The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1908-04-19
DRIQUfTs A FACTOR
IN CONSERVING COAL
Mountains of Waste to Be
Turned Into Marketable
Product for Many Uses
SPECIAL pIsrArc.n 10 rHs cALL

WASHINGTON. d. c.. April 1S--In
testing the fuels being used by the
government the United States geologi-
cal survey has succeeded in develop
ing the briquetted form of coal to such
an extent that 1t promises TO be an
important factor In conserving the rap
idly diminishing fuel supply OF the
country.
There is every promise that the
mountains OF waste coal seen about
every coal mine and the low grade coal
that Is now being left in the mines
will be turned into millions Of horse
power and for domestic heating and To-
connective use throughout the country.
Tests that have been made for more
than two years by the government in
dictate that a fuel made from slack or
waste COAL pressed into briquets. not
only burns with little smoke but also
evaporates more steam and produces
more power under the same boilers
than does the same amount OF coal.
These briquets are made by taking
the waste or slack coal and mixing ii
with sufficient pitch so that the coal
will hold together. the whole being
pressed into blocks or cakes by ma
chinery. Briquets made from good quail
ity slack coal have on every occa-
sion shown their superiority over the
same grade OF lump coal This differ
ence Is so great. 1t is said, that vessels
burning briquets instead OF coal will
be able to add from one to two knots.
per hour to their usual speed. What
this would mean to one of the Atlantic
racers is easily seen.
RAILROADS TRY THEM
During the last six months two
prominent railroads of the south have
made trial runs while burning bril-
quets. The Atlantic coast line rail-
road. after giving the new fuel a
thorough trial on number of runs
between Rocky Mount and Whining
ton. N C.. reported that the briquets
were a success. The official report OF
the railroad stated that 172,T00
making 1922 car miles. against 49,
$50 pounds of briquets in making a.
SIS ear miles. The engine that used
coal made up 231 minutes. lost time
and the engine on which the briquets
were tried made up 2s2 minutes In
other words. with 1920 pounds less
OF .briquets than coal. 9s4 more car
miles were covered and 81 more min
utes of lost time were made up. mis-
Is an apparent economy OF 20 per cent
without taking into consideration the
cost of the briquets.
LITTLE SMOKE OR ASH
In describing the results of the
tests the road foreman reported: This
coal burns UP entirely, leaving no
dirty fire at the end Of each trip. saw
ing 80 minutes time In cleaning the
engine. The briquets do away with all
black smoke while using steam and
there Is but little smoke when the
steam Is turned on THIS fuel does
away with the stopping up Of the
f1ues and produces a uniform steam
Oficials of the Chesapeake and Ohio
railway company made the following
report on the use Of briQuets: The
briquet ignites very freely, making an
intensely hot IRE. When the engine is
working there IS very little smoke A
heavy fire may be carried. as there Is
no danger OF clinkering Very little
ashes are left"
The tests on the Chesapeake ana
Ohio were made on the through trains
between washington. ID. c.. and Char
lottesville, Va. during the rush OF
Christmas travel.
FIGURE COSTS CLOSELY
The results OF a number of the in
vestigations made at the fuel testing
plant of the government at st. Louis,
Mo-. have just been published by the
geological survey. under the title OF
Binders for Briqusts." The author
OF the bulletin, James E. Mills. declares
that the object OF the Investigations
was to determine as far as possible to
what extent the manufacture of
briquets from slack coal may succeed
commercially under the conditions ex-
listing in the United States. The main
problem IN briquetting. says the au-
thor. fs TO find a, suitable binding ma
terial at sufficiently low cost When
the difference In price between slack
coal and the first class lump Is 81 the
cost OF briquetting should not exceed
this amount