The free lance. (Fredericksburg, Va.) 1885-1926, 1902-10-14
oil BRICKS FOR FUEL.
New Substitute For Coal.

IL may not be "a good a. anthracite
out II Is whole lot better than bitumi-
nous and beats wood all hollow" said
Mr- Leo smith. "A representative of the
lniusorial Earth Manufacturing Com
pany. in speaking OF the solution of the
fuel problem
lhe companys proposition il simply
nothing more or less than an oiled brick
which will burn from three-quarters of
an hour TO an hour and aquarter. throw
ing out great heat at an inhnitesimal
cost With relay of these bricks and
- cents worth of kerosene oil Won can
keep stove going all day. heat the boil
er. cook all your meals and be comfort
ably warm. without bit of worry as to
the price of coal Ii all the bricks which
the company has TO offer are like those
with which Mr.. Smith experimental. "A
very acceptable substitute for hard conl
Las indeed been found.
The plant OF the company is on the
Rappahannock river in Nirrinia where
II has absolute control Of the peculiarly
porous earth out of which these bricks
are manufactured. The fact that bricks
made out OF this earth would absorb
Kerosene and burn has been known for
some years. and just why il has not been
proclaimed before Is only explained by
the present had arisen to stimulate the
ideas of the brick manufacturers and
bring them ont in the role of public bene-
factors.
Mr. Smith took one of these bricks
measuring , inches long by about five
inches deep and five across. and soaked
II IN three pints of kerosene oil. After
the oil had been absorbed by the brick
which took only few minutes. MIR
Smith placed it in the kitchen stove and
applied n match. Immediately the entire
brick began TO flame and for three-uuart
ers OF an hour burned slowly and stead
ily The fire was a brilliant one and the
oven was heated thoroughly. In every
respect, for three-quarters of an hour. the
olled brick was a success. and no finer
fire for either cooking or heating could
have been desired
lust before the flame died. Mr. Smith
replaced the first brick with new one
which had been soaking in oil for a few
minutes. and the performance was re
peated for another three quarters of an
hour.
1t explaining the heat-giving prupensi-
ties oi this brick Mr.. Smith said: There
Ia nothing very remarkable about il. but
we believe that it will solve the fuel prob
lem more successfully than anything that
has yet been offered, and cheaper than
anything else. The earth out of which
the brick is made is porous, and the brick
absorbs the oil very rapidly. Ordinarily
three pints of oil are enough TO burn n
brick Tor an hour. At the end of that
time all you have to do is to take the
brick out, rub the SCOT oil with piece of
paper or cloth and soak il i'm oil again.
1t Will burn just as well and lust as lorg
as 1t did the first time. and you can re-
peat the performance again and again.
Just as long as you have the brick. 1t
Will never wear out and you cannot burn
the brick. The only danger is in letting
1t TALL. Ii will break, but then you can
burn the pieces
According to the New York Sun con
siderable stir ha3 been created in that
city over the discovery that the ordinary
nat hollow, terra-cotta brick, If plunged
into kerosene, will burn for half an hour.
giving out strong heat Baltimore
Sun.