Bismarck weekly tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1884-1943, 1900-02-09
Experimental Plant to be Established
at Bismarck for Testing Ignite
Reduction Process.
Receiver Satterlund' Arranging for SITE
and Power for the Experimental
Plant.
Township of Land Bought by Iowans
Fifty Families Will Settle There
this Spring.
Coal Industry.

Hon. John Satterlund, receiver of the
United States land office, brought with
him on his return trip from New York
samples of pulverizations of Ignite coal,
as prepared by the process of Messrs.
Wolff, Mocrsch t. Henke, the gentlemen
who made Investigations through the
western part of this state some weeks
ago with a view to putting into operation
a process for converting Ignite coal into
briquettes, to be used as fuel for heating
and manufacturing purposes. The sam
Piles brought back show the coal crumbl-
ed and with the foreign substances re
moved. One of the samples is from the
Washburn mine, several miles north of
Washburn. This coal crumbles with a
gloss and fineness that approaches btu
minous coal, and the analysis of it made
by the gentlemen named shows Il per
cent of fifty-four of carbon, the balance
being sulphur, ash, water and volatile
matter. The other sample is from LIE
high and supposed to be the best coal
along the line Of the Northern Pacific
There is a great difference between the
Missouri slope coal and the other. The
per cent of carbon in this sample is %.
1t is stated as Il certainty that a con-
vcrting plant will be erected on the Mis-
souri, slope to handle the slope coal
product, and especially that of the
Washburn mine, which is stated by the
owners of the patent to be the finest coal
yet submitted to them. For the pur-
pose of making IL practical test of all the
Goals in the western part of the state,
however, the owners Of the process in
tend in the neal future to establish an
experimental plant at Bismarck for the
reduction and conversion of coal into
briquettes. Mr.. Satterlund is at present
making arrangements to secure for them
a site for the experimental plant and the
power necessary to its operation.
From reports received in the city it is
stated that the company which will es-
tablish the plants for the conversion of
Ignite has been capitalized at two mil
lions of dollars, so there is ample capital
to carry Oh the work. The cost of con
verting a ton of coal is so low that the
briquettcs can be put on the market at
a figure far below the present price either
of anthracite or bituminous.
Sales of land in the Missouri slope
country are numerous and extensive
The sale is reported now of an entire
township of Northern Pacific land about
eight miles from Washburn and applica.
ton has been made to Mr.. Satterlund
to have the township resurvcyed, before
the final purchase is contaminated. The
purchasers of the land are railroad men
and they will hold part of the land fol
speculation and the balance will be set.
tied with Iowa families. Advices re.
ceived by Receiver Satterlund state that
fifty families will leave in the early spring
to settle on the land and bring with
them farm and household goods. 1t is
reported that a steamer will be chartered
at Sioux City and the implements and
belongings of the colony of settlers vii.
be freighted by water as far as Bismarck
this being the cheapest method of trans.
portation.