The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1899-12-02
New Fuel,

ing the recent discovery Of the
fuel by a chemical process in
which, if all goes we'll, North
Dakota goes rapidly to the fore
front of western State. the fol-
lowing widely copied dispatch,
sent out from the capital city
will be read with interest by
Mclean Countians who have
land holdings, and all others
interested in this great coal
county's future welfare. The
dispatch reads:
Bismarck. N. D.. Nov. 24-The vast
veins of Ignite coal pn'ieriv ing NH'th Ia
kota and which ap x, thu present time
been put to little use except TO supply 10
demand for fuel. pro aise, under a discove-
ry that. has been made by some German
capitalists, to prnvs score of wealth to
the state and to su"a'sh 8 SIMPLY of sup
periOr fuel chat will ere long Gr III use TN
all westernrai!roads and IN all factories.
cess for converting the Ignite coal into
grade of tuei that a recent test gave better
results than the best eastern bituminous 8
coal are, j. Moercb, Herman Wolff and
Alex Menke and they are in the western
part of this state looking up some coal
lands and an opportunity to purchase coal
III .lr I<>k
the prospects here and from this city will
90 to Dickinson we're there are immense
deposits of Ignite. They are also cOnsider-
ing locations for the establishment of
their converting plants, three of which will
be pnt in operation in the Ignite region.
The establishment Of this plant will require
$50 GOO for each one, ano the output of
produst will be correspondingiy large
The matter is one that is of vital interest
TO the state and indeed to the whole North
west. for if the process proves as success
full in ereutiDg superior fuel in practical
Use as it has in the tests that have been
m.de the base of supply for fuel TO, the
entire west will be transferred IRON the
coal fields Of the cast to those of North
Dakota.
The gentlemen who are interested in the
conversion of Egnite have been at work
sol some time upon taeir experiments,
which we're tested at an experiment had
IN St Paul not long ago in the presence
of officials uf the Northern Pacific road,
which is particularly interested in the pro-
cess. The results obtaiued were highly
satisfactory. The prepared fuel from the
Ignite gave better results than the best
ocal and it is stated that the discovers and
owners of the process have contingent
contract with the road for upwards of 100
600 tons OF the fuel, if it shall prove up to
The standard of that which the test was
made. The process is a crushing OF the
Ignite removal of the sulphur aud other
elements aside from the carhon,and the
.,tassure of the residue into squares OF
.ae ordinary anthracite products, or per-
haps larger.
The cost of preparing the fuel is so
reasonable that the fuel can be put on the
market at Il price far below that demand
cd for eastern coal, and insures coal sup
pig for the west independent of the pro-
liabilities of lake traffic aud at lower
price thun must be paid for fuel transport
cd from the far east.
If the plans prove successtul its import5
ance to the state cannot be estimated nov {.
There is no adequate conception of the
yastness Of the Ignite fields of the western
part of the state. Thousands upon thou
sands of acres of land are underaid with
in veins from twelve to fifteen feet thick.
The Bad Lands in the western part of the
state are one immense deposit of coal.
Running the entire lenght Of the Little
Missouri River in its course through this
region there is vein of coal Of exception
al thicknesss aud extending back thou
sands of feet into the clay hills aud buttes.
# this coal could be co ..verted into full
equal to the ordinary product it would
supply the demands of the entire west aud
northwest for years. At present lignite,is
csed by only a limited portion Of the
state. 1t il soft and and the elements of
matter other than caroon are SO grsas
ahat it's cheappess ls it's greatest recon-
mandation t. consumers. But converted
into the kind of fuel prosed and which ths
owuer of the process in question: are con-
fdent tsf producing from it, North Dakota
lignite fields would prove the sconrse Of
supply for western :ueI.
Late news from the TrBns-
vaal report a bloody battle on
Modder river, the Beers being
defeated. General Methune
the British commander tele-
graphed the Queen it was the
bloodiest battle Of the century.