Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1912-05-27
GEOLOGIC SURVEY
IN north DAKOTA
Specia. to The Tribune.

| Specta. to The Tribune.
| WASHINGTON, May 27-Anothe,
portion of the great geologic map Of
the United States which the Geological
Survey is constructing has just beer
completed, and is published with de-
scriptive text in Folio 1871 of the Geo
logic Atlas of the United State. cover
ing the area known as the Bismarck
quadrangle, i'll North Dakota. The
area of this quadrangle is approximate
ly $40 square miles and the maps are
printed on the scale of 2 miles to the
inch
During the remote period of the
earth's history known as the Cretace-
Gus time North Dakota, along with
the rest of the Great Plains region, was
submerged beneath an interior sea. The
earliest sediments of this ancient sea
became the present rock formation
known as the Dakota sandstone, which
lies more than 1000 feet below the
surface of the Bismarck quadrangle.
Other bodies of sediments were sub
sequently laid down in this sea, which
finally withdrew from the region, and
the later formations being deposited
along streams and in marshes and
swamps. The vegetation which grew
in these marshes resulted in the Ignite
deposits which are today found in
great beds underlying the area.
Great Trees and Huge Land Reptiles
FIourished.
The fossils that have been found in
the Bismarck quadrangle show that as
many as 400 species of plants lived
at this early time, among them being
a Sequoia which is related to the giant
redwood of California and the remains
of which have been preserved in the
rocks. During this period of mild
climatic conditions when swamp vege-
tation hourished, great land reptiles
such as dinosaurs we're abundant, es-
pecially the massive Triceratops, which
must have roamed in large numbers
along the shores of lake and swamp.
The principal mineral resources of
the Bismarck quadrangle, besides the
surface and underground water, are
Ignite, clay, gravel and sand. When
freshly mined the North Dakota lig-
mite is usually lusterless and massive,
but on exposure it rapidly breaks down
or "clacks" into small shiny cubical
blocks, and this tendency is one Of
the greatest obstacles to be overcome
if the fuel is to be consumed in plants
so located as to necessitate long hauls
by rail or much handling of the mater
ial
Analyses and producer-gas tests were
made at the United States Geological
Surveys fuel-testing plant in St. Louis
of samples of Ignite taken from a
mine near Wilton, short distance
north of the Bismarck quadrangle, but
as the Ignite in this quadrangle is not
essentially different the results are Of
value in showing that the general ma
ture and composition of the fuel. These
analyses and test made showed a sur
prising success with Ignite is producer
gas tests.
Efficiency Of Ignite as Gas Producer
The following statement has been
made concerning the efficiency Of
North Dakota Ignite in the gas-pro-
Queer and gas engine:
THE result of the steam test was
so unsatisfactory that there is nothing
by which a direct comparison can be
made of the efficiency of the fuel used
in the producer-gas plant as compared
with the efficiency developed in the
steam plant. Nevertheless, a COMPARE
son of the results obtained on other
Goals under the steam boiler is in
structive. The table shows that to pro-
duce one electrical horsepower hour
in the producer-gas plant required 229
pounds of dry North Dakota Ignite,
whereas to produce the same result in
the steam plant required 3.39 pounds
of the best West Virginia coal. This
means that North Dakota Ignite, with
the moisture eliminated, will do more
work when used in producer gas plant
than the best coal of the country will
do in steam plant"
A number of tests have been made
by the fuel-testing plant of the Survey
and later by the Bureau of Mines to
determine the best methods of briquet-
ting North Dakota Ignite. 1t has been
found that the Ignite can be briquet-
ted. some Of it without a binder, and
that its efficiency is thereby materially
increased. The briquetted product al
so stands weathering and handling