The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-12-14

to develop stoves specially construct
ed for the burning of the fuel. Not
at once did the inventors grasp the
idea that Ignite was a fuel much
nearer wood In construction and burn
ing qualities than coal, and that the
stoves which would give the greatest
results from the use of the fuel would
get nearer to philosophy to burning
wood than that OF burning coal. They
at first failed to take into consider
alton the larger amount of moisture in
Ignite than in the other coal
fuels, as we'll as the fact that when
burned into Goals the Goals must be
retained in the stove to produce the
largest quantity of heat.
But these obstacles are being rapidly
overcome, and the Improvements be-
ing made on the stove used for the
in the MISUNDERSTANDING
burning of Ignite and the better know
ledge of the manner Of burning it are
working revolution in the industry,
and it is among the possibilities that
in few years the Ignite industry of
North Dakota will equal If not even
surpass that of its hard wheat grow
ing.
Ignite Fields.
The fields Of Ignite seem inexhaust-
ible. They comprise the greater por-
ton Of the western half of the state
and might be roughly outlined in en-
tent by drawing line from the point
on the international boundary line
where crossed by the Mouse river
and extending in southeast direction
from that point to the town of Harvey,
and thence in an almost southern dir
ection through the town of Steele in
kidder county to the southern line
of the state. More minute investiga-
tons may extend the Ignite bearing
area of the state, but at the present
time the various seams and stratas are
we'll located and outlined in the terri
tories mentioned. This Ignite bearing
area, in which the seams are all work.
able, is one-half the area of the state
of Ohio. The seams in the region in
dicated vary in thickness from two to
forty feet, and nearly all those in the
territory drained by the Missouri are
so located that they can be operated by
drift mining.
Fuel Values.
Roughly stated the fuel value of a
fuel is largely determined by the
amount of fixed carbon which it con-
tains. There are other things to be
considered, but the relative values of
this element will give fairly correct
idoo ho H. S...Y
From twenty-six samples of North Da-
kota Ignite analysed when dry the
amount OF fixed carbon was found to be
50 per cent. A similar analysis of
forty-one samples Of West Virginia
bituminous coal showed 81 per cent.
twenty-five samples of the best grade
OF semi-bituminous Goals of Maryland
showed IS per cent. Twenty-six
samples Of dry bituminous Goals of
Pennsylvania showed 6s per cent.
Judged by the fixed carbon alone one
ton Of North Dakota Ignite is worth
in round numbers IS per cent. of a
ton OF West Virginia bituminous; 66
per cent. of Maryland semi-bituminous,
and IS per cent. OF Pennsylvania btu
minous. 1t will thus be seen that lig-
mite is not the despised commodity that
it is sometimes supposed to be when
the proper methods of utilizing the
heat producing elements are under
stood.
Briquetting.
The subject Of briquetting the Ignite
has been discussed for several years,
and hundreds of methods of reworking
the Ignite so as to make the handling
OF the same and the use In stoves more
expeditions have been exploited; but
all these methods have missed the one
desirable end. The inventors have at
tempted to increase the heat producing
power Of the MISUNDERSTANDING as
impossible as man lifting himself
by his own bootstraps. The only way
that this could be done would be to add
to the briquetttes some combustible
fuel which has a higher power than
Ignite itself, and II this were used it
is evident that it would not be nee
cessary to combine it with a cheaper
or lower grade Of fuel in order to sell
it. But briquetting will in time have
the same relation to Ignite that cox
ing has to the low grade gas Goals of
the east. It will be remembered that
the Goals from which coke Is now man
ufactured was until within recent years
regarded as worthless because of the
excessive amount Of gas which 1t con-
tanned. It was not developed until
the plan Of converting it into coke was
found. and now this product forms one
Of the great articles of trade in the
soft coal producing regions. Briquet-
ting to be practical and consequently
OF value must be SO used as to merely
get the Ignite in such condition that
the bulk in proportion to the weight
is reduced, and allow the fuel to be
/ stored for future use without disin-
tegration, and 80 that 1t may be ex-
posed to the elements without the loss
of its fuel values. Whether this can
be one without a foreign substance
as binder remains to be seen. But
it is not among the impossibilities
that in the near future there will be
a process by which the products OF
the mines Of North Dakota will be con-
verted into briquetes something in the
manner in which pressed brick are now
manufactured. When this is accom-
plished it is certain that the use of the
products OF the Ignite fields will be
greatly increased.
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