Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-10-03
BURNING SOFT COAL.
How Bituminous May Be Used for
Domestic Purposes.

From the New York Times.
Soft coal in a range cookstove will
meet all the requirements of domestic use
if ordinary intelligence be displayed in the
management of the fire. The same is true
of hot-air furnaces. With the low pressure
boilers used for steam heating somewhat
more trouble may be expected, but this is
largely a question of the type. Even in
such devices soft coal can be burned with
out an amount of inconvenience compare
BILE to that of an intentionally low house
temperature. Probably the greatest difficult
ty will be that experienced in changing the
habits of servants who have never used
any fuel except anthracite.
Filling the firepot of a range to the lids
with soft coal will not give good results
and attempts to broil over fresh fuel will
be disappointing, though for this purpose
bed of glowing coke is vastly better than
one of incandescent anthracite. Care must
also be taken in keeping oven temperatures
uniform. Soft coal ignites very quickly
Gies down with equal facility and needs
constant watching and frequent repIenish-
Ing to maintain even a meaSurably constant
fire. In these respects it more resembles
wood than anthracite, but it burns very
nearly as well in an anthracite range as in
one built for market where only soft
coal is used as a domestic fuel.
In anthracite heating furnace soft
coal needs to be treated very differently
from anthracite, but the difference consists
in the management of draughts and checks.
In the feed door of every furnace there is
slide damper to admit air over the fire.
When the anthracite Is used this is opened
only If 1t is desired to deaden the fire and
lower the temperature of the house. With
soft coal 1t must be left open all the time.
The great volume of gases evolved from 1t
in the cooking process, which Is the first
stage in its combustion, calls for more air
than can be had through the body of fuel,
and unless this is supplied above the fire
the greatest value is lost up the chimney In
consumed gases Too much air for good
combustion can be admitted over the fire,
but this is not likely to be the case If the
slide damper in the feed door of a furnace
built for anthracite is left wide open all the
time. The draught opening in the ash-pit
door, on the other hand, needs to be less
widely and continuously open than for an
thracite. With the same amount of bottom
draught which 1t is customary to give hard
coal soft coal would simulate the combus-
ton in a blast furnace and call for constant
stocking
The householder must also remember that
the check draft In the stovepipe, which with
| anthracite is usually kept open in moderate
weather. cannot be opened much. If any,
with soft coal, or the house will fill with
smoke. The best way is to leave it closed
| altogether. With attention to these details,
which reverse the customary practice with
anthracite. furnace may be run on BIZ
luminous coal so as to keep a house entire
ly comfortable.
1t will be found difficult, IL not Impossible.
to keep either a range or furnace fire over
night with soft coal unless one has q
Waterman on duty to look after it. AS an
onset to this, however, we have the ease
|, with which fresh fire of soft coal may be
| lighted and its almost instantaneous re-
| Spouse in heat-imparting efficiency 1t kim
| dies nearly as easily as shavings and the
| coke of the previous fire does not have to he
removed from the frepot. All that is neces-
sary is to shake down the fine ash and