Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1910-01-06
LITTLE OF COAL
AREA IS MINED
STATE HAS VAST SUPPLY Of LICNlTE
a." COAL YET UNTOUCHED SAYS
STATE ENGINEER
Bismarck, N. D., Dec. 31.-The state

Bismarck, N. D., Dec. 81 The state
engineer, who is ex-officio state coal
mine inspector, has been actively en-
gagged during the past two months
making his annual inspection of the
mines as provided by law. Jay w.
Bliss, assistant to the state engineer,
has made personal examinations of
about four-fifths of the mines and from
the mines already inspected it is esti-
mated that the total output for 1909
will be slightly less than for 1908. The
output for 1909 will be about $4,000
tons, while the output for 1908 was
$4,000 tons. There are eight hun
dred and thirty-five men employed in
the ninety-six Ignite coal mines now
in operation. Many of the mines only
operate during the fall and winter
months. =.
It is generally known that North
Dakota contains a large area of work
able veins of Ignite coal estimated at
$4,000 square miles and an estimated
total tonnage of workable coal of five
hundred billion tons. Thus far only
four million tons have been mined.
The beds are usually horizontal and
at depth of from fifty to two hun
dred feet bentath the surface. Our lig-
mite coal is exceptionally free from
sulphur, which is so common in the
eastern bituminous Goals, and it con-
tains only eight per cent Of ash,
while eastern bituminous Goals contain
from eight to twenty per cent. Prop
erly burned, North Dakota Ignite nev-
er clinkers. The fuel testing depart
ment of the United States geological
survey located at Pittsburg, is max
ing extended investigations into the
problem of briquetting Ignite, and
Prof. Babcock of our school of mines
at Grand Forks likewise is making this
problem a study and it seems quite
probable that within short time the
manufacture of briquetts from our
own Ignite will be profitable bust
ness
The state engineer believes that the
most important method of handling
our Ignite coal and the method
which will prove extremely profitable
to North Dakota is the manufacture
of producer power gas. The United
States fuel testing department has
made exhaustive tests with this lig-
mite in the gas producer plants and
surprisingly successful results have
been obtained. They have found that
North Dakota Ignite burned in the
gas producer will develop more pow
er than any of the eastern bituminous
Goals burned on the CRATE. To develop
one horse power per hour by the steam
engine requires 4.46 pounds of Vir-
ginia anthracite, or 3.97 pounds of
Ohio bituminous, while one horse pow
er per hour can be obtained from on
" 2.29 pounds of North Dakota lig-
mite when burned in the gas producer.
Assuming Ohio bituminous in North
Dakota at $6 per ton and Ignite at g
per ton, a saving of II per cent would
be effected by using Ignite in gas
producer plant, over the use of Ohio
bituminous in an ordinary steam en-
CINE. However, the proposition that
will very likely be the most practical
for the future use of our Ignite Is
the burning Of this coal at the mines
in the gas producer and transmit
ting the power electrically to all parts
of the state, furnishing power to light
our cities, for our manufacturers and
for electric railroad lines construct
ed for the benefit of our people. "