New-York tribune., 1902-08-18
THE GERMAN PLAN OF FUEL
USE OF BRIQUETTES ADVOCATED BY
MR.. MASON. CONSUL GENERAL
AT BERLIN
Tgv TELEGRAPH TO THE TRIBUNE. ]

IBy TELEGRAPH TO TRIBUNE.l
Washington. Aug. 17-Most timely in view
Of the increasing use OF bituminous COAL with
its dirty smoke and the cost of all fuel due to
the strike is a report received at the State De-
partment to-day from Consul General Frank H.
Mason. at Berlin describing the briquettes
which are in almost universal use in Germany
He says:
Among the several branches of German indus
Try which deserves the attention of Americans
by reason of their economy. their recovery or
utilization of some raw material when eNlSte
unused in country, or because they involve
the most Intelligent application of scientitc
knowledge TO technical processes, may be reck-
Oned the manufacture of hriquetteS from brown
coal. peat and the dust and waste of coal mines
Rriduettes form the principal domestic fuel of
Berlin and other cities and districts in Ger
many, they are used for locomotive and other
steam firing. and are employed for heating IN
various processes of manufacture For all these
uses they have three tangible advantages
they are clean and convenient to handle they
light easily and quickly and burn with clear
intense flame. they make practically no SMOKE
and are withal. the cheapest form of fuel for
most purposes.
Like most other German industries. the
briquette manufacture is controlled by syndi-
cate, which includes among its members thirty
one firms and companies or more than nine
tenths of all the producers in this country, and
regulates the output and prices for each year
From the official report of the syndicate TOR
1901 which has recently appeared. it is learned
that the total output for the last year was
1566;iS3 tons. to which is to be added the
product of makers outside the syndicate, con
sumed at works, small retail sales etc, max
ing total of 1.64},41G tons.
The average selling price in large quantities
was So Is ton. against 50 % for the year
previous: so that notwithstanding the general
relaxation of industrial activity and the dimin-
ished pressure upon the coal supply. the runhg
price the highest that had been reaized
since 1891. OF the 1.566.:5S5 tons sold by the
syndicate last year T49.20S tons were taken ny
the German railways 124,3S0 tons we're sold 70
retailers 40. .136 tons were sold to factories and
works of various kinds and 149,0S9 tons. or ~
per cent, were used by German merchant steam
and the navy exported to the German
colonies or neighhoring European countries.
LACK OF SMOKE IN CITIES.
The general use of briquettes for domestic fuel
in large. densely built city, as we'll as Tor
generating steam in a number Of electric gener,
atinE plants, must have a decided and oenehclal
influence in Kidding the smoke which in most
American cities has become persistent and op-
pressive nuisance. Berlin, although busy
manufacturing city, ranks as one of the cleaneSt
and best kept in Europe. one of the hrst
things usually noticed by American and English
travellers visiting the German capital for the
first time is the absence of that cloud of dusty
smoke that overhangs so many towns ana cities
in country. The reason for this lies IN
The preponderant use Of coke and hrquettes.
which are practically smokeless; the skilful sci
entifc construction Of boiler furnaces and chin
neys, and the high standard or skill maj Is
taught and enforced among hremen who stoke
furnaces with coal for steam ana lnahufa'tuI-
ing purposes.
II is not every strapping lahorer who can
shovel coal TO whom it is permitted TO stoke
boiler furnace in this country Before he can
assume such charge he must be taught the
theory and practice Of economical. scientific fir
ing by which the coal is distributed in such
manner and quantity over the CRATE surface as
to secure the most perfect combustion or IT'S
volatile clements. The Silesian coal used here
in most large steam plants and factories is rich
in bltumen and would rank below many Of the
hituminous Goals Of the United States, and yet
the long dense clouds OF smoke from mill and
factory chimneys which familiar a sight
in many American cities. are rarely seen in this
section Of Germany. where the indiscriminate
shovelling OF bituminous coal into the steam
and other furnaces is considered an ignorant
and Wasteful proceeding
Coke making In retort ovens by which every
element is saved and hituminous coal convert
ed into smOkeleSS coke and gas is another i'm
portant factor in German fuel economy and
aba tement Of the smoke nuisance. II American
municipalities beyond the economic range of
anthTaCi ever "mancpated from their
present vassalaEe 10 the smoke incubus. II VIII
he through the enforced OF one more OF
three forms IF prepared fUel-coke and fuel gas
made in closed ovens from bituminous coal. and
briquettes made from ignite. peat and other
inferior materials by processes which have been
invented tested and proved to be efficient by
the older and more economical countries of