Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1911-12-26
NEWS OF THE NORTHWEST
COAL famine
SOON unknown

SUM U|ykNOWN
GRAND FORKS, N. D., Dec. &c.
Coal famlnes end the high prices OF
fuel due to shortness of supply and
length of haul will soon be thing OF
the past in North Dakota. This state
has within her borders over $4,000
square miles Of coal land underlaid
with rich deposits of Ignite coal and
the total supply available has been
estimated as aggregating over 500.
600 tons. The problem of how to
make the best use of the vast store
houses of energy has been occupying
the attention of the business and SCI
entific men of the state for some time
and it is now In way toward a prac-
tical solution as result of the work
that is being done by the state school
of mines under the direction of Dean
Earl ]. Babcock.
For some time past an experiment.
al station has been in operation at
Hebron in Morton county, in the
very heart of the richest coal telt
of the state and in territory that is
easily tributary to he Missouri river.
Here the details of the bricquetting
process have been carefully worked
out and now it remains only to be
demonstrated just how cheaply this
new fuel can be produced in a plant
Of larger size for commercial purpos.
es. Dean Babcock and his staff of
are pretty we'll satisfied
that the bricquettes can be turned
out at cost Of from $500 to $3.50
a ton, but they mean to demonstrate
the matter fully by means of a series
Of exhaustive tests from which accur-
ate data covering every phase of the
work will be obtained. This done, the
way for future development by prl-
vate enterprise will be safe and easy.
The practical tests are to be car
ried on the plant that is now being
equipped at Hebron. The old plant
Is being remodeled and its capacity
Is being increased so that it will be
possible to turn out twenty tons of
the bricquettes in the ordinary work
Ing day Of ten hours. This capacity
will represent one-half of the output
Of a commercial plant and will serve
as q safe basis for the determination
Of the cost of operation and of pro-
duction, as we'll as a means of work
Ing out all of the details of the opera
ton of such a plant under actual
business conditions. The work at his
plant will be under the supervision
of Dean Babcock, and the personal
direction of William Bulge, who is
graduate of the school of mines.
The product of the Hebron plant
is to be utilized in the making Of
wide variety of tests to determine the
value and worth Of this new fuel as
a producer of neat and power. 1t
will be tried out in stoves of all types.
in furnaces and heating plants. in
power and manufa curing plants of
many kinds and full accurate data
will be kept in eleven of these tests
every possible line of IN
guiry. The surplus of the product OF
the Hebron plant, not needed tor
these tests, will be old in the open
market and the people of the north
west will thus be given an opportun-
tv to make similar tests for them
selves. Tests already made show
that ton for ton, the bricquettes are
almost the equal Of anthracite coal
as producers of heat, and by means
If these exhaustive experiments. the
practical possibilities of this new
:uel will be still further made appar-
mt.
To supplement the practical work
It the Hebron plant, a smaller ex-
detrimental plant is being equipped
It the university, partly with ma
.hinery from the Hebron plant and
PARTLY with new machinery. built spe-
tally for the purpose. The bricquet-
ny machines and the gas plant are
coated in two new wings that have
,een added, recently to the school OF
mines building. This plant will serve
double purpose by being used Tor
}XU0TlLu0l1Ldl WI n dAu 90 " ~Sc~SA>o
laboratory for instruction in this new
,hase of mining engineering. The
veil equipped chemistry laboratories
n the same building will also add to
he convenience of the location. In
i'd. lon to the briquetting of Ignite,
he possibilities of this process when
lpplied to other Goals will be studied.
/ small sized class is enrolled for
his work during the present school
ear and the demand for this work
will increase as the possibilities In
his big new field of effort become
more apparent.
The Judgment Of Years.
A significant bit of wisdom. to be
Wondered over by the very young.
whose griefs and disappointments seem