The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-10-14
Ignite LOOKS UP
Minneapolis Alone Is Now Using
One Hundred Tons Of It
Every Day.
Senator Washburn Believes the
Briquette Process Will Be Per-
fected by Another Year.

The Ignite poultice may soothe the ach-
ing heads of Minneapolitans who are fig
uring up their winters fuel bill. Because
they will soon be able to get the North
Dakota Hooking in any reasonable quaint
ty and at a very low price. Even now
one company is selling here hundred tons
of Ignite daily at $3.50 ton. Within a
month the company will be able to supply
twice or three times as much at the same
price. And one ton of Ignite, even in a
hard coal furnace. Is equal to 60 per cent
of a ton Of hard COAL
We've had some difficulty in getting
miners enough at our Ignite mines in
North Dakota said General w. d.
Washburn to-day. But at the end of
thirty days we expect to be producing
1000 tons daily. :. OF this 1000 tons, sew
eral hundred tons can be shipped to Min
neapolis. -
But we must first supply North Da-
kota. Up there Ignite is practically the
only fuel. In Bismarck, town Of 1000,
where the weather, too, is sometimes
more than cool, no one thinks of burning
anything but Ignite. In Fargo the same
fuel is generally used. All the electric
light works, waterworks, powerhouses
and other big plants in Fargo and
throughout the state depend on Ignite
1--WE use Ignite in all locomotives Of
the Washburn & Bismarck road except
in very dry weather Then the sparks
| would set too many fires. But we are try
ing to overcome this difficulty by COM
pressing the Ignite into little cubes or
briquettes.
"Experiments up to now have not given
full satisfaction. The briquettes could De
| made easily enough, but the process re-
| quired that some binder be added to
| the pre- Ignite after it was ground up
| so as to hold the particles of the fuel
| together. Coal tar and other gas house
products were utilized but they added ex-
| cessively to the COST When I made in
quiriest in Europe, where briquettes are
| burned on very large scale, especially
| in locomotives, I was told that the cont
pressing machinery would be very ex-
| pensive.
| But we've kept trying to get cheap,
effective process of briquetting our Ignite
Because in that form the natural output
of the mines would be freed from the
moisture that adds considerably to the
present weight of Ignite. Besides the fuel
can be handled more easily as briquettes
and can be used as effectively as anthra-
| cite in any furnace.
| 1.-TWO new processes have come to our
attention lately. We sent a small quaint
ity of Ignite to a New York man, and he
| has returned to us these some briquettes
! that appear to be a success.
"Here's one Of them,' added the sena-
tor, throwing little black. four-incl
cube towards the ceiling. The briquett,,
came down sharply on the hardwood floor
but did not fracture. You see this bri-
quette will stand plenty of rough hand
! ling. And specimens that we've soaked in
| water several hours at a time appear none
| the worse. : But the Ignite briquettes that
| used to be made would dissolve easily ,1n-
der water or sudden pressure.
Now the New York man insists that
he can make these new briquettes for 60
| to rs cents a ton. He uses some binder.
T don't know what it is. But we've sent
him more Ignite. and he intends to pro-
| vide us with a sufficient amount of the
| briquettes to conduct an exhaustive ex-
| pertinent. Still, the few briquettes we
| got from him appeared to burn admirably.
1 think they are just what we want
1.-The other process is being perfected
| by a Pittsburg experimenter. At first he
thought he could compress Ignite without
any binder. but I believe he has aban-
doned that theory. don't know exactly
how he is progressing.
"Well, if the New Yorker is right, we