The evening star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1907-1908, 1907-08-06

TESTS COAL
SUBSTITUTE
Said to Have Affected Eye.
sight of Men in LOcOmO-
tives Using 1t.

For the past six months officials Of
the Delaware, Lackawanna and West
ern Railroad Company have been test
ing a new kind of fuel, a patented ar
ticle, manufactured by an Incorporated
company at Scranton, Pa. 1t is claimed
that the fuel proved an unqualified sue
cess as a steam generator, but its ef-
feet on the eyes of the hremen was
most disastrous, according to the state
ment of several oculists who have been
called upon to examine the eyes of the
men who fed the fires on the locomo-
tives used in the experiments.
The new fuel is known as .Bricket-
tes." and is manufactured by the Scran-
ton Brickette Company. which. 1t was
learned, has a contract with the Lack
awanna to redeem all the culm heaps
at the anthracite mines controlled by
the company, and a plant was erected
for the purpose Immediately after sew
eral minor experiments led the railroad
| officials TO consider the possible value
of the article as a substitute for coal.
The culm, or fine siftings from the
mines, is mixed with a quantity of
pitch, and chemicals are used to harden
the mass, when 1t is pressed into egg
or other shaped blocks and baked. All
1.-THE ~"brickettes' used on h locomotives
have been e~gg-shaped. The chemicals
used to harden the mass are held re-
| sponsible for the injurious effect on the
eyes of the men.
In addition to using the new fuel on
the locomotives, it was learned that
the company had tests made in many of
the shops along its ines. w L. Boiler,
who is in charge of the Kingsland
shops where brickettes were used, COM
| planned that there was an odor from
the fuel, and also complained that it
affected their eyes. According to Mr..
Boiler, brickettes were used only for
a short time at the Kingsland shops,
but it was learned from other sources
that the most extensive tests were
made on the Buffalo division, and also
in and about Scranton. especially on he
locomotives of fast trains.
One fireman, residing at Phillipsburg,
according to information obtained yes
terday, has had the sight of his eyes
so impaired thai he may lose his eye
sight, and it is said that this particular
| case has already been called to the at
tention of the Brotherhood of Loco
motive Firemen, n that the execu-
| tive board of the organization has de-
termined upon some action to forestall
the further use of the new fuel.
AT present, it was learned, the plant
of the new company is closed down for
extensive alterations, and before re-
Stunning, it is asserted, the plant will
be greatly enlarged and the output of
the company vastly increased. How
ever, 1t is said that the company has
been unable, thus far, to manufacture
the brickettes at a price that warrants
the company t. substitute it for coal.
1t is Also asserted hat the officials
of the fuel company hope to be able
to manufacture their product at a
price hat will place it on the market
for domestic purposes, but it is as
serted that the odor attendant to start
ing a fire with the composition is so
obnoxious hat 1T will not meet with
public favor, but may become valuable
to large consumers, such as big manu-
facturers and electric lighting plants.
1t is claimed that the firemen will
make an effort to induce the railroad
company to give up the idea of using
the fuel on any of its locomotives be-
cause of the injurious effect it has on
their eyes.