Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-07-09
TYPICAL Nd.
Ignite Mine
IS DESCRIBED
Coal is Sold at Profit at
Mouth of Mine to Farm
ers for So Per Ton.
(By G. L. Price, Publicity Agent North
Dakota Council OF Defense.)

Dakota Council OF Defenso.)
Bismarck, N. d, July "a visit to
Bitumina, a location" consisting Of
two dwelling houses, a boarding house
group Of hills northeast, of Wash
burn, furnishes a valuable lesson on
the possibilities OF Ignite.
III Bitumina mine is owned by
local interests. It employs four men,
and as many o are engaged in the
central power plant operated in on
nection with the mine. This plant
furnished light and power at rates
ranging from three cents up, to, five
where local light plants had oper-
ated, the business has been purchased
n taken over by the central power
company. The plant is equipped with
several generators, only one of which
is used to accommodate the quintette
of towns now patronizing the COM
pany. Without adding another man
to the staff, with the possible excep-
ton OF q ineman or two, liz company
could shoot out over its high-power
transmission wires current sufficient
to care for the power and light and
cooking needs of every town on the
north 500, between Bismarck and
Minot. And it could worry easily add
sufficient capacity to its generating
plant to. supply Bismarck and Minot.
The Bitumina mine is four miles
from the nearest railway point, to
which coal is teamed or hauled in the
company's two five-ton trucks, when
the roads are good. The cost Of -haul-
ing a ton Of coal from the mouth of
the mine to the railroad siding is
greater than the cost of mining the
ton Of coal and, transporting 1t by rail
from the loading point to Bismarck.
The Bitumina company has sought for
some time to procure a spur into the
mine. The company would do its
own switching from the mine to the
main line, with an electric engine.
The grades r quite heavy and cleo
tricity would haul bigger loads than
steam and would always be on the job.
The mine is entered through a
tunEel into a side-hill. The tunnel
passes through less than fifty feet OF
overburden to reach the vein. The
workings ordinarily permit a tall mar
head, and the roof and walls are OF
solid, glistening Ignite. as blank and
as sharp and as brilliant as anthra.
cite as it flashes in the light Of a
miners lamp. This vein. so far as the
Bitumina company's rights extend
covers 400 acres. 1t is nowhere less
than ten feet thick, and in many
places 20 and 80. There is enough
coal in this single deposit, engineers
estimate, to assure the company zoe
years operations on the present scale
It is also estimated that 200 mer
could be, put into this mine and
working@six days D week 1.-The -yeal
rouhd, put out enough coal to supply
all OF central North Dakota.
The tramways are OF the level. ex'
cept where they incline slightly. to-
yard the mouth Of the mine. Tram
ming Is done by the miners at present
as much work ten times as fast anG
at one-tenth of the expense. Nor.
economical mining than is possible
here could not easily be imagined
unless it be with steam shovel, {
method which could. easily be uset
were the demand great enough ant
the transportation facilities adequate
Every individual mine in North Da
kota claims better Ignite than any o
its competitors. The Bitumina Zig
mite undoubtedly. is good. 1t is hard
foreign matter. The power company
which is distinct from the mine, use
only slack and cuttings from the saw
which bites its way under q hug,
ledge of Ignite before it Is broker
down with dynamite. This dust an
clippings is burned under a forced
draft. and steam is always UP. It /
!. easier to fire than any grade o
bituminous coal selling within IS o
h same price. It probably costs tn
power company n dollar the ton
Farmers who drive in with their ow,
wagons buy assorted sizes Of Ignite a
81 the ton, and the company make
a profit on 1t. Tho miners earn a
high as 50 the day. One member o