El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-05-23

, purchase run mine coal for loco
motive use, because it is cheaper per
ton and because il helps the mine 10 ais
pose Of a product often otherwise un-
marketable.
This grade of cOah has a high per-
centage of slack, and requires great
deal of handling. Every handling or
the coal results in a breakage or crumD-
ling 81 from one 10 eight percent II
has been proved that the losses OF coal
in handling run from as low as twelve
cents to as high as four dollars per
ton handled, owing to distance from the
mine and the type of coal handling ap-
| pliances. The desirability of obtaining
! the type of coal handling device which
| will cause the least possible crumbling,
is apparent
Oil Consumption Large
OF course, the cost OF locomotive fuel
] is affected by the distance from the
mine. The average cost of hauling 10
| connective coal is three miles per ton
| mile. which amounts to three cents
| for one ton for. ten miles, or three dol
! lars for one ton for one thousand miles
! In this statement is to be found the
| reason why west tern railways, far re-
| moved from coal mines but in easy &C
cess Of oil fields, have come TO use pc
troIeum rather than coal for the pur-
| poses
| 10000, 900 barrels of crude petroleum IS
burned in railway locomotives annually
The conservation experts are opposed,
as a matter of national economy, to the
use ri crude petroleum as power pro-
ducing fuel, except on the Pacific Coast,
where transportation charges make the
price of coal so high
VIII Solve Problem
| A concerted effort is now being made
| nj Cd
locomotive fuel supply question. This
movement. however, is Of comparatively
recent origin. But one railroad sy|<em
in the country has installed a uniform
system of accounting for its fuel On
the Santa Fe system the fuel is under
the control of a specially organized fuel
department from the time 1T leaves the
mine until it is put On the tender
Yet it is admitted that even this sys-
tenn is not yet complete, although it
is more efficient than any other in
! the country. But the department showed
in the first year Of its operation that
| it was able TO save one hundred times
as much money as 1T cost to operate II
is unnecessary to say that it will prove
a popular success.
Association Has Made Record.
The international Fuel association,
now meeting in Chicago, is just one
year old, its first meeting having been
held one year ago. 1t has the record
of being the largest railway Organiza-
ton of its age ever in existence, and II
has attracted more attention in this
country and IN Europe, both from rail-
way men and others than any other
railway organization That it intends
to attack the fuel problem in practical
fashion is evident from the program
of the meeting Six papers have been
prepared TO be read and discussed Their
| subjects indicate their practical value
Many Interesting Papers.
The first is entitled Grade of fuel
most suitable for locomotive use, con-
sidering cost of traffic and best inter-
ests of producer" This will be dis
cussed by both railway and coal mining
men The titles of the other papers are:
Recommended methods of preparing
coal for locomotives; Standard uni
form blanks for reporting all items Of
cost in connection with fueling stations
and handling fuel, for all types of sta
lions and conditions" accounting for
fuel consumed, and individual records
| of performances; Methods of purchas-
ing fuel with regard both to traffic
conditions and TO producers interests
and relation between producer and rail-
! road; Methods of supervision. instrac-
! ton and encOura cement in locomotive
I operation 10 secure greater efficiency il
fuel consumption"
Cooperation Is Urged.
As a result of this meeting il is eX-
pected that many railways Will inaugu-
rate systems which will permit of CO.
operation in fuel economy. Already new
fUeling stations are being built, new
cCal handling devices are being erected
! and missionary campaign is being car
! ried on among locomotive crews in the
/ interests of saving money and saving
coal. Locomotive crews are being spe-
| cially trained in the art of practical
economy in firing and locomotive hand
, ling, that the greatest amount of power
. may be produced by the use Of the
least amount of coal. Crews thus spe-
/ cially trained are sent all over the
country to teach the working crews the
lesson Of practical economy. Now that
the minds of the great railroad men
/ have been turned toward the solution
of this problem, great things may be ex-
Il pected IN the reports of the third annual
meeting of the international Fuel as
ISOLATION one year hence.
Tomorrow, Building and Loan