Bisbee daily review., 1904-04-29
into mountains of culm.
 Losses in Coal Mininu.

Losses in Coal Mining.
 "Of late the figures have been near ly reverse, for about 60 per cent is re- covered and only 40 per cent is lost, l saving due to somewhat better min ,ng and the burning of culm on per forated grates by forced draft. But the loss by no means represents the total, for in many localities In extracting the coal from the best of the veins, the coal in parallel veins is irretrievably lost. either in whole or in part by cav ing and crushing.
 "As the demand for anthracite as a domestic fuel is urgent, and that de- mand must be met from the one linn tied region arrest of production can hardly be permitted in order to study and apply improvements in methods If mining and preparation.
 This explanation may with limita- ton be accepted as a partial excuse Tor the waste of this rare and inva'ua- ble fuel But no such justification ex- ists for the waste of the by-products in the coking of bituminous coal; since he civilization Of the waste gases, either as fuel alone, or IS fuel for the recovery of certain by-Droducts. was nracticed long before the introduction of the Nt.o type of -etort ovens. which is merely an qualification of the illum- mating gas plant.
 Losses in Coke Manufacture.
 There is made in this country about % .000 GOO tons of coke. of which p ovnns. The actual percent age is 5.4 per cent of the whole, while 94.6 per cent is made in non-by-product ovens. The coke is made from 34.OOO,- 900 tons Of coal from which about l. 800 900 tons alone yield by-products. Average coal in it's eokins yields per ton as by-product about 20 pounds of sulphate Of ammonia, when the ammonia is recovered as sulphate. and 10 gallons of tar. Were these by-pro- ducts recovered from all the coal cox ed. there would be saved about 34o,- 900 900 gallons of tar, and ammonia sufficient to make 34O 900 tons of sul- phate of ammonia; and allowing 6o per cent of the gas to be consumer in heating of the ovens. there would De available for power 13s 00,00o.0oo rect of gas. each cubic foot of which, If 1t were burnt, would yield 600 British thermal units of hea.-
 The total volume of gas now vast ed. therefore, after thus deductfng oe | per cent, would give us 6S,o0o.ooo or British thermal units. The figures or loss are startling and appalling The tar wasted would enable us to outstrlp Germany's famous lead in the manu- facture of analyne dyes, and other ny dro-carbon products, if we brought Germany's perseverance and skill and chemical science to bear upon the in- dustry. It would yield ammonia enough to require the multiplication of cur acid and fertilizing works, making rheap manure with which to revive our depleted prairie lands, and power enough, if distributed, to create new centers of manufacturing activity. l If Germany can afford the expense of coking ovens of the retort type with the object of making 50 good a coke nut of her inferior coals that they lean compete with our own in the markets of Mexico, surely we can do the same. And we would do so were i.t not for the reckless haste to make money. and make it at once with
 whatever appliances we possess.
 Manufacturers Hate Complications.
 None are so willing as our own manufacturers to discard the old plant
 and replace it at any cost with new,
 but they hate complications And fContinued on Page Three.)