Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-09-10
The District to Combine Coal
and Coke.
TEST SUCCESSFUL
ORDER GIVEN FOR ONE THOU
SAND TONS OF EACH.
Commissioner Macfarland Believes
That Good Substitute for Anthra-
cite Has Been Obtained.


public schools of burning coke and soft
coal in alternate layers as a substitute for
anthracite coal have proved to be success
full. The Commissioners consequently have
made arrangements to secure eco tons of
soft coal and 900 tons of coke, and believe
they have a satisfactory fuel for the schools
and sufficient to run the furnaces from the
first touch Of cold weather until Thanksgiv-
Ing day. Ere that time they hope that the
coal strike may be settled If this should
not he the case. however. they will then set
about making arrangements for more soft
coal and more coke.
The success of the experiments made in
steam-heating plants and furnaces in the
schools should he good news to household
ers and business people as we'll as to the
public officials. From the reports made to
the Commissioners it appears that by firing
the furnaces with first a layer of coke, then
layer of bituminous coal and then top
layer OF coke a fine fire is secured, and one
which emitS but minimum amount OF
smoke. The Commissioners were interested
not alone in securing comparatively slow
burning fire for the school heating plants,
but wanted as we'll fire which would make
the smallest quantity of black smoke.
HuusehoIders. however need not be SO in
teTested in the black smoke question. for
the law does not apply to residences. The
blacklist of smoke from private residence
Chimneys calls for no punishment. The
manufacturing concerns and business
houses should be the most interested in the
smoke question, whereas the houSehOdeTs
chiefly interested in a slow burning fire.
Proposals Solicited.
Several weeks ago the Commissioners
asked proposals from the coal dealers of the
city for furnishing to the District 1000 tons
of anthracite coal. to be delivered between
September 81 and November II. The au-
thorities hoped to secure this amount of
coal for the public schools. At the same
time they set about to conduct the expert
nents with soft coal and coke. that COM
binatiOn having been suggested to Commits
sioner Macfarland by Inspector Proctor of
the street cleaning department. The Com
missloners received but one response TO
their call. One dealer offered to sell 2.0W
tons of coal at so ton. His offer had
hardly reached the District building. how
ever. before it was withdrawn. Thus the
authorities were left only the hope that the
bituminous coal and coke experiments would
prove successful. Happily such was the
case and now the situation has been much
relieved Speaking of the matter this morn
Ing Commissioner mcfarland said:
Apparently. it has been demonstrated
that coke and bitumfnous coal. properly
burned in alternate layers. furnish a sub
stitute for anthracite coal in the furnaces
OF our school buildings. yielding satisfac-
tory heating results without violating the
smoke law. The difficulty seemed to be to
obtain coke in sufficient quantities to pro-
vide with an equal amount of bituminous
coal for the immediate future in the school
buildings. The local gas cOmpanies and
the local fuel dealers generally responded
To inquiries that they could not furnish coke
except in very small quantities kilograms
sent to all the principal cOke-prOducing
companies aud sales agents elsewhere failed
70 develop anything except promises in
or two cases of possible future deliveries.
Contract for Coal and Coke.
This morning. however. we have secured
a thousand tons of coke and thousand
tons of bituminous coal, which. with small
quantities of anthracite for special build
ings. ought to provide for the schools until
Thanksgiving. according to the estimates
OF the amounts required which we have re-
ceiVed from the secretary of the board of
education. The prices at which Mr. Zeh
Is to provide this coke and coal are the
lowest market prices at this time but of
Course, are much higher than the normal
prices There seemed. however. TO be moth
I!ls else Tor US to do in this emergency.
The anthracite coal strike may be settled
soon, or It may not be. If il is settled soon
IL VIII be some time before anthracite coal
can be delivered I'm quantities or at prices
such as might be expected under normal
conditions We are also informed that as
matter of fact. the bituminous coal strike
has NOT been settled. and therefore that il
IS difficult to get bitumnous coal. This is
why II IS also difficult to get coke which
is OF course, made from the bituminOus
coal"
Report Upon the Experiment
In reporting upon the experiment OF burn
ing combination of soft coal and coke
n d. Simms, superintendent Of property,
reported to the Commissioners as follows:
IN compliance with your recent order
an experiment has been made in two of the
public school buildings of fuel consisting of
alternate layers of bituminous coal and
coke The fuel was tried in a steam heat
Ing plant in the Webster School and in a
Smead furnace in the Douglass School At
tentIon is invited to the inclosed report Of
the superintendent of janitOrs forwarded
through the secretary of the board Of edu-
cation. which gives a detailed statement of
the experiments and of the different ar
fang' ments made of the layers of fusI with
view 10 obtaining the most desirable re-
suits | visited the buildings during tbs,
time the experiments Were being made AID
am OF the opinion that the mos. satsfac-
TORY results are obtained by spreading first
layer of coke. then LAYER of coal End
then a top layer of coke, as by the pIrniag
or the fuel arranged in the manner stated
there was only a minimum amount of
smoke observable and satisfactory heatin.
gue lilies were produced"
Results in Detail.
The report of II. F. McQueeney. superin-
tsntent OF janitors of the public schools,
giving the result of the experiments IN de-
tail. is follows:
'At the Webster School which Is q
steam-heated building. the fire was started
with coke about O'Clock am. When
with four shovelfuls of soft coal The
smoke emitted from the chimney was dark
and lasted FOUR minutes. Then the fire
Was allowed to burn for fifteen minutes
after which four shovefuls of soft coal
were put on and on top Of all four shovel
fuIs OF coke The smoke emitted from this
was about half the quantity given ont Inv
me soft coal in the previous trial and was
1ghter an color and lasted but two minutes
The fire was then allowed to burn for nf-
teen minutes more when II was covered
with layer OF coke top of which was
paced layer of soft coal and another
layer OF coke. The smoke this time was
SIN lighter In color and did not last TWO
minutes l tried this several times with
the same results. Then l went to the
douglass School and tried il In one #
smeads furnaces with the same results
Inc coal used was good Georges Creek
coal me heating capacity was salts
factory"
one OF the pleasant surprises of the coal
situation to the District authorities today
Was an ofrer received from " Baldwin
Johnson to let the sSio