The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1911-09-17

the deposit and there Is none coming
in. At the same time we are burning
more and more coal. We now con-
sumo five tons per head, and waste
more than three. The proportion of In
crease is rapid, and should 1t continue
our coal will be all gone within q. few
centuries.
1t is even worse with gas and, petro-
feum. The loss in natural gas is more
than billion cubic feet every day. 1t
equals $4,000 barrels of petroleum, or
enough TO light every city we have OF
more than 100000 population. It's heat
value is about the same as million
bushels of COAL and this loss goes on
day after day. year in and year out. y
There is one we'll In Kentucky from
which n stream of gas poured forth:
for twenty years. throwing out into tha
air fuel which at present prices would
be worth three million dollars, The
loss from petroleum in leakage and
waste is also enormous. $50
Briquettes From the SIncl<. ~
Dr.. Holmes tells me that the day
Will some time come when We will turn
our coal dust and slack into briquettes.
or coal bricks, which will furnish as
great. or even greater, heating power
| than the coal Itself Such briquettes
have been made and used ON the South
ern railroads. showing a greater EN-
cheney than the same grade of lump
coal from which they were madh Tha
cost OF manufacturing at present. how
ever. Is about 81 per ton, and they can
not compete with the lump coal front
the mines.
1t is different In the lignite fields of
the West. where the briquetted coal
| has far greater heating value than
the coal itself and where II can he
| pressed up for shipment.
There are briquetting plants at the
| anthracite mines which are working
over the waste at an exceedingly great
| proht They are washing the cuim
grains and pressing them into bricks
| them into bricks. and they are even
! dragging the coal grains and slack
out of the Susquehanna River
and putting them on the market.
coal We're taken from the water
last year, and altogether about four
million tons of anthracite have been
| redeemed from the waste. This coal.
at the retail prices which now prevail
In Washinst ton, would be worth some.
thing like thirty million dollars. all
though II would hardly sell for one-t
fourth that at the mines.
Some of our great naval vessels are
"
more of this fuel In smaller COM
pass and 1t has less smoke and a
greater power producing value, The
government has briquetting machines
in its experiment. stations at Pittsburg
and Denver, and it may be that the
cost of making these bricks OF coal
Will be much less in the future. It Isl
also testing peat in briquettes. and is
taking advantage of the machines OF
lC nd
land. where hriquettes are commonly
used on the railroads and Cor domes.i
tic heating a well.
Testing Government Coal.
During my stay in the Bureau OF
Mines 1 was taken to the laboratory I'M
the top of the building where tleN
scientists were at work testing the heat
and power values OF coal sent In from
all parts of the country. They were
Analysing the samples sent in by bid Z
ders for the government contracts and
tindinS out just how much moisture
and ash and heat or power each COM
tanned. ffE
AT the present time about forty OF
the pubic buildings here in Washs
tngton and 800 other buildings belons-s
Ing TO the government scattered over
the country are supplied with coal on
such tests. 1t Is the same with the
Panama railroad and our navy yards.
All the fuel is bought direct through
competitive bids and 1t must be up
to the specifications. A premium Is
paid for any decrease In the amount
of ash below the standard and deduc-
tons are made when the ash exceeds
the standard by more than per cent
The samples of coal when they como
in are ground TO a dust as fine as faces
powder. and thimbleful of this, or
one dram. is enough for test This
amount is first examined for moisturs.k
1t is put in little cup of bone ASH
and then left in furnace which regis-S
ters Just the amount OF moisture that
comes out of the coal After this tho
thimbieful of ciaI Is put into another
furnace, which is exceedingly hot. 1t
burns it to ashes. and the ashes left Ia
the cup show proportionately tho
amount of ash in the coal.
An even more interesting process fs
the discovery OF how much heat or
power the coal has. This is more irns
portant than anything else. The govs
eminent does not want to pay SoF
water nor ashes. both OF which IL muse
handle and the latter of which it must
cart away. Ii is buying heat and pow
er, 1pd 1t watches the scales as yors
watch your grocer when Weighing some
sugar or meat. The power Is tested 6y3'
placing a thimhleful OF coal inside Is
metal cylinder which is then charged
with oxygen. This cylinder 10 place4f
in q tin can OF water and by mean OF
electricity the coal is exploded. ~ Aas
cording as it Is rich or poor the exc
| piosion Is greater or less, and thx
quality is known by the rice In the
temperature OF the water caused by thAS
explosion ~
Copyright. 1911. BY Frank @, carpsn-
Y . y y