The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1913-11-10
NORTH DAKOTA'S
Ignite COAL
DR.. HERBERT A. HARD OF THE
NORTH DAKOTA AGRICULTURAL
COLLEGE GIVES INTERESTING
TALK. ON NORTH DAKoTA's
Ignite COAL DEPOSITS.

very few people are aware Of the
large future for and great value of
North Dakota's vast deposit of Ignite
which is destined to become our cheap
source of power in the state" said DR..
Herbert A. Hard of the North Da-
kota Agricultural college. This will
be possible through the manufacture
OF gas and briquettes.
The agricultural college geological
survey as we'll as that of the uni
Verslty is locating and studying the
rich deposits which underly the whole
west half Of the state. It is no uncom-
mon sight to see two or three twenty
nVe foot seams Of coal on the face
OF a 200 foot bluff in the bad lands.
while many of these Goa beds are
not continuous, many others are of
vast extent, underlying bany town
SHIPS. Some Of them are cut through
by %coulees, draws and valleys, only
to extend for great distances under
the rocks on both sides.
W estimate that 32, 600 square miles
or the state are underlain with coal.
A large per cent Of this area has two,
three, or more coal beds of workable
thickness underlying.
AS to the quality Of our coal; true
1t cannot be burned in all ordinary
CRATES to advantage, but the quality
and the quality, surely warrant manu-
facturers in the construction of he
right system to accommodate it.
Without going into the quantity Of
producer gas and briquettes, although
1t has been determined) which a ton
Of our Ignite will produce, l will say
ina we have seen and tested vast
deposits which are capable of produc-
ing unlimited quantities Of commercial
producer gas, and a high grade
brlquette which ranks close to anthra-
cite In heat producing capacity. Once
a market is opened for the gas, the
gas alone Is proven to be able to pay
for both its making and the b%riquett-
ing of the solid residue. This solid
residue has its value well established
when it is understood that it is nearly
the equal of anthracite.
THE strange thing is that eastern
capital has not ere this, sought to
develop the possibilities of Ignite as
a cheap power and install manu-
featuring plants for it's consumption.
We prophesy that 1t will not be many
years before our wheat will be m1lled
In North Dakota and by cheap power
from Ignite. This will be done at
Bismarck, Minot, ETC., and perhaps
large a mains will pipe the gas to
Fargo 10 serve mills and factories
here.
"That this Is no mere speculation
as to the heat units Of Ignite, It's gas
and it's briquettes have proven by ex-
haustlve tests on commercial sale
both at the United Sta, es Bureau Of
Mines in Missouri and by our own
state plant at Hebron. We are about
through with the experimental stage.
ana are now ready for capital and
business to install the right furnace
and plant for the extensive develop
ment Of the states our With
cheap power, our large deposits of all
the kinds Of clay, from brick and
sewer tile to the fine pottery grades,
VIII ind an open market. Our cement
will be developed.
Three rock samples, coming from
three different counties Of the state
nave just yielded on analysis "silice-
Gus earth" This product has many
uses such as polishing powder, fire
brick, absorbent, non-conductor. etc.
etc, and there are large deposits in
dlfterent sections of the state.
This account is not a "booster'
hover statement, but a few facts
from the disinterested source Of our
service In the federal and state geo.
logical survey. T.., .... H. -