The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1903-02-05
A RIVAL OF KING COAL.
Briquettes Said to Make an
Ideal Fuel.
OLBAE, oHBAP, NEARLY 8M0KBLBSg

States For Making Them - How
They Are Manufactured In Ger
rnany-A Plant to Be Established
In New York Soon.
Because of the high price and scar
city of coal the patent Office at Washing
ton is being flooded with inquiries re-
garding machinery for the manufac-
ture of briQuettes or prepared fuel,
says the New York World. While
scores of patents have been issued on
machinery designed for this work, but
few factories have been established in
the United States, although it is a
profitable industry abroad, and par
ticularly in Germany, France and Bel
GUM. These fuel briquettes are made
from Ignite, peat. coal dust and culm
from the anthracite fields.
There are in the United States vast
beds of peat in western New York,
New England, Michigan, Illinois, Wis
consin, Oregon and Washington which
have in the past been neglected, but
are now being surveyed and investi-
gated with view to the establishment
Of factories. In the Dakotas there are
quantities OF Ignite, and throughout
the gulf states is to be found a ma
terial available for fuel which is spe-
cies Of lignate peat.
The great culm heaps about the an
thracite mines everywhere can be util-
lied for this purpose and sold for even
less than the best selected coal, in adj
dition to occupying a less space for
storage.
The Germans have reached the max
imum in the manufacture of fuel bril-
quettes, according to a report made to
the state department by the consul
general at Berlin, Frank II. Mason.
The factories there are divided into
two classes in respect to the material
employed-thoSe using brown coal, lig-
mite or carbonized peat and those
using as the basic material coal dust
and refuse from the mines.
Household briquettes as made in Ger
many are cleaner to the touch than coal,
cheaper, kindle more readily and burn
with clear, full flame. They are used
for CRATES, heating and cooking stoves
and ranges and constitute the principal
household fuel Of Berlin. They are
made Of brown coal, peat and to a small
extent from anthracite dust. The stand
ard household briquette is inches long,
4 inches wide ard 2 inches thick and is
retailed and delivered in Berlin at
prices ranging from 50 thousand in
summer to $3.50 a thousand in the win
ter. These briquettes are stacked up in
the cellars OF the houses and, being
clearly, are carried about much the
same as wood in the United States.
There are 286 factories making brown
coal briquettes in Germany, with a to-
tai of 691 presses, each press capable
Of an output of from fifty to ninety tons
of briquettes a day.
Industrial DTiquettes are used in Ger.
many for firing locomotives, steam boil
ers, for smelling and many other kinds
Of Industrial heating. They are made
of bituminous coal dust, held together
by matrix of mineral pitch and coal
tar derived from coke ovens or gas man
ufactories. The pitch costs from SO to
So a ton, and it Is seldom that more
than or 8 per cent of pitch is neces~
sary to make the briquettes available.
Pitch Of this character can be bought
much cheaper N tie United States than
in Germany These briquettes, while
not absolutely smokeless, have less
smoke than ordinary bituminous coal.
When burned in locomotives or in any
furnace with a good draft they create
only a thin, translucent mist containing
little SCOT.
The manufacture Of industrial bri
quettes is controlled by a syndicate
with a total output Of 100000 tons.
The briquettes vary in weight from
three to ten pounds and are usually
square or oblong in shape, convenient
to be packed or built up into a wall
like bricks, greatly economizing space.
When burned whole, they are con-
suned slowly, giving out a steady,
moderate heat for long time. When
it is desired to intensity the heat, they
are broken up and then give out a
long, fierce fame The state railways
of Prussia use 100000 tons of these
Industrial briquettes annually.
A combination of the manufacturers
of briquette making machinery in Ger
many has been executed and will soon
establish a branch Office in New York
city in charge of a competent engineer,
who will examine SITES for briquette
factories and will furnish estimates on
the cost of installing plants near avail
able locations These manufacturers
have expressed a desire to furnish esti-
mates on all materials If sent to. the
German Offices in packages containing
no 'css tina pounds.
III this wa ey hope to make direct
" available american capital the
technical e. iience end scientific
knowledge h have made the bri-
Ouette ipdu. Gccessful and profta-
bic in Germ.
In te CHI Sbanty BOatmen.
{ $ Bill on Mount Auburn
is rtly Il unique method OF
M ,.s.-. o. or US fhe Cincinnati