The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1910-04-06

NIX duInpnreyS--lt would not apply I'M
less you could be sure of obtaining a
sale for the coke; in other words, il is
the price for making coke, not for making
the gas, coke for metallurgical purposes,
and as rule you could only introduce
such a process in a limited number OF
cities throughout the United States, and
especially in a place like Pittsburg. where
they have large demand for very
solid coke.
Mr.. Moore-Would those advantages be
applicable to Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys-No, sir; you could
not find a sufficient market for the coke.
Mr.. Cary-Why could you not find a
sale for It in Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys-You could find sale
for some of it. but you could not absorb
the whole amount for domestic pur-
poses; but in producing coke for metal
lurgieai purposes, by the Semet-Solvay
process. or any like process. you are
making coke, and you have to sacrifice
the gas for the coke. The result is that
you only make about $500 feet TO the
ton. the rest OF II being employed in
making the coke, so that you make a
tremendous amount proportionately of
the coke as compared with the gas. And
an ordinary city could not begin to alb
sorb the amount Of coke that would be
made in making the requisite amount OF
gas for the consumers
Mr.. Coudrey-How much coke was sold
in Washington last year?
Mr.. Humphreys-In doIlars-S64.OOO.
Mr.. Cary-Do you mean to say that
Milwaukee does not ship the coke and
that 1t is consumed by the local people?
Mr.. Humphreys-Oh, no, sir: I did not
say so at all.
Mr.. Cary-Then why do we not have
the same condition here in Washington?
Could they not ship it from here?
Mr.. Humphreys-There is the question
OF freight rate to be considered there
Mr.. Cary-But Washington is much
nearer TO Pittsburg than Milwaukee is.
and nearer to the coke furnaces than MI
waukee; but still they make a profit out
OF it at Milwaukee. I have always fig
ured that the coke is by-product Do
you think Il IS?
Mr.. Humphreys-Yes. sir; in making
coal gas, but not in the coke oven bust
ness.
Mr.. Cary-And they sell It at so much
per ton. Now. who buys the ooksP
Mr.. Humphreys-The consumers.
Mr.. Cary-In Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys-Yes.
Mr.. Cary-They would use It IN little
ranges and stoves?
Mr.. Humphreys-Yes, sir.
Mr.. Cary-But the coke made IN the
Semet-SOlvay process is not that coke
Mr. HumphTeyS-It can be used for that
purpose, but it is also used for metallur-
gical purposes, for which gas house coke
is not available.
Mr.. Cary-Yes, they use some Of It FOR
that purpose. but I don't think that has
anything 10 do with it,
Mr.. MoOre-But would Ike TO have |
you answer. Mr.. Humphreys, the question |
raised by Mr. Cary, as to why this sys- !
tenn which is working in Milwaukee Will /
not work IN Washington.
Mr.. umphreys-Because, as have
stated. In order TO make a gas here by /
that process, the conditions would be |
exactly reversed. VIII you make the gas |
and have the coke as a by-product, or will |
you make the coke and have the gas as |
a by-product? If you make the coke and |
have the gas as a by-product. then you 1
will have to have a tremendous amount |
Of coke. which you will have to place /
upon the market. in order to supply your |
consumers with gas. And, furthermore. |
as to finding a market for the coke, II /
you should ship it to Pittsburg, then YOU /
would have to compete with the ConnelIs-
Vile coke made in the ordinary bee hive /
ovens, where they do not save the gas.
the coke exclusively, and you |
would also have 10 compete with the /
coking ovens in and around Pittsburg:
and that you could not do with freight |
added And then Milwaukee does not
have TO send its coke 70 Pittsburg. All of |
you must know that Chicago is one of /
the great steel centers OF the United
States, and there are many industries
IN the neighborhood. Milwaukee uses
this coke, so that the cases are entirely
different But the point is thIs-it is q
question Of the amount Of coke to be dis
posed OF. If you will bear with me a
half minute I will give you an iuustra-
ton. When my firm went into the manu-
featuring Of water gas plants in Great \
Britain we did not attempt 10 drive ont
the coal gas, but we saw that there was
SO much gas-house coke being made. by
making all Of it from coal and making
coal gas, that by displacing a portion of
the coal gas with water gas. so reducing
the amount of coke so made that the Gas
would get a higher price for
their coke, simply by a reduction in the 1
amount thrown on the market. And /
throughout Great Britain the introduction
Of the Humphreys and Glasgow plants
had the effect of raising the price Of coke
simply by reducing the amount of coke
as a by-product in coal gas
manufacture. You would have so much
'oke TO dispose Of here that you could not
sell 1t at price to make it pay
Mr.. Moore-Supposing number Of citi-
,ens of Washington should feel that thew
lad an opportunity Of adopting the Mil
Yaukee system invested their money and
started an establishment on the Milwau-
zee basis, do you think they could make
money in Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys think not.
MI Cary do, and that is the differ
nee between US. You might as well
compare them IN their manufacturing.
Mr.. Cox-What do you get a ton for the
oke here? f
Mr.. Humphreys-I don't recall offhand:
would have to look that up
Mr.. Goldsborough-I should say about
oents bushel, or somewhere around
hat
Mr.. Cox-What will that run to a ton?
Mr.. Sehvlties-ss.5o for forty bushels
Mr. Goldsborough-That includes de- !
very.