The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-28
coal QUESTION IS.
SOLVED FOR YEARS
TO CONE
Hope to Develop Extensive
Ignite Mines of Western
North Dakota.
BIOLOGISTS ARE BUSY
And Investigation Will Be
Carried On by the United
States Government.

The fuel problem of this country
has been solved beyond possibility Of
uncertainty for some centuries to
come, II the claims which are now ad-
vanced for the gas developing steam
engine are not overstated. The ex-
perts of the National Geological Sur
vey, after months of thorough tests,
are convinced that this engine Is cap
able of producing three and one-half
times as much power from given
weight of coal as can be secured un-
der an ordinary steam boiler
This is one of the remarkable re-
suits from the series OF fuel tests
that have been conducted at st Louis
for the last two or three years under
direction of DR.. j. A. Holmes. of the
survey. The Holmes tests have aimed
to determine the fuel values of differ
ent Goals, and also to demonstrate the
comparative economies of various
methods of applying coal to produc-
ton o: power.
Immense Area of Ignite.
The greatest fuel deposit in Amer
lea is the immense area of Ignite
which underlies the western two
fifths of North Dakota, the eastern
third of Montana, and great areas of
of eastern Wyoming and northwestern
South Dakota This field has never
been accurately deliminated because
1t has been regarded as of small value.
But the demonstration of the possi-
bilities Of Ignite, when used, has sud-
denly given 1t new and striking
interest. DR.. Holmes has proved that,
properly used, ton of Ignite, will
produce two and one-half times as
much power as ton of the best
steaming coal represents when used
under an ordinary steam boiler. The
steam coal, used in the producing
engine. Is worth three and one-half
times as much in units of power as
when used under boiler.
The gas producer is simply double
engine which combines the steam en-
CINE and the gas motor. The fuel is
used In the ordinary way to provide
steam; but the production of combus-
ticn is afterward drawn off as gas,
and used In a gas motor where ex-
plos1on produces a great deal more
power than in the first blaze. The
apparatus Is pronounced entirely prac-
teal and successful commercially
Biologists to Begin Work.
lHrteen parueS OF geOlOg1StS Will
begin work in the next few weeks,
accurately surveying and studying the
coal deposits of the Rocky mountain
region. Two of these will work on
the great Ignite field of the north
west, one in east central Wyoming,
one in the Rock Springs field of
Wyoming, one in the Rawlings, Wyo.,
field, one in the district just south of
the Yellowstone National Park. two
in central Montana, to the east of
Great Falls. one in northern Colorado
and Utah, one in the Trinidad region
of Colorado, one in northwestern New
Mexico, one in southern Utah. These
parties are expected to cover about
$500 square miles of coal lands each,
making substantially complete scien-
tific survey, and when they are done
the government will know for the
first time what the coal of the public
domain is, where it is, and how it may
be made commercially available. Fol-
lowing this work the lands will be
appraised and steps taken to see that
they will not be SACRIFICED