The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-10-25
PEAT AS FUEL.
Digging Up the Boys Of Maine as
Substitute For Coal.

A short time ago a movement was per-
fected in Lewiston, Ne. 10 transform the
enormous deposits OF peat known as Far
wells bog. in Lewiston suburbs. into mef.
chantable and desirable fuel. From sd-
vices at hand II looks as II the pr0pos-
ton were no vision or at all impracucabe
says the Lewiston Journal
AS recently as last September Pr0fesaf
G. NJ Randall in a lecture delivered az
Augusta under the auspices OF the Maine
state typographical survey cOmmlssiol
showed that the next step in economy
likely 10 be the conversion OF peat mo
merchantable fuel. A corporation has
Just been formed to prosecute fuel con
position from peat. The companys Of
ficials. through Professor Randall, mase
the following statement:
I'VE have succeeded in manufacturing
a fuel which for good reasons we call coal
because IL contains the same elemtnu
that coal contains. We call u synihetca
coal, because 1t is formed by synthes2
This coal has a heating value Slightly
superior 10 soft coal.
"The first Investigations FOR determil-
ing the calOrific value OF fuel were mAds
in 1874 for the United States navy. Al
that time the Importance OF the Findings
was not appreciated as much as at pres
ent. On economical lines II Is not poi'
sible TO separate laboratory science IRON
boiler room practice. The observing
practical engineer may determine the ap-
prOXimate amount OF moisture and ash Oh
the CRATES, and the evaporatiye efficienel
Of a coal. but different methods Of sloA-
! ing produce different effects with ne
same coal.
The question which naturally arises b.
connection with the manufacture OF i-e.
| Is: Are the constituents SuIilcleALl
abundant in distribution 10 warrant az
outlay Of capital for machinery, patents
etc? In order 90 reply 10 this we mas.
reference TO the United States geologic.
survey of nearly any year, and 20 man.
| private surveys. 1t viii be found that 20
every state in New England there ar.
almost ineXhaustible boys Of peat. Fo--
/ sibly there is no article that has received
so little thought and attention from prac-
I teal men as has this valuable maleIlaL
/ For Instance. from the Massaehusc-i
] report OF the geological survey ! quote
| In nearly fifty towns OF eastern Mass
| chusetts, taken as a fair average OF %
quantity in other towns and other couI
/ ties, II would follow that 5000 acres. y
I 10 square miles, are covered win pea.
| having an average thickness OF SIX leg.
/ This area and depth would yield NOT ia
| from 200O00O00 tons.
Peat is best handled from the bog by
! clam shell digger or dredge. II ls ~
| conveyed 10 "A disintegrator. when ~
/ arates all coarse material, such as fo9.a
/ From this disintegrator IL Is c0Hyeyed Z
a press, where il is reduced from - p5
| cent of water down to 40 per cent Az,
leaving the press II goes through ahyiH'
disintegrator. Here lime Is added u :
way which we have patented. which i-
/ Their effects drying. and the lime CUBE
/ bines with the water IN the peat
| From here the peat is conveyed ~
/ drier. which is a steel cylinder var =.
/ Ia length according 10 the capaeIy ~
! quired-forty feet for a IO1-t0u plant. ~
peat is in the interior o. The ejAll-
| through which hot air clrclIales, lA.
/ effecting drying down % $ per 'tn5 /.
/ 10 per cent. From here IL ls convey e. i
pug mill, or mixing mill, where peaa-
| leum, In which bituminOus pitch l7 ~ ~
| solved, is added. Here IL Is iH'IoIs - y.
| mixed. Then IL is conveyed TO- ? la.s
! receptacle. from which IL Is -ls.lai NE
TO the briquetting presses. These Dl,,tIss.
| ting presses are simple menltil,4l
vices, which make a brick when = !
| short cylinder We believe iAe -
shape to be about two and three -. -
inches in diameter and one ana '.-' =
quarter inches long. Another t9fiA -, y
irregular length and one-Lau lhs Dl'-
! etor."