The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1915-07-08

Uncle Sam Makes You Money.
III-By Testing Coal
Bv Frederic j. Haskin.

1 is8enna6rraore1raxz
The government printing office was
/ using an egg coal of high quality
when the Bureau of Mines was asked
/ Ito determine, from the standpoint OF
/ economic wisdom, whether this wa
the best fuel for its purpose. Inc
result was the application of those
scientific fuel tests that Uncle sam
has developed during the last haii
dozen years; They showed tnas psa
coal was better suited to the part1c-
ular needs of this Institution. and u
was Immediately substituted The
result was saving of $4,000 year:
The householders of the city OF
washington almost all use anthracite
local. for which they pay about sia
dollars a ton. They could buy oi-
/ luminous coal for four dollars ton
Five tons of this bftuminous coal has
!! Ia heat producing value of six tons Of
the anthracite. This five tons, COST
ling $50, would heat an average
house for the winter. The six tons
of anthracite, costing $36, accom-
| lplishes the same end. Each house
holder following this program Is
wasting SIG year on his coal Dill.
Saved Big Sum.
The city of New York adopted the
government plan for buying coal on
specifications and testing it upon de-
livery to find if the requirements OF
the snecifications were lived up to. It
saved 5000, 900 year on its coal Dill
as result.
The school board of Massachu-
|Esetts town had followed the govern
ment plan of writing specifications
for the coal 1t Bought. 1t had. how
lever. neglected to test the coal ON de-
Livery to find If 1t were up to the
standard. Finally 1t took a sample
and tested IT. The coal was below
the quality specified ana the c saata
was required to turn back rebate
or $s75.
These are examples OF very def
| mite ends accomplished by the work
1.-THE government has been carrying on
lIfor the last six years. and which has
as its object the development Oh
methods of fuel value and the placing
of that knowledge at the disposal OF
the users of coal. AS the greater part
ON coal for Its power, and as the ma
| iority of the people rely on 1t to keep
II them warm in winter, the findings
are of wide general interest.
Different as Horses.
EARLY in its Investigations. the Blu
lreau of Mines began to point out the
| adherence In Goals. and the advtsa-
bilfty of using each for the purpose
for which it was fitted. Goals are as
different in their natures as horses,
land a draft horse would make as
moo, showing on the race track as
|wonld a thoroughbred pulling
heavy load.
There are disable Goals that have
as high as twenty-five per cent OF ash.
There would be waste in Transporting
these Goals long distances or In ourn-
ling them, where there was not easy
opportunity to dispose of the waste.
:lBut for generating power near tne
/. point of production, they might De
\ 1.-The most economical fuel.
some Goals are more volatile than
/ Iothers-they are more easily convert
led into gases. Such Goals may be et-
lIfectiyely burned only in certain COM
1Ibnstjon chambers. II the combus-
lion chamber is low the gas is not all
4 burned. but escapes and Is Wasteu.
with q high combustion chamber y
! is all consumed and the coal Is eh-
i Elective. On battleship, for IN
Istsnce the space cannot be allowed
for the high combustion chambers
Coal for a battleship must not, there
tore. he too volatile. This one quar-
y litv a high volatility, makes it impos-
Esible for the navy to use VancouVer
Goals, and it has therefore upon oc-
casion been forced to ship coal TOT
\ Its use in the Pacific from the Az
\ Ilantic seaboard around Soutn :,
"a to San Francisco. The value OF
the government coal In Alaska Is
greatly increased because 1t Is sult-
able for battleship consumption.
No Test.
A decade ago, coal was bought on
Sits reputation. A certain mine or
certain region had become known as
|. producing a certain sort OF coal, anu
this sold accordingly. There Wa
never any test. A coal that was lal
better, but unknown, had dincuity III
getting established.
The Bureau OF Mines began to In.
sist that the important thing anou.
coal was the amount of heat that was
wrapped up in it. Other qualitte:
befng equal. the coal with the great
eat number of heat units was thu
hest coal. 1t began the development
of a method for determining TN
amount of heat in ton of coal. This
LIT soon reduced to very exac
science. 1t is done In this way:
a vessel constructed on the primer
nal Of the thermos bottle is filled
4 with water. Into this vessel IS low
ered receptacle which contains
cram of the coal to be be tested anc
enough Oxygen to burn it up. There
Id an electrical connection that make:
lit possible to ignite the coal. u y
iset on fire and burned under water
The temperature OF the water
known to the millionth part OF De
Z gree before the coal is lighted Wher
& ;s ALI burned up the Temporarily
M the water is again read. The oil,
1 | Serence between the temperature o.
tha water before and after the burn,
ing of the coal shows exactly nov