to utilize this vast
amount Of energy. has been the most
important one in dealing with the sub
jec,. 1t has been proved beyond ques-
ton that the power is in the culm bank.
Now then, what is the best plan to
utilize il" Shall il be converted into
steam. electricity OF gas:
GAS MOST ECONOMICAL.
From experiments lately made i'm this
city. the answer to that question would
seem to be that gas is by far the most
economical. There are many gas pro-
duccrs in operation using prepared an
thracite coal, but owing TO the high
price Of the coal. the gas becomes eX-
penSive. To produce gas from anthra
cite culm. and that, after the courSel
particles have been removed by wash
ing, screening. etc. has been the all
absorbing question. Some years ag,
experiments We're made by some New
York capitalists. al the Green Ridg,
Iron works in this city. \ large amount
of money was expended in the endeav-
| ~ TO produce gas from culn dust. and
superheated steam. but with very it'll,
II amy, success. There is at the present
Il l..at sl.,.t
can be- produced in large quantities
from anthracite culm. In fact the re-.
suits obtained are marvelo,E. and the
day is not far distant when the gas en.
ginc will replace the steam engine, oul
electric power and lighting plants will
be run by gas thus produced. all manu-.
featuring concerns now using steam
power will use the gas engine eXcluSiv.
| ly.
Experiments have been carried on fol
some time in this city. and that success.
| has been attained will be exemplitied a
! the next meeting Of the board Of trade
which will be held on Oct. l9. when
| paper will be read showing the wonder
full results obtained in the production O
gas from the finer particles of anthra
cite culm. also from the culm just as Il
| comes from the bank.
| The publication Of this paper Il
awaited with a great amount of inter
est by steam users all over the coun
| try, and it is belived that in the nea
future our city and valley will b.
transformed into a great gas pro
| ducing centre.
| The screening and washing of on
culm banks is becoming general. an,
no doubt every culn bank in the an
| thracite region will eventually b
cleaned in this manner. leaving Onl.
! the dust behind. This is like utiliZin
the entire "hog" with the exception o
the "squeal," and now a way is pro
vided to virtually convert the "squeal
into a factor much more potent tha
the original "hog" could ever hope t
be.
DIFFERENCE IS SLIGHT.
While it is evident that better TO
suits are obtained in the production O
gas by using the culm fresh from tn
bank, yet the finer particles or dust a
ii is called contain more gaseous sub
stance to the ton than does the origina
culn,. and while it may not be SO read
lily converted into gas. yet the numbe
| of cubic feet obtained from the one a
compared with the other is so Sigh
that 1t Is not worth considering
Not only will the use of this dus
he of inestimable value to our city an
valley as an inducement to manufac
turers. but valuable lands will b
cleared of these unsightly piles and ou
city beautified accordingly.
1t would seem to the careful observ.
that a bright future is in store fc
Scranton by utilization of these emo,
nous banks of culm in the productio
Of gas for power purposes. The pape
above referred to will be printed in fu
in the Tribune along with the repol