The Yakima herald. [volume] (North Yakima, W.T. [Wash.]) 1889-1914, 1911-07-12
BR|QUETT|NG Ignite
NOW A SUCCESS
Experiments Carried on by the
Bureau of Mines Prove
Them Invaluable

WASHINGTON. d. c., July 10
The bureau of mines, through its
experiments at the Pittsburg testing
station, believes that it has develop
ed fuel supply for the western part
of the country that will be of i'm
mense value. 1t has succeeded in
making briquetes without the use of
binding material out of the Ignite
from California. Texas and North Da-
kota. The difficulty heretofore with
the manufacture OF briquetes has
been the cost of the pitch which is
considered necessary to hold the coal
dust together.
Ignite is poor form Of coal,
brown in color, and is found in great
abundance in several western states,
notably North and South Dakota
Montana and Texas. Its use has
been greatly restricted because Of its
tendency to slack or turn to dust
shortly after it is mined and brought
to the surface. Because of the great
amount of moisture it contained, be-
tween so and 40 per cent. the Ignite
has been difficult to burn under boil
ers or in stoves. There is said to be
! ou.VuD JiilkcS VI
derlain by Ignite and millions of
acres belong to the government The
bureau of mines. some time ago. con-
Quoted series of experiments at the
pumping plant of the reclamation
service at Wiliston, North Oak ota
and succeeded in developing furn-
ace that would burn the Ignite salts
factorily. But this did not solve the
problem of the transportation of the
Ignite. The bureau therefore sent tc
Germany, where the briquetting OF
Ignite is much farther advanced. and
obtained from the country a power
full briquetting machine. The expert
ments have gone far enough to in
dictate that Ignite can be satisfac-
torily briquetted at a cost that makes
the manufacture Of briquetes COM
mercially possible
The results Of the experim are
contained in a bulletin "Briquetting
Tests of Lignites," just issued by the
bureau of mines. The author
Charles l.. Wright, says, THE re-
suits Of the bT4auetting investiga-
tions conducted by the government
are expected to prove Of considerable
value, not only to the government
itself as the owner Of extensive lig-
mite deposits and the largest single
purchaser of fuel, but also to the
people in the regions where Ignite is
found The problem of fuel sup
ply in those regions is of peculiar
interest. for manay Of the Ignite de-
posts are situated long distances
from fields of highs ra de coal. The
problem assumes still larger proper
tions when one realizes that the de-
velopment of manufacturing indus
tries in those regions depends upon
the ability to obtain a cheap and
satisfactory fuel"
Mr.. Wright gives the approximate
cost of briquetes loaded on cars from
briquet plant located at the mines
as $251 in Texas. 1888 in North Da-
kota, and in California al 1924. This
applies to briouetting rum ofmine lig-
mite to improve it's heat value and
weather resisting properties rather
than to briquetting slack or waste
coal 1t is believed it will be posi-
BILE to make briquets from waste
coal, which will reduce the cost ma
terially.
Copies of this bulletin No. Id, may
be obtained by those interested by
writing to the director of the bureau
of mines. Washington. d. c.