New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-07-04
CHEAP FUEL.

CHEAP FUEL.
The results OF the coal strike of 1902 were far
reaching at the time, bur it must not be con-
ceived that they were temporary. The revival
CT normal coal mining held experiments and in-
vestisatlons in allegiance; yet the problem of
cheap fuel has 10 be solved, and Il will be
solved. Before the strike every ton of hard
coal sent 10 market from our anthracite mines
involved the waste OF nearly or quite two tons
of coal. although part of the waste had been
saved by working IL into buckwheat and pea
coal. Experiments have been carried on for
the still further reduction of this enormous fuel
loss Germany has 2S6 factories working up
ccal dust and turning out from fifty To ninety
tons each Of briquette fuel. This fuel is disable
in factories. in kilns and 10 some extent in do
nestle and industrial furnaces. In Germany
briquettes OF Ignite are also entering into con-
sumption, even more than those of hard coal;
while I'm the United States Ignite, which exists
10 the amount Of One-third OF all coal deposits,
has until very recently not been used At all.
Experiments are being carried on to determine
its value for fuel
CoTelative efforts are being made 70 work
up the peat deposits OF America. Edward At
kinson reports. under Il somewhat startling
title of Mud Fuel" a discovery which seems
10 be OF much importance. He has discovered
that not only may our large peat deposits be
made available. but the underlying mud or
marsh soil (Which IS muck or the product OF de-
cayed vegetatOn) also be made into fuel
briquettes. The material has an initial value
OF almost no Importance. II is more cheaply
mined than coal, because II lies near the sur
face of the ground Boys, swamps and marshes
are easily drained and the material lies con-
veniently for the miner. Very little has TO be
done except 10 expel the greater part OF the
rot 20 sf,as 81 Ii:
QUOTES Of convenient size. This Is 10 utilize
material OF insignificant value so as 10 put IL
on the market IN competition with our cOstliest
fuel This dried marsh mud. IL Is alleged,
gives us fuel that Will compare favorably.
pound for pound with our best bituminous
coal. IL is n smokeless fuel, the burning Of
which involves very little difficulty, n material
from which an excellent grade OF coke can he
made, free from sulphur and lower In ash than
any other coke we have now. and n superior
forge fuel For domestic use 1t is as con-
ycn!ent wood, and cheaper than any kind OF
cOal-except I'm close proximity TO the mines. IL
is declared further. and we have the authority
of Norton and Bayles confirming the claim that
We have In this mud fuel a cheap source OF gas,
with valuable by-products. 1t has. further, CON
siderable value IN absorbing and holding am
monia. and thereby saving what would be a
waste Of fertiilzing material. TO lie used in
this way. the airdricd material must be alter
nately frozen and thawcd when It is reduced TO
a meal Norton says that the samples submit
ted TO his examination have the appearance of
Shiny marsh mud. with occasional roots and
sticks IN some portions, but n notable absence
of sand, grit and stones. The weight varies
from 100 TO 10 pounds TO a cubic foot: but after
drying in the air for several weeks the weight
is reduced about one-half At this point the
mud becomes hard and tough. which character
istcs are increased by moderate pressure. The
denser samples become in hardness and tough
ness much like pine wood-easy 10 split, but
difficult to saw.
The material Is at first a collection of small
bits which must be made into briquettes by
coking at a high temperature The result is
then product very similar 10 tho coke of soft
coal, I'm appearance as we'll as hardness and
weight The heat power is very little less than
that of soft coal, and at least ~ per cent as
great as the best anthracite. Norton closes his
report by saying that, with the average mud ca
pacity an acre Of DOGGY land we shall have at
conservative estimate, forty million pounds
OF fuel-equal to twelve thousand tons of good
coal. "If convenience in handling and diminish
ling bulk will justify the coklng process, we
may hope 10 obtain the equivalent OF ten thou
sand tons of good coke from each acre of TWEEN
'ty-fOOt bog" There is almost if not quite
enough Gas distilled from the coke 10 make one
pound of mud furnish enough gas TO coke the
next pound. The coke and the briquetted mud
both burn with hot fire. 'and leave only from
TO u per cent OF soft ash" With these data
which come 10 us from good authority, and a
determination of the depth OF available bog
land. we can compute the value of the fuel at
our command. The deeper the mud in the bog
not only the greater amount, but the better
quality of the fuel Boys OF great extent have
been sounded 10 the depth of one hundred feet
without finding bottom.
Mr.. Atkinson tells us that he was busy with
an entirely different project when the value of
bog mud was called 10 his attention. He had
in hand the project of making fuel from the
corn plant, such immense quantities OF which
go 10 waste throughout the whole corn belt
The two experiments open wide vision OF
possible agricultural economics. In the West
the farmer may be growing his fuel. and in the
East he may take 1t from his marsh lands. II,
Norton and Atkinson are correct, we NAV not
be far from fuel supply that VIII enable us
10 look forward with confidence not only 70
future strikes, but TO the failure of our coal de-
posits The best authorities agree that the coal
beds Of the United States cannot keep up with
increasing domestic demand much beyond the
twentieth century. We have at least no reser-
voirs of coal TO supply our needs for more than
few generations. Greater economy In con-
sumption and in the utilization of waste is i'm
narp 1.-Two dnfnn ,dnH 4t,A A.