The Fargo forum and daily republican., 1909-11-24
VAST AMOUNT OF
R. R. FUEL USED
GOVERNMENT GATHERS SOME
VERY INTERESTING FIGURES
REGARDING THE CONSUMPTION
or FuEL--oNE-FIFTH OF TOTAL
CONSUMED BY LOCOMOTIVES.

Washington, d. c.. Nov. 24.-Ninety
million tons of coal one-fifth Of the
total production OF the country, were
consumed by the 81, 900 locomotives in
the United States in 1905 In hauling
freight and passenger trains. This fuel
cost the railroad companies s17O, 500, 900.
This enormous consumption OF coal
by the railroads led the United States
geological survey through its techno-
logic branch, to conduct series OF
tests on a locomotive 70 deterine
whether or not there could be q saw
ing to the country in the amount OF
fuel used and the results have. Just
been announced in q bulletin OF the
survey.
Prof. w. r. M. Goss, now dean OF the
University of Illinois. who had charge
of the experiments makes the state
ment that OF the total s0,000,000 tons
of coal used. 10.0S0.0O0 tons are lost
through the heat In the gases that are
discharged from the stacks of the loco
motives; S,640.0O0 tons are lost through
cinders and sparks $4,000 tons are
lost through radiation, leakage OF
steam and water; 2.sSo,O0 tons are lost
through unconsumed fuel in the ashes,
and 100000 tons are lost through the
incomplete combustion OF gases. In
addition, g1S, ,000. 600 tons are consumed
in starting fires, in moving the. loco,
motive to its, train, IN backing trains
into or out of1sidings and finskeeping
the locomotive. hot while standing,of
Under ideal conditions of operation .
says Professor Goss, much of the fuel
thus used could be saved, and IT is
reasonable to expect that the normal
process OF evolution in railroad prac-
tice will tend gradually torbring- about
some reduction in the consumption thus
accounted for The loss represented
by the heat OF discharged gases offers
and attractive field TO those who would.
improve the efficiency of the boiler.
The fuel loss in the form of cinders
passing out OF the stack is very large
and may readily be reduced. "A sure
road to Improvement in this direction.
lies in an increased CRATE area. Op-,
portunities< for incidental saving are.
to be found in improved flame ways
such as are TO be procured by the APP
plication OF brick arches and other de-
vices. Such losses may also be re-
duced by greater care in the selection
of fuel and in the preparation of the.
fuel for the service in which ii Is used.
It is not unreasonable to expect that
the entire loss covered by this item
will in time be overcome. The fuel
which is lost by dropping through
CRATES and mingling with the ashes is
a factor that depends on the CRATE de-
sign, on the characteristics OF the fuel,
but chiefly on the degree OF care exer-
cised In managing the fire. More skill
ful firing would save much of the fuel
thus accounted for. q,
Locomotive boilers are handicapped
by the requirement that the boiler and
all its appurtenances must come within
rlgidly defined limits OF space, and by
the fact that they are forced to work
at very high rates Of power. Notwith~
standing this handicap, the zone Of
practicable Improvement which lies be-
tween present day results and those
which may reasonably be regarded as
obtainable Is not so wide as to make
future progress rapid or easy Mater
iaI Improvement is less likely to come
in large measures as the result of rev..
olutionary changes than as series Of
relatively small sayings. 1t is appar-
ent that the utilization of fuel in loco
motive practice is a problem Of large
proportions. and that if even small
saving could be made by. all or a large
propoytion OF the locomotives OF, the
country it would constitute an impors,
tant factor in the conservation Of the
nations fuel supply" - H