Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1918-01-30
CANVAS OF COAL
SITUATION HERE WAS
TAKEN BY B. OF c.
SEC,Y. PUFFER GIVES DATA OBJ
TAINED BY HOUSE TO HOUSE
VISITATION
To the Belding Banner:

To the Belding Banner:
As you know there has been sur
vey of the city for the purpose of
finding out the true situation with re-
gard to the fuel needs of the citizens.
For the information of the people it
may be well to give the following
facts:
We found that people were very
generally aiding in the solution of the
fuel problem by using wood. Where
ever practicable we urged that wood
should be used with coal as much as
possible which would make the green
wood less expensive and the coal go
further as well. 1t was found that
this practice where used was reduc-
ing the coal consumption fifty per
cent and in some cases even more.
On January %, our records show
ed that there were 986 tons of coal in
the homes of the city. We had a
period covering twenty-six days in
making the survey and during that
time three cars of coal and many
cords of wood were brought into the
city. We figure that for this season
the consumption of fuel for the period
was practically offset by incoming
fuel supplied.
There are 947 houses in the city
and about fifty flats in the blocks on
Main-st. By dividing the number of
tons by the number of houses we find
that there was on the average of 1.O4
tons per house in town.
We found that there should be l.
531 tons of coal to supply the four
teen weeks of winter after January
%. OF this amount 623 tons should
be hard coal of the chestnut variety
or Number A. Otherwise about 375
hard coal heaters would be made use
less. If each home using this type of
stove should buy a soft coal equip
ment to replace them costing $4,000
the amount of $7,5O0.00 would be re-
quired to get the new stoves. Figur-
cost there would be $22,50000 worth
of stoves discarded. This would buy
$500 tons of coal at $500 per ton.
Adding together the cost of both kinds
of stoves we have enough invested to
buy 1888 tons of coal at $500 per
ton or 271 tons more than the esti-
mated amount required to supply the
city for home consumption for an en-
tire winter.
OF the 1851 tons of coal yet needed,
623 tons should be hard coal and 908
tons soft coal. This means that
about three cars per week will be nee
essary to insure normal conditions.
We speak a word of appreciation
for the excellent business sense which
prompted F. w. Howard, f. A. Wash
burn and B. +. Hall to purchase by
contract fuel for their factories last
spring But for their good judgment
we would now be shivering or worse,
for it is their industrial fuel that we
are now burning in our homes and
that through no goodness of the fed
eral or state authorities.
If the proper quantity of coal is not
secured the following data Oh fuel
value of wood may prove useful in
determining the heat value of wood
by the cubic cord:
Hickory weighs 4,500 pounds per
cord air dried-equal to 1000 pounds
coal.
Hard maple weighs 4,500 pounds
per cord, air dried-equal to 1000
pounds coal.
White oak weighs 1850 pounds per
cord, air dried--equal to 1,715 pounds
coal.
Red oak weighs $3.50 pounds per
cord, air dried-equal to ,450 pounds
coal.
Beech weighs $3.50 pounds per
cord, air dried-equal to 1,450 pounds
coal
Poplar weighs 1880 pounds per
cord, air dried-equal to 1850 pounds
coal
Chestnut weighs $3.50 pounds per
cord, air dried-equal to 1,050 pounds
coal.
Elm weighs 1850 pounds per cord,
Average pine weighs 1000 pounds
per cord, air dried--equal to 925
pounds coal.
BY F.. A. Puffer,
Sec,y. Board of Commerce.