The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1911-02-24
PEAT WILL take
PLACE OF COAL
With Opening of This Indus
try in New Jersey, Mark
ct Will Develop.

New York, Feb. 24.-Plans are un-
der way for the development OF new
Industry in northern New Jersey and
in several parts of New York state.
having for It's object the utilization
Of the marsh lands and bogs where
peat has been accommodating for ages
by the gradual decomposition OF spag'
mum moss and other vegetable growth
Peat briquettcs made from the dark
brown muck OF the Jersey ana New
York marshes and boys are TO be
placed on the market as substitute
for coal. Already machinery Ia being
ct ND at the edges OF several boys.
Biologists who have made surveys
Of tho peat bogs Of New York and
New Jersey say that millions Of tons
OF peat fuel worth at least So ton
are available within a hundred miles
Of New York city. They say. too. that
the day is not far distant when some
Of the small cities and towns OF New
Jersey will be lighted and heated by
power derived from the peat bogs.
Both the United States geological
survey and the geological departments
Of New York and New Jersey have
been giving attention to the peat bogs
Of both states.
Peat Coke on Market.
Peat coke has been on the market
IN many parts OF the United States
and Canada for several years, and
those who have engaged In It's manu-.
facture arc said TO have profited. In
Canada there are several peat manu-
featuring plants. and the Canadian
government has encouraged the pro.
duction.
One Of the latest devices for disinte-
grating peat Is now In operation In
Jersey City. and has attracted wide
interest. The peat ID dug from the
boys, packed in barrels and shipped to
the peat factory. II considered too
dry water Ia mixed with II as II 10 fed
into the disintegratlng machine. II
comes out of the machine a jellylike
mass. very black. but odorless and az
ter being spread upon drying boards
and and interlined. II is allowed to
drye into briquettes.
Along In the spring several machin-
ca are to be established at the edge Of
large hogs In northern New Jersey
and the manufacture OF peat fuel is to
begin In earnest Manufacturers say
the best grade OF peat, fully dried, can
be sold as low at $3.50 ton. and that
the fuel value OF the best grade peat
IL quite as great as that of coal which
costs the consumer anywhere from So
to $3.50 a ton.
VIII Turn to Peat.
biologists predict that, as coal be-
comes scarcer manufacturers and 9th
err consumers of coal will turn more
md more to peat as a substitute, and
that the time Is not far distant when
the peat hogs OF New Jersey. and Of
New York also, will be converted In.
to marketable product. quite as CON-
mercially valuable as soft coal.
II is not In New Jersey and New
York states alone that peat is found in
large quantities In this country. Mas
sachusetts. Maine many OF the middle
western states and few OF the south
erh stataes, including Florida, are ich
in jeat.
According to the estimates Of sever
MI OF the biologists. based upon recent
surveys. there are no less than seven
million acres OF peat bog In the Unit
ed States. many of them near large
cities The biologists estimate that
this vast amount OF peat, II converted
into marketable form. would be worth
in excess OF $4,000. 900. 900. IL each
ton produced were sold at 81 ton.
This estimate does not take into con-
sidcration the value OF the by-pro-