El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1913-09-04

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able in the United States amount to
12SSS, 500. 600 tons of fuel, according to
an announcement just issued by the
United States geological survey. This
is sufficient to provide heat and pow
er for every industrial purpose for
many years and allow for a liberal in
crease in the demand. If converted
into bricks and sold at 50 per ton, the
| peat now known to exist would have
value of SIS, SOS, 500, 000 This great ad-
ditiOn to our natural resources total
| ~ unsupported until within the past
! few years is likely to be increased be-
cause of new formations which are
constantly taking place
The beat areas now available for op-
GRAFTON include deposits covering H.
1SS square miles in the United States,
! exclusive of Alaska. The average
depth of peat deposit is estimated at
nine feet. 1t has been found here as
/ deep as % feet The average yield
| per acre of peat land should be 200
| tons of salable fuel for each foot Of
depth
Not Uniformly Distributed.
Peat is not uniformly distribSted
| throughout the country. Nature
: showed her wisdom in placing it most
laVlShly where no coal resources ex-
! list The New England states, New
York, Florida. Michigan. Wisconsin
and Minnesota have the deepest de
posits now known
Workable peat beds are to be found
all along the Atlantic coast from
Maine to Florida, and along the gulf
| coast from Florida to Mexico. with the
exception of small portion of the
near the mouths of the Mississippi
river A small deposit has recently
been opened on the coast of southern
California and a well equipped plant
established for its operation Less
than so peat producing plants are now
in operation in this country.
Scientific tests of the calOric value
of the best grade of air dried peat
: n ri ism
with the best emi-bituminous coal
possessing 1889 calOries which was
the greatest heating value of the fuel
tested Peat may be used for GER
tain purposes for which coal has been
unsuccesSfully tried and for which
wood has been required. These in
clude brick and other ceramic firing
Its greatest value yet indicated is as
a source of producer gas in properly
constructed burners.
Less Danger Than Coal Mining.
The expense and danger of prOduC-
ing peat is less than that of coal, be-
cause it lies just below the surface
of the ground The peasants of Eu-
rope have dug il for themselves for
many centuries. using only a stout
narrow spade having the length and
width of the bricks to be cut com
monty called a "slane-" 1t has a mar
row steel lug welded into one side of
Ireland two men usually work to-
gether- One digs or cuts the peat
with the slane. and the other takes it
out and places each piece on edge on
the drying ground These pieces have
to be turned several times before they
can be used In Sweden women ana
children are employed to turn the peat
blocks.
IN ireland and other places where
no capital is available for machinery,
the following plan is used: The coarse
into the hole made by last years dig
ging- If there is not sufficient water.
more is poured in. The coarse peat
is thoroughly mixed by trampling with
that Of the finer texture in the hole
until a mass of fine grained pasty
consistency is formed. This is taken
out and spread upon the drying
ground in layers from to II inches
thick. Bricks are marked off by hand
as it is being spread.
Peat Powder and Briquets-
Peat powder and briquets are other
forms OF the fuel Each has some par
ticular purpose to which it is best
adapted The powder is regarded as
the most feasible fuel for many pur-
coal and burns with a hot flame. It
is well adapted for use in powder burn
erS- It does not need to be crushed
as fine as coal for this purpose. be-
cause peat is of more porous construc-
ton This permits the pentratiOn Of
air and insures complete combustion
Peat also ignites at lower tempera-
ture than coal It cannot be burned
economically in an ordinary fire box
or stove because it packs so that suf-
ficient air does not reach it and il
falls through the crate If stirred
BrlQuetS were designed to overcome
this difficulty and the manufacture of
them is a part Of the work Of every
plant producing peat in any large
quantity. Peat briquets may be had
in almost any shape or size They are
clean to handle, compact and dense,
requiring little space They are more
easily transported and stored than
= .Hr-N~#
form briquetting machine under
proper conditions may turn out so
tons a day.
Peat is composed of partly decom-
posed and disintegrated vegetable
matter 1t has accumulated in such a
way as to suspend complete decompo-
s1tion, so that considerable portion
Of the structure Of the plant remains. !
Water is the best medium for preserv- !
ing the remains of plants. Because of |
this. peat is only to be found in I
sWampy places where. for the greater /
part of the year water saturates or /
peat originates. The time period in :
which peat is produced has not yet 4
been determined Scientists believe il 4
varies according to conditions. 1t is 4
quite certain that it does not require /
the many centuries consumed in the i
formation of coal
The colors of peat are varied. rang
ing from ugnC yellow or straw t1ntS /
through the different shades of brown
to Jet black The cOlors are usually /
darker when wet although the light |
shades become darker when exposed to
the air. Usually the top strata of a
newly opened bog will be dark. and
nose below the water will be lighter.
In a quilt up strata. a dark layer may
be embedded between two light ones.
W hen peat is greenish or gray, and
spotted, 1t is usually unfit for fuel,
it may have other uses.
IN addition TO its value as fuel in
rs natural condition. peat can be
used to produce charcoal and coke. An
s@ceAenU quality of coke is produced |
from peat which has been machined I
and air dried. This can only be made
orofitably by the utilization of its by
products. These include tar, tar wa
-er and fixed gases.
In addition to the fuel and its by /
PRODUCTS. a valuable brown dye stuff
S secured from peat and also import
INT tanning chemicals. Moss peat
lSed for bedding stock. cleaned fiber
or mattresses. and also for dressing
Wounds in hospitals, are other pro-
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