The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-28
URGES STATE TO UTILIZE
Ignite COAL DEPOSITS
Continued From Page One.

N Continued From Page One.
other state. And, while this fuel is
known as Ignite, 1t is, neverthelesM,
among the best qualities Of it's kind,
4 and a knowledge Of its use always
makes friends for it. The writer pre-
| diets that the time is not long dis
| tant when the coal industry of North
Dakota will have advanced several
| hundred per cent from its present
status. Lack of capital, slipshod
methods and inefficiency generally,
| regarding the mining of coal in
North Dakota, up to this time, has
retarded the progress of that indus
/ try. OF course, there have been many
mines in the state like those at VIII
| ton that have been handled in a
business like manner, and when so
handled, believe they have been
successful from a financial stand
point
BaboocI< Explains Possibilities.
81 asked Professor Babcock, dean
of the College of Mining Engineering
of the state university, and reeog-
nized by the government as the
greatest authority on Ignite coal
and its proper utilization, to write
something regarding this article of
fuel, and its handling. ! quote below
for the information OF the public
Babcock's letter:
North Dakota has good reason
to be proud OF the position which
shI occupies in the agricultural and
stock raising industries. Indeed, the
great prominence and wonderful de-
velopment enjoyed by this state in
these industries have caused most
people to overlook the possibilities
which exist in the development of
other natural resources and indus
tries
while North Dakota may never
appear as metal producing or a
great mining state, yet 1t certainly
possesses some mineral resources,
especially it's great coal and clay de-
posits, which are sure to become
more extensively used and to prove
Of great economic value
THE discovery, investigation and
proper methods for development and
utilization of these resources require
time, patience, hard work and tech
meal skill, but these efforts are
gradually leading to the wider utili-
zation of these undeveloped resour-
ces and to the establishing of asso-
ciated industries.
Value Little Appreciated.
Something is known OF the vast
deposits Of Ignite coal which are
found within the state Of North Da-
kota, but IL is surprising how little
the immense value of these deposits
is appreciated. There is a very large
area in the western part of this
state which is undertake with thick
deposits OF Ignite coal. North Da-
kota has enough coal. II properly
used. to supply her fuel needs for
ages.
North Dakota has one Of the
largest coal areas Of the states of the
Union. estimated at $4,000 square
miles. capable of producing probably
500, 900, 600, 900 tons.
IT is evident from the investi-
cations which have been carried on
at the school Of Mines that the heat
value or calorific power OF the aver
age Ignite of North Dakota, when
entirely dry, is about G5 per cent OF
that OF the Hooking Valley coal, and
about so per cent OF that of the
Pocahontas coal. The analyses which
have been made show that the fixed
carbon in the samples Of North Da-
knta coal ldried) usually runs from