The Detroit times., 1908-06-26
We WASTE IN COAL
s200,000,000
GOVERNMENT TEST STATION
PITTseURo is ANGLING FOR
MAKES VALUABLE REPORT.

/ WASHINGTON, June 26.-Govtrn'
ment tests with Goals al the fuel test
ing plant now located AT st. Louis.
but which IL Is hoped soon 10 secure
| for Pittsburg. show, according TO
report just issued. that 100000. 600 tons
OF coal. enough 10 supply the needs
OF the country for six months. are
being wasted every year In the Unit
ed States through improper mining
methods. This waste represents q
loss OF more than 5000. 100000. for the
coal is worth at least 81 ton.
/ The tests were made under the d.
rection OF J. A. Holmes. chief OF the
teehnologic branch of the United
States geological survey. and Mr..
Holmes says:
Only Sklmming Natures Resources.
In our investigation we find that IL
the mining operations of this country
nearly one-half OF the total coal supply
is left underground This coal Is lefi
as pillars TO support the roof OF the
mine or because II is OF inferior quail
ity. The waste is also due TO the fact
that the working out OF the lower
beds OF coal first in some cases breaks
and renders impracticable the subse'
quent mining OF the adjacent higher
coal beds.
We are Swimming the cream OF the
natural resources OF the country. We
are using the best and cheapest OF
our supplies. Each OF the succeeding
generations will obtain its needed
general supply. but each will pay
higher prices for the reason that ow
ing TO the increasing depth, mining
will be continually more expansive
and more dangerous.
An increasingly large part OF this
waste Is preventable. In most Euro
pean coal producing countries coal
waste has been reduced to a mini
mum by the introduction OF improv-
ed methods OF mining. In Vancouver,
British Columbia. | am told, SO per
cent of the coat is mined
Goals from all over the country
were tested in the steam engine and
gas engine. Results with the gas IN
CINE were extremely gratifying. Fifty
six different bituminous Goals We're
tested in the steam boiler and engine
and gas producer and engine, and The
figures show that on an average II
took nearly three times as much coal
to produce horsepower in the steam
engine as in the gas engine.
Gas Engines the Cheapest.
The actual figures for the average
from all Goals were 1.57 pounds OF
coal burned TO produce the horse
power for an hour In the gas engine
and 4.43 pounds In the steam engine.
In Ave tests OF lignites. an inferior
quality OF coal found In the west. the
gas engine required 237 pounds OF
coal TO produce a horsepower for an
hour and 6.26 pounds OF coal for The
steam engine
Two remarkable tests were made
on what Is termed Bone Coal, a
coal that Is so high In impurities that
IL IL now being thrown away by the
mine operators as worthless. In one
test on the gas engine. il took z.i5
pounds of supposed worthless coal TO
produce a horsepower for an hour.
This coal had a per cent ash and
would be considered valueless as a
producer of power In steam engine
Perhaps the most encouraging feat
ure OF these tests Is that the low
grade fuels such as Ignite and bone
coal, produced more power In the gas
engine. ton for ton. than did the best
bituminous coal In the steam engine.