Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-04-04
COAL NOW SOLD
BY THERMAL UNITS
DEALERS MUST SHOW QUALITY
OF THEIR PRODUCT.
A MATTER OF ANALYSIS
Chemists Certificate Required to
Show Units of Heat in Fuel Be.
fore Manufacturers Will Contract
British Formula in Vogue
A Matter of Figures.

Little by little commercial methods
in this country are reaching the
standards proven good by centuries
of use in England and other old ma
tions, IL is but recently that coal
operators have been required to show
an analysis of their product in order
to get a market. Twenty years ago
coal was sold by the name and on
the reputation OF the mine, or even
more indefinitely, by the name Of the
district from which it came. Hork-
ing valley, meant coal from a large
region of country in southeastern
Ohio SO it was with Lehigh anthra
cite and dozen other varieties. The
name really signifed nothing more
than general quality.
Now every new coal that comes up
on the market seeks buyers with a
certificate of heating quality, signed
by chemist. Every manufacturer
contracts for his coal on the basis Of
thermal units, and the price is gov
erned largely by she percentage of
heat producing ingredients. AS usual
municipalities are behind the times
in the matter of coal contracts. Few
cities buy coal on analysis, and
fewer still attend TO ii and see that
deliveries under a contract come up
80 the standard called for in the
original purchase, Manufacturers, of
course, look more carefully after such
matters of detail than do city officials
The bidders, when the manufac-
turer is cautious, are required to war
rant the trade name, mine, vein
county and state from which their
article is obtained, and also to war
rant the percentage of carbon, VIOLA
tile combustible material, ash sui
phur and moisture, also to warrant
the number Of British thermal units
in each pound of dry coal To de-
termine this, 100 pounds OF coal is
to be given for analysis. By a process
of elimination this amount will be re
duce1 to a pint of dry coal in cubes
Of about one-fotwth of an inch. 1t is
the thermal unit quality of the coal
which determines its value, for if the
coal delivered is inferior 10 the an
abyss it may either be rejected or the
price reduced.
In the event OF the coal being in
ferior the following provision pre-
walls: Such reduced price on account
% inferior heat value shall bear such
proportion to the contract price as
will make the net British thermal
units for l cent of such inferior coal
equal to the British thermal unit for
/ cent OF said contract grade of coal
as established by analysis upon which
the award of the contract is made
In order to find the new British
thermal unit for l cent the following
simple little formula prevails:
Multiply the number of British
thermal units per pound OF dry coal
By the percentage of moisture; sub
tract the product so found from the
number of British thermal units per
pound of dry coal; multiply the re
maindar by 2G00; divide this prod
uct by the price Of coal per ton ex-
pressed in cents; add fifty times the
percentage of ash expressed in deci-
NAL; the result viii be the net Brit
ish thermal unit for l cent
Madison water board buys anthra
cite coal for the pumping station be-
cause it is used in the residence dis
trict and soft coal is prohibited. II
is not the practice to require so close
terms on this kind of iuel but all
users of bituminous IRE forced to
make contracts specifying the grade
ara then to have frequent analyses
made to know that the operators are
not sending them inferior material