Evening star., 1901-04-27
SUBSTITUTES FOR COAL.
Things Which EnElishMen Try When
Their Fuel Bills Worry Them.

| From the London Mall.
| How to burn as little coal as possible
| with that commodity at present prices is
problem which has been worrying the
| small householder considerably during the
| passing winter, and many substitutes, more
or less ingenious, have been brought into
| requisition to keep the contents Of the coal
cellar above low-water mark.
| One of the most useful of these various
| devices has been the employment of bath
brick soaked in oil The brick is first
| broken into pieces about the average size
of the Jumps of coal used for domestic pur-
poses, and then placed for a considerable
time in a pail OF common paraffne pc
| trOleum until it is thoroughly impregnated
with the oil. 1t is then placed on the fire
with a pair OF tongs in the usual way, and
has been found to burn longer and cost less
than coal. AS the pieces of brick burn out,
or, rather, the oil with which they are
soaked is consumed, they should be re-
| moved and replaced by fresh pieces while
the first lot are being allowed to cool before
resoaking. Cinders have also been dipped
in oil and used two or three times over,
| and these also effect a saving, though not
| so great as when bath brick is the absorb
ent ma teral.
Old newspapers and magazines pressed
into small bundles very tightly and fas-
| tened in that condition with wire have con-
| tributed their share toward economiZing
,iiH Nodl JIM, anu paper SeINeu III luiS way
Is said to take as long to consume as coal
itself. The only drawback to It's employ
ment is the great amount of ash which it
| creates.
Bones have been used as fuel in large
quantities by butchers, according to one of
| whom they make a "bonny'' firing. From
! an economical point of view, however, opin-
| ions are divided as to whether it Is better
| to use them for this purpose or dispose of
| them through the ordinary channel-the
manure and fertilizer manufacturer.
1t was believed at the commencement Of
| the winter that Ireland was coming to the
| rescue with practically unlimited supply
| OF peat to counteract the advance in the
| price of coal. Where fire CRATES have been
| found adapted for the consumption of this
| fuel the results have been satisfactory in
| every way, but the great majority of
stoves as at present fitted are not suited
| for the purpose.
The same remark applies to the consump-
| ton of wood which was suggested as
| remedy for the coal famine, in addition to
winch the available supply of wood for
this purpose is already none too plentiful.
| Where slow fire without much heat is
| sufficient, good results have been obtained
| by soaking a log of hard wood in water
| Tor several hours, letting it drain for
| httle, and then putting it on the top of
Wetl-established fire. If the happy me-
| dunn of making the log nett her too wet
nor too dry has been hit it will keep the
| fire going all day without any attention.
Another slow but sure fire which, how
ever, can always be pOked up INTO a blaze,
Is TO be obtained by stoking with a good
layer OF damp coal dust after the fire has
| been lit in the ordinary style and allowed
| to get well under way.
fleceS OF cOcoanut shell valuable
stlmulants to dying fire, and orange peel
should never be thrown away, but kept
dried and used for the same purpose, as
1t contains large quantity of vegetable
| OIL which blaZes merrily.
Where a brilliant fire is not necessary a
mixture of coke with coal is both salts
factory and economical. Another good
plan, when once fire is well alight, is to
crop pieces of old iEon tinIamong the flames.
HalVes OF old horseshoes. short lengths Of
plpe OLD couplings or. anything of that ma
ture Will serve, as they rapidly get red
not ana throw out a capital heat, continu-
ing to do so until the fire Is practically al
lowed to go out fgtones have also been
used Tor the same elpurpDse, but these are
dangerous, being apt to pop and fly.
There are several patent attachments for
crates and ranges which profess to burn
the ar as well as coal, and so economize
the fuel In this manner, while the number
OK latter-day pocket saving improvements
| IN gas OIL and spirit stoves is legion. But
perhaps, after all;T most people will con-
tinue TO grumble at their coal bills, and
then order In fresh supply. They do not
care Tor the trouble of experiments per-
maps or 90 not care to persevere, doubling
their utility. But the fact remains that
good coal substitutes or economizers are
| In existence. -,