Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1917-03-21
An Essay On Fuel.

The following was written by Olive
Haskell of the local high school,, follow
ing the suggestion Of Superintendent
Foster. that the different departments
should be correlated in written work:
FUEL AND ITS VALUE.
About one hundred twenty-five years
sylvania, the only source OF fuel was
the wood gathered from the forests.
The discovery Of coal was fortunate
houses and wharfs, etc. Wood burns
quickly and needs constant attention.
One dollars worth of wood gives Off
cries of heat. If price alone were con-
sidered coal yielding the most heat
would be chosen. But we must con-
sSsr v nG Sny Other tns psSs es, the eop
will vary them according to circum-
stances That is if wood is plentiful
or not.
Ages ago there grew in what are now
forests which were richer than the for
ests Of today. The leaves and branches
fell to the ground. sank into the soft
1H an ear o.
air and the heat of the ground slowly
ed it to coal. The different kinds OF
and cannei The bituminous or soft
coal burns with a rather long and
smoky flame. 1t kindles very easy.
The color is black, and the, coal is
The Ignite coal is brown in color: It
often shows it's vegetable origin con-
iiy. and gives but little heat. and also
burns with a smoky flame.
r. The anthracite or hard coal kindles
but o~n vss to the high
heat. Its chief use is for household
Camel coal is black or brownish in
ny, and burns with dull. flame: Its
ehidf Is gas Thls
lucky, Indiana, and Ohio.
for fuel. The oils most widely used
Both Of these are obtained from the
an under ground liquid in Texas, Penn
sylvania, California and other states.
When petroleum is heated to very
and pass on and condense: From these
are obtained.
The most convenient, fuel is, gas.
trouble. For steady use it Is more ex-
pensive than coal, and the thrifty house,
wife who does not wish to economize
ing and Illumination. is made from dis
tillation of soft COAL Volatile gases
are driven off from soft coal by heat
ing in closed clay-lined retorts which
air is excluded. When the coal is heat
ed to twelve hundred centigrade or
more, certain substances in it volatilize
and pass thru an exit pipe into trough
which contains water, called the n.y.
draulic main. Some of the tarry vapors
which dtstill over from the coal con-
dense in the hydraulic main as a thick
tarry liquid. Other gases dissolve in
the water. Some of the -vapors do not
condense but bubble thru it into other
receptacles. The gases that bubble un-
condensed and undissolved. pass on
ward to series of coils or tanks, where
they are cooled and as q result of cool
ing condense and form valuable COM
mercial products. Some Of the products
though do not condepse. This passes
from the condensers into scrubblers and
puri1es. 1T is then ready to be used
for cooking and lighting. One dollars
worth of gas per one Thousand cubic
feet gives one hundred seventy thou
sand large Galleries of heat.
Electricity is the most expensive of
all the fuels. 1t is very convenient be-
cause it can be turned on or OFT as one
pleases with no trouble. A person us
ing electricity in the summer time will
find it the best fuel to use, as there is
no work connected with it and does not
heat up the whole room. *#S y