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

Uncle Sam Makes You Money.
IU-By Testing Coal.
BY Frederic j. Haskin.

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II The government printing ohice was
using an egg coal of high quality
to determine, from the standpoint OF
economic wisdom, whether this WA
the best fuel for it's purpose The
result was the application of those
lscientific fuel tests that Uncle sam
has developed during the last hall
dozen years. They showed that pea
|Ecoal was better suited to the Dartic-
|Eular needs of this institution, and IL
was Immediately substituted. The
result was saving of $4,000 a year.
The householders of the city OF
Washington almost all use anthracite
coal, for which they pay about Six
dollars a ton. They could buy BIZ
luminous coal for four dollars ton
Five tons of this bituminous coal has
a heat producing value of six tons OF
\ the anthracite. This five tons. cost
ling $40, would heat an average
house for the winter. The six tons
of anthracite, costing $36, accom-
l plishes the same end. Each house
holder following this program -
wasting SIG a 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-
Ilivery to find If the requirements OF
the specifications were lived up to. It
saved 100000 a year. on Its coal Dill
as result.
The school board of Massachu-
sets town had followed the govern
Iment plan of writing specifications
for the coal It bought. 1t had, how
lever, neglected to test the coal on de-
Livery to find If it were up to the
standard. Finally it took sample
and tested It, The coal was below
the quality specified and the dealer
was required to turn back rebate
of 1915.
These are examples of very def
mite ends accomplished by the work
1.-The government has been carrying on
lfor the last six years, and which mas
as it's object the development OF
methods of fuel value and the placing
Of that knowledge at the d1sposai o o
H the users of coal. AS the greater part
of the industry of the nation depends
on coal for its power, and as the ma
|Iiority of the people rely on 1T to keep
H them warm in winter, the findings
are of wide general interest.
Different as Horses.
Early in its Investigations, the Blu
reau of Mines began to point out the
Edifference in Goals. and the ady1sa-
biiity of using each for the purpose
for which it was fitted. Goals are as
II different in their natures as horses,
and a draft horse would make as
moor q showing on the race track as
would 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-
4 ing them. where there was NOT easy
opportunity to dispose of the waste.
Il But for generating power near the
4 point of production, they might pc
/ the most economical fuel.
Some Goals are more volatile than
ii others-they are more easily convert
ed into gases. Such Goals may pc et-
Ifectively burned only In certain com
bustfon chambers. If the compus-
| ton chamber is low the gas is not all
h,,rned hut escapes and is wasted.
with a high combustion chamber, It
| ia ALI consumed and the coal is Ell
Ifectiye. On a battleship, for IN
stance the space cannot be allowed
for the high combustion chambers.
Coal for battleship must not, tnere-
|lfore, be too volatile. This one quar-
Efty. a high volatility. makes 1t tmpos-
sible for the navy to use Vancouver
Goals, and it has therefore upon oc-
casion been forced to ship coal TOT
its nse in the Pacific from the At
|I1antfc seaboard around South Amer1-
Il 10. to San Francisco The value OF
the government coal in Alaska Is
greatly increased because 1t is suit
able for battleship consumption.
No Test.
decade ago, coal was bought on
its reputation. A certain mine or
certain region had become known as
producing a certain sort OF coal, ana
this sold accordingly. There was
| lneyer any test A coal that was far
better, but unknown, had dimculty IN
getting established.
The Bureau OF Mines began to IN.
Isist that the important thing about
local was the amount of heat that was
wrapped up in it. Other Qualities
Ilbeing equal, the coal with the great
est number of heet units was the
hest coal. 1t began the development
of a method for determining the
amount of heat in a ton of coal. TINS
lit soon reduced to very exact
science. It is done in this way:
A vessel constructed on the princ1-
nal of the thermos bottle is filled
with water. Into this vessel IS low
cred a receptacle which contains q
gram of the coal to be be tested and
enough oxygen to burn it up IneEe
lis an electrical connection that makes
it possible to ignite the coal. II Is
set ON fire and burned under water
The Temperature of the water is
known to the milliontt1 part of he
gree before the coal is lighted When
81 it is all burned up the Temperature
of the water is agafn read The ar
terence between the temperature OF
tho water before and after the burn