The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1903-03-03
NORTHERN PACIFIC
MAKES A TEST OF
BRIQUETTES
DIR. r. J. Sehimper's New Fuel
Proves Equal to Nearly
Twice Its Weight in ssft
Coal Test Demonstrates
Its Entire Practicability
and Economy.

Soft coal brtquettes invented by DR..
IL. j. Schimper We're given a practical
test yesterday afternoon at the North
ern Pacific power station behind the
general office building. Broadway and
Prince street. The result of the test
which continued from $50 till o'clock,
showed gain of 40 per cent in favor
of the briquettes.
The test was carefully conducted
and was watched by DR.. Schimper the
inventor; H. c. Ferguson, interested in
the invention, and r. P. Blake, me-
chanical engineer of the Northern Pa
cific; Simon Mills, representative of
the TOmpkins Greek Coal company, and
others.
The two large boilers of the North
ern Pacific power house were kept at
an equal pressure during the entire
test and under one boiler the briquettes
were burned and under the other the
regular soft coal generally used in the
fireboXes. The soft coal used was care
fully weighed in barrels before being
put in the fire, and the briQuettes We're
also weighed. From the first the bril-
quotes gained and the fire produced by
the briQuettes was more steady. Dur
ing the time the test was continued,
l95 pounds of briquettes were consum-
ed, as against 1924 pounds of soft coal.
The difference was 529 pounds, or 40
per cent. The same pressure was con-
stantly maintained in both boilers.
6riquettes Prove Practicable.
w. f. Wacker, engineer of the North
ern Pacific station, who superintendent
the test, expressed himself as satisfied
that the briquettes were practicable
fuel savers. I'VE did not believe that
It It , could be done" said he, but the
ngureS speak for themS elves" Mr..
Wacker reported the result of the test
to the officials of the road.
DR.. Schimper contends that through
his process all grades of soft coal may
be made into briquettes and that by
their use the saving would be from %
to 80 per cent over soft coal. He also
asserts that briquettes may be used
for the same purposes that hard coal
is used for and with better results.
The briquettes will burn longer and
better than the same quantity of hard
coal,' said he, and they may be used
in all kinds of stoves and furnaces"
That the briquettes are a distinct i'm
provement over ordinary soft coal is
beyond doubt They burn even and
coke we'll in furnaces. Not only do
they burn longer, but they eliminate
the objectionable features of soft coal,
strong gases and smoke. Through the
manufacturing process the coal is de-
sulphuriZed and the elements that ere
ate the smoke are neutralized. Some
smoke arises from the briquettes, but
as result of the neutraliZing process
the qualities that injure furnaces and
f1reboXeS are removed.
How Briquettes Are Made.
The briquettes are made of the ref
use of soft coal. The coal is ground
and placed in an oven where all mois-
ture is evaporated Some qualities of
c,Off .
ture, others I, and some as high as 20
per cent. This moisture is entirely
eYaporated and the pulverized coal is
then mixed with binder composed Of
hydro carbon and secret chemical
For every ninety-fiVe pounds of coal
five pounds of binder are used. The
mixture is then compressed in the
shape of bricks. Any size or shape
may be produced, according to the use
for which they are designed. The re-
markable feature of the invention is
that from one ton of refuse practically
ton of briquettes may be produced,
and that ton will go from % to so
per cent further than a ton of soft coal.
The cost of making the briquettes by
DR.. Schimper's process is $1.25 per
ton.
DR.. Schimper recently conducted a
test with Ignite briquettes on the 500
road, in Minneapolis, and that COM
pany was convinced of the value of the
briquette as a substitute for coal. The
government has been interested in the
invention and has ordered from DR..
Schimper two tons of the briquettes for
a test in the navy.
Many coal companies have been in
terested in the invention and it is ex-
pected that briquettes will be soon
manufactured in different parts of the
country.
DR.. Schimper is st. Paul man and
has been at work on the invention for
nearly twenty-five years. He but re-
Gently completed it and the fuel strin-
gency of the present time afforded
him an advantageous opportunity for
introducing it.
The briquettes used yesterday were
| manufactured by hand and the use of
| a press in the Great Northern round
house, in West st. Paul. A factory
will probably soon be established