The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1914-01-22
NORTH DAKOTA
COAL and CLAY
Continued From Page Two.

At this point charts were exhibited
showing the enormous rate of increase
in the consumption of coal in the
United States during the past fifty
years. Attention was called to the
Importance of saving and the proper
utilization of our fuel resources. BY
reference to one of these charts the
to be, as estimated by various au-
thorities, at more than twice that of
Pennsylvania. In a very graphic
manner, the quantity Of coal annually
consumed in the United States was
illustrated so as to show the enormity
of the fuel industry and the import
ance of these problems.
Charts and maps of industries and
the industrial states were exhibited
to show the Importance of our manu-
featuring interests and their distribu-
ton. 1t was clearly illustrated how
manufacturing industries are depend
ent very largely upon water power or
cheap and abundant supplies of fuel.
l., Attention was then directed to the
value of developing manufacturing in
dustries in agricultural communities
and to the excellent possibilities which
will be presented in North Dakota be-
cause of it's many valuable raw prod
ucts and it's enormous deposits Of lig-
mite which could be utilized by a com
bination by-product and briquettine
plants so as to produce, in addition to
other by-products, large quantities OF
gas which could be utilized for the de-
velopment Of cheap power and thus
afford q great stimulus for Industrial
growth.
with cheap fuel and modern i'm
proved machinery it is a very easy
matter to obtain almost any desired
amount Of power SO cheap as to COM
pete successfully with water power
resumed the professor.
North Dakota is fortunate in pos
sessing an enormous supply Of uel in
the form of Ignite coal. And his is
going to prove one Of the greatest in
ducements the state has to offer for
the establishment Of industries. And
so I wish to call your attention to the
future benefits to be derived from the
proper utilization of our great Ignite
deposits. In my estimation these coal
and clay are to form the
basis for development which will
gradually convert North Dakota into a
rich mining and manufacturing as
we'll as agricultural state"
THE extent and economic import
ance of the Ignite coal deposits of North
Dakota is seldom recognized. There
is a very large area in the western
part of the state which is undertake
with quite thick deposits of Ignite.
Indeed, North Dakota is one of the
largest coal states of the union.
"While no accurate figures can be
given, still it is estimated that North
Dakota has a. coal area of $4,000
square miles, capable of producing
500, 900, 000, 900 tons valued at 81 per
ton, at 81, 000, 000, 600, 000) enough to
supply every family in the United
States with ten tons per year for 100
to 200 years or for the present popuia-
ton Of North Dakota for between
5000 and 1000 years"
At this point the speaker explained
the character. and ~peculiarities Of lig-
mite which have prevented it's being
more widely used as a fuel in districts
removed from the mines. The pres
ence of a large amount of moisture
and volatile matter cause the Ignite
to slack rapidly n reduce it's fuel
value.
BY the process being developed by
Professor Babcock at the School OF
Mines and mining substation, the
moisture and gas is removed and the
fixed carbon, which is the heart Of the
coal. Is then b~riquetted into a high
grade coal. Charts were then exhib-
tied showing a yield of 10000 or 11,00t
cubic feet of gas from every ton OF
dried Ignite and that this gas has
about 400 British thermal units hea'
value. This shows what a large
amount Of gas is contained in the lig-
mite COAL Samples of the gas were
exhibited and burned in an ordinary
mantel gas burner, giving an aston
ishing brilliant light which showed al