The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1907-07-26
Fuel One of the Questions
of Settlement.
PASSING OF THE LOCOMOTIVE
They Are Heavy Coal Consumers; Pro-
duction Of Anthracite: Ignite
i'm North Dakota.

Washington, July 24.-The success
full result of experiments calculated to
revolutionize manufacturing and trans
portation in America has been announc-
ed by the geological survey. The official
announcement is that eminent engineers
have actually reached the conclusion
that we have come to the passing of
the steam engine, and that the gas en-
CINE or ''internal combustion motor" is
already taking its place.
The new power means saving. the
geological survey says, of from $780,,
100000 to 200,O00,0O0 every year in the
country's coal bill; and it is declared
that a manufacturer who uses 5000
horsepower engine of the new type will
actually save 81 $50 per year in the
cost of fuel. 1t is cited that the Unit
ed States Steel Corporation has recently
abandoned the use of 100 steam en-
gines in favor of the gas motors, al
though some of these steam engines
were exhibited at st. Louis only four
years ago as the highest type of the
development of steam power.
1t is declared by the government eX-
perts and others who have been expert
menting with gas engines that the new
form of power can be applied to trans
portation also through the use of cleo
tricity, and the action of the New York
Gliding to equip a considerable section of
their lines with electricity is cited.
One of the big things about the new
power, as the government experts see it,
is the fact that internal combustion mo-
tors can be run on the poorest quality
of coal, and even on Ignite and peat. In
fact, anything in the way of fuel that
will produce gas is good enough for the
new type of gas engine. The new form
of power means. it is declared, that
hundreds of thousands of square miles
of Ignite coal beds in the far West can
be used for fuel; for it has been demon
strated that the internal combustion
motor will produce more power even
from poor Ignite than can be produced
by. first class coal when used under a
steam boiler. Also it is promised that
the smoke nuisance in great cities will
be abolished, for the internal combus.
ton motor produces no smoke.
That the new form of power has pass
ed the experimental stage is shown by
the fact that internal combustion mo-
tors of 5000 horsepower have already
been constructed and are IN successful
, operation. The engine has demonstrate
ed it's ability to produce from two to
nearly three times as much power with
a given amount of coal as the steam
engine Not only this, but it has
proved that the very poorest Goals in
the gas producer generate twice the
power that the same coal does in the
steam plant. Still further, it has gen
Grated power from Ignite 1.-THE lowest
form of coaD where the Ignite has re-
fused to do any work under the steam
boiler. The peoples coal bill in 1905
was $l,5OO,OOO,OOO. One-third of this, or
$500,000,00O, went for coal to produce
power.
For three years the government eX-
perts labored at the fuel testing plant
at st. Louis with striking results. The
plant, so far as fuel testing is concerned
has been moved to Norfolk, Va, where
GIC Itobo dlC SolilihuSu ~ " "'
found at the beginning that the losses
i'm the utilization of fuel for the devel-
opment of power, heat and light were SO
great that in ton of coal consumed In
an ordinary manufacturing plant less
than five per cent of the total energy
was available for the actual work OF
manufacturing. 1t was found also that
in ordinary locomotives only three to
five per cent of the fuel energy is OBJ
tanned for pulling the train. This is
about the same as if housewife took
a barrel of flour and succeeded in get
ting only one small biscuit as the en-
tire result.
Robert Haywood Fernald, an engineer
employed by the government in charge
of producer gas tests under the geolo-
gical survey, says that the value of the
results is not limited to the coal pro-
ducing section of the country, but that
it extends through all the states and
territories where even a poor grade
of fuel is found He thinks the manu-
facturers of New England alone can save
from $l5,OOO,0O0 to $20,O00,000 per an
mum by adopting the gas engine, for the
present coal bill of these manufacture
ers is approximately $5O,OOO,OOO.
Furthermore" said Mr.. Fernald, ''ii
gas producers can be introduced on ships
and river boats not only will millions
be saved in coal but far less room will
be required on board for its storage
With this much cheaper gas operation
steamboats, and river craft will no doubt
become much stronger competitive
factor"
A great deal of emphasis is laid on
the fact that the poorer forms of fue
can be used successfully for the inter
nal combustion motors. North Dakota
and Texas brown Ignite and Florida
peat have proved successful and have ac
tually produced more power when APP
piled to tlre new gas engine than has