The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1908-09-02
COAL SAVING SCHEME
st. Louis Man Burns It With
Limestone.
HIS FUEL BILLS CUT IN HALF

Alexander Marshall Obtains Intense
Heat by Mixing Limestone With
Coal cIinkers Eliminated - Smoke
Reduced to Minimum.
Alexander Marshall of st. Louis
told the other day how he has solved
IN important problem that may great.
" reduce the worlds consumption OF
coal.
BE claims to have discovered q meth
cd whereby the cost Of coal, by tho
use Of limestone, in furnaces Of any
kind may he reduced to one-half. The
limestone exists in sufficient quaint
ties in the Piasa bluffs along the
Mississippi river to supply Alton with
fuel for centuries to come. Marshalls
scheme proved generally successful.
"You see. I throw in plenty Of coal
to get q redhot fire in the furnace"
said Mr.. Marshall to a reporter Of the
st. Louis t-Dispatch. "Then I
throw in equal parts in bulk Of coal
and limestone. In a few minutes a
white heat is generated which has alb
~solutely no smoke"
A strong limelight blaze at once
fared up in the furnace. The former
dark black smoke from the stacks be-
gan to be transformed into a light
airy gas-carbonic acid gas released
from the carbonate of lime. The heat
was intense, and in a few minutes it
seemed as If the seams Of the boilers
would melt.
"Coal alone never gave such a heat"
remarked Mr.. Marshall. I'm a few
weeks I shall have a testing appara-
tus here for the purpose Of finding
out exactly the amount Of heat units
In a given quantity of coal and then
the number of units in coal and lime
stone"
After the test the residue left was
exhibited in the CRATE. There were
no clinkers. The coal had evidently
all been consumed.
1.-THE residue makes a good fertili.
zer," Mr.. Marshall said. "Of course
the ashes are not so good as the lime.
stone before burning, for that con-
tains 40 per cent more of carbon. The
advantage lies In the fact that use
has already been made Of the coal.
Left in the ground for a longer length
Of time the burned limestone will bring
about exactly the same effect as the
pure limestone-that is, In correcting
the acidity of the SOIL"
Mr.. Marshall then explained that the
coal he formerly used up to the eve of
his limestone fuel discovery a short
time ago cost $2.4O per ton. The actual
cost of limestone is 60 cents n ton.
AS the limestone and coal are used
half and half the actual cost of a ton
Of the Marshall heating material is
$3.50.
"The use Of my discovery" said Mr..
Marshall, would insure smokeless
heat which I'm sure would do away
with the big city smoke annoyance.
Then there are no heavy clinkers to
deal with, and, besides, we have an al
most perfect fertilizer in the ashes, to
say nothing Of the prime consideration,
the reduction in fuel cost.
my explanation Of limestone's value
as fuel is that it contains S9.73 per cent
OF pure carbonate Of lime. This is not
~combustible unless heated, but when
heated in a redhot blaze becomes CON-
bustible, sending off carbonic acid gas,
giving a limelight fire in the furnace
which Is many times hotter than the
ordinary coal fire. In order to make it
smokeless we must shut off as much
oxygen as possible, which is partly done
by closing up the furnaces.
Il intend to build what is called a
Dutch oven,' a class Of furnace into
which coal is dumped at the top by a
sort Of mechanical continuance which
prevents any air from escaping when
the furnace, which is otherwise closed,
Is being fired.
Il have been studying this matter |
ever since l read Of the experiments of
Mr.. Ridder Of the waterworks plant at |
Baden. He made gas for lighting by
heating limestone red hot IN retorts over |
the fire. l wondered at once If the gas |
could not be made right In the furnace |
and retained there to increase the heat
Of the fire under the boilers. BY q Sc.
ries Of experiments lasting over a
month l learned that It could be done, |
and have been doing it successfully
ever since in u plant at Elsah."
Mr.. Marshall resides In Carondelet. |
he Is dfty-three years Of age and is OF
Scotch descent. He wears a large red.
dish beard, which reaches below his
coat lapel.
F. X. Bixby of st. Louis is president
end one Of the principal stockholders
10 the Whiting plant. where the Mar
shall demonstration is being made.
Portraits on Shoes.
Hand painted shoes promise to be