The Nenana daily news., 1918-07-31
l reatnent of Lignite Congress Urged Assist Determining Most Efficient
 Method of Preparing Fuel for Market
(From Alaska Railroad Record)

respective important IleluS.
 Because of the shortcomings, from fuel standpoint, inherent in the nature of the Ignite itself, 1t will never be used to any great ex- tent in its raw state. The one fact of its 30 to 40 per cent of water would of itself prevent its use else where than in the immediate vicln- ity of the mine. This treatment or carbonization of the Ignite, there fore. which is absolutely essential to its more general use, is strictly in accordance with modern scientific requirements and methods.
 Some progress has been made in the way of better utilization of this Ignite, but so far the develop ment has not been such as to pre- vent people from readily paying a very considerable differential in favor of good coal. Instructive ex- periments have been made by the United States Bureau of Mines, the state of North Dakota and the pro- vince of Saskatchewan, Canada, which bring the matter measurably nearer to satisfactory solution.
 Gulf Should Be Bridged.
 ''The gulf between the laboratory experiments and the large commer- cial industry should be bridged at once, and it should be done by gov ernment agencies. This span is already partly constructed and the money asked for in this bill is re- uired to complete the work of our own Bureau of Mines.
 Instead of trying to burn the raw Ignite in the primitive and wasteful ways now employed it should be modified to produce sey- eral products, each peculiarly adapt ed to a particular commercial need, namely:
 q. Dried Ignite, for use on automatic stokers and in fuel-gas producers. Because of it's more or less comminuted condition the dried 1 Ignite can not be handled advan- tageously by hand, but it can be used very satisfactorily by mechani- cal means. :>--
 ?. Powdered fuel, from the drled, pulverized Ignite, for use in cement kilns, railroad locomotives and other large furnaces. Because of its volatile content this pn'ver- lzed Ignite makes an exceptionally good powdered fuel.
 "3. Dried Ignite briquets, for large hand-fired industrial furnaces and heating plants. Where it is necessary to handle the dried Gpnite with a fireman's shovel it must he orlquetted. Tests of these dried Ignite briquets in commercial boil. CT furnaces have proved them to he fully equal in every resepct to good Illinois and Indiana bituminous coal Unexcelled as Power-Gas Produce, i A. Carbonized Ignite, for use Tn power gas products. Tests oi this product in carload lots have proved to be very exceptional ana unexcelled fuel for this purpose. I, IS of about the same analysis as Pennsylvania anthracite coal. Ir carbonlzing the Ignite the obiec. tionable tar found in all coals con. tanning substantial quantity ot volatile matter is removed, and the gas goes to the cylinder of the gas engine clean and tar free. For the production of power in this way carbonlzed Ignite is fully equal tc anthracite coal, charcoal, or bitumi. nous coke.
 "5. Carboized Ignite briouets for domestic service in house heat. Ing stoves and furnaces, fireplaces and cooking ranges. This fuel, ton TOT ton' compares fav orably in every way with anthracite coal, and is an Ideal domestic fuel in such rigorous climates as those of North Dako+. I