Omaha daily bee., 1906-12-09
POWER OF COAL
Results Of Experiments 0onduoted BY the
National Government
POWER UNIT INCREASED $50 PER CENT
Direct Method Of ConvertinE Coal
Into Power by substitutinE
Gas for Steam Engines
Details of the Plan.

Details of the Plan.
The experts Of the geological survey.
after an exhaustive series Of experiments,
announce that they are able to confirm the
claim that a single horsepower can be pro-
duced from single pound Of coal They
are convinced Of the practicability Of a
system whereby the power capacity Of this
fuel may be increased 80 per cent. They
maintain that every ton Of coal may be
made 10 produce as much power as Is now
obtained with two and one-half tons OF
coal used in the steam plants in general
use. The system now advocated by the
geological survey experts involves the
abandonment Of steam, the coal being con-
verted Immediately into gas and the power
developed by exploding the gas. 1t is not
claimed that the idea is new, but that its
efficiency has been developed beyond per-
adventure.
If the geological survey experts can in
duce the Navy department to accept their
conclusions and install the coal gas en-
gines in a modern battleship the results
will. in their estimation, revolutionize
naval warfare, and the demonstration will
go far to prove that the generally used
contrivance, unworthy Of place in the up
to-date manufacturing or commercial plant
or on railways or other transportation
lines.
The geological survey experts declare that
by the adoption Of the direct method Of
converting coal into power the nations coal
bill may be reduced considerably more than
so per cent, and that in the not distant fu-
ture the steam engine will be everywhere
replaced by the smokeless, odorless almost
ashless and compact producer gas ma
chimes.
Report of Experts Ready.
! After an exhaustive series Of experiments
| made at St. Louis the last two years, Prof.
Joseph A. Holmes, Maurice R. Campbell
/ and other members Of the committee ap-
/ pointed by the director Of the geological
\ survey to conduct the Investigations are
/ ready to make public the results of their
l labors. The results, aside from the graft
! flying promise they give of reduced coal
| bills for all classes Of power plants, will
! be Of unusual interest to all engineers and
/ mining experts. Further steps must be
/ taken before the principle which is al
ready suited to power development on land,
/ viii be adapted to service at sea. There
is a prospect however, that when these
J advances in engineering are effected the
/ government can save in its naval coal bills
! enough each year to build battleship or
] two, and what is Of more Importance, the
new engines advocated by the expert
menters would probably take up only one
! half as much space as the present day
steam plants. which would enable war
ships to travel around the world without
recoaling.
In course Of the investigations at St
Louis practically every variety of coal
mined in the United States and dependeu-
cies was examined, and the precise fuel
value OF each was determined. West Vir-
ginia coal was found to possess the great
est power value, while several OF the Far
western states vie with one another in
! producing the poorest grades. Congress
appropriated $4,000 with which 70 make
/ the experiments, but stipulated that all
| the fuel tested should be given as well as
all the appliances that were tried. The
money appropriated was, therefore, en-
ttrely devoted TO the construction Of the
buildings in which, the work was carried
on and to the pay of the men employed.
Machinery Plentiful.
There was no lack of adequate machinery
to carry on the Investigations, for manufac-
turing concerns all over the country fairly
fell over one another in offering their latest
and most valuable devices They realized
the value of the advertising they could gaiT
through the governments use Of their en-
gines and testing machinery, and, as tht
work was inspected by many thousands oi
visitors to the Worlds fair, II is probabl,
they were well repaid In addition tC
making the series Of fuel tests that turned
out so well. the geological survey con
Quoted a number OF experiments to de
termine the best .briquette making mater
ials and machines, These experiments wer,
successful in a measure, and are still beinI
prosecuted by the survey.
The gas engine is no novelty in America
for it was long in use for driving dynamo
and other machinery in this country be
fore 1t was utilized to propei horseless car
riages. Producer gas is cheaper than gaso
flene however. Besides. bigger gas engine
are now being built than formerly. Henc,
the geological survey experts expect tina
its popularity win steadily increase In tn
next few years among all who seek t
develop power for business purposes.
Rival Engines I'm Operation.
To show the comparison with steam tn
producer gus engine was run side by sid
with standard steam engine in the ex
| Z perlmenlsi ana Ane performances OF IN
two styles Of power makers were closel,
watched and recorded AS indicated b.
these records, the power efficiency OF four
teen kinds OF coal when used In the "a
producer plant was two and one-hal
, times greater than the efficiency OF tn
! coal when used in the steam boiler plant
. In other words. one ton OF coal. when use
, in the gas engine. developed on a CONNER
cial scale as much power as two and one
half tons OF the same coal used in tn
ordinary steam plant, The Importance O
this is not Of value to coal producing state
alone, but extends through every part o
the country where coal OF mineral fuel !
used for power The annual coal bill O
the New England states for manufacturin
purposes is about s6OO0O.O00. This bill coul
be cut In two, and there would stiH b
enough left OF the savings 20 buy ever
man east Of the Hudson a new hat, II tn
coal used were diverted into a produce
gas plant instead Of the steam engines no,
~