The Chickasha daily express. (Chickasha, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1899-current, 1910-01-31
WASTED MUCH COAL
Railroads Use 0ne-Fifth Of Total
Production Of Country.
Enormous Amount Of FueI Is Lost
That Under Ideal Conditions Of
Operation Much Could
Be Saved.


Washington. Ninety million tons OF
coal, one.ffth OF the total product Of
the country, We're consumed by the
1900 locomotives in the United
States in 1906 in hauling freight and
passenger trains This fuel cost the
railroad companies s17O,500,000.
This enormous consumption Of coal
by the railroads led the United States
geological survey through its technical
branch, to conduct series of tests on
a locomotive to determine whether or
not there could be saving to the
country in the amount OF fuel used
and the results have just beer an
nounced in a bulletin Of the survey.
Prof. w. +. M. Goss, now dean Of
the University Of Illinois, who had
charge OF the experiments, makes the
statement that OF the total 9O.0000OO
tons Of coal used, 100S0. 900 tons are
lost through the heat In the gases that
are discharged from the stacks Of the
locomotives; S.64O,0OO tons are lost
through cinders and sparks: 5,040,00o
tons are lost through radiation, leak
age Of steam and water; 2,8S0,000 tons
are lost through unconsumed fuel in
the ashes, and 100000 tons are lost
through the incomplete combustion OF
gases. in addition, 1S000,00 tons are
consumed in starting fires, in moving
the locomotive to its train, in backing
trains into or out or sidings and ia
keeping the locomotive hot while
standing.
Under ideal conditions Of opera
ton says Prof Goss, much OF the
fuel thus used could be saved. and it
is reasonable TO expect that the nor
NAL process of evolution in railroad
practice will tend gradually to bring
about some reduction in the consump-
tion thus accounted for The loss
represented by the heat Of discharged
gases offers an attractive field 10
those who would improve the eff
cheney Of the boiler The fuel loss in
the form OF cinders passing out or
the stack is very large and may read
lily be reduced a sure road to i'm
proyement in this direction lies in an
increased CRATE area Opportunities
for incidental saving are to be found
in improved flame ways such as are
70 be procured by the application OF
brick arches and other devices Such
losses may also be reduced by great,
er care in the selection of fuel and in
the preparation Of the fuel for the
service in which it is used. It is not
unreasonable to expect that
the entire loss covered by this
iters VIII III time be overcome. The
fuel which is lost by dropping through
CRATES and mingling with the ashes is
factor that depends on the CRATE
design. on the characteristic OF the
fuel. but chiefly on the degree OF care
exercised in managing the FIRE More
skillful firing would save much Of the
fuel thus accounted for.
Locomotive boilers are handi-
capped BY the requi, sment that the
boiler and all its appurtenances must
come within rigidly defined limits OF
space, and by the fact that they are
forced to work at very high rates OF
power Notwithstanding this handi-
cap. the zone Of practical improve
ment which lies between present day
results and those which may reason
ably be regarded as obtainable is not
SO wide as to make future progress
rapid or easy. Material improvement
is less likely to come in large meas
ures as the result of revolutionary
changes than as series Of relatively
small savings. tits apparent that the
utilization Of fuel in locomotive prac
tice IS a problem Of large proportions.
and that If even small saving could
be made BY all or a large proportion
Of the locomotives OF the country it
would constitute an important factor
in the conservation Of the nations
fuel supply