The Oskaloosa herald., 1918-03-28
HOMES USE TWICE
too MUCH COAL
COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENSE
IN SWEEPING STATEMENT.
WAR DEMANDS SAVING OF FUEL
It's Conservation Is AS Important In
Winning the War AS Is the Saving
of Meat and Wheat
Efficiency Necessary.

Washington, d. c., March 22.--Ac-
cording to the council of national de-
Tense, the saving of coal ranks side
by side in Importance with the saw
ing of wheat. The day is fast COM
ing when a shovelful of coal will be
worth almost as much as pound
loaf Of bread, 1t has already come
to that in Italy and France, and it
may come to that in the United
States as far as waging the war is
concerned. We must save for our
immediate needs here at home and
for those of our allies abroad, and we
must save to maintain the foundation
of our industrial success for the fu-
ture.
Coal in the ground is not coal in the
cellar. AS far as present needs are
concerned, we have only the coal we
can mine, and our situation as TO la
Dor and transportation is such that
we cannot get more coal out Of the
ground and into the hands of the peo-
pie.
1t is no use to say that we are min
ing more coal than ever before. The
amount taken out in 1917 was more
than 640,000,000 tons, enough to fill
a solid train of fifty ton cars reaching
almost four times around the equator.
Nevertheless, the supply was more
than 100,000,000 tons short OF the
needs of ourselves and our allies, and
if we would win the war we must save
! coal in every possible way. The
saving will have to become an indi-
vidual matter and it is the duty of
every householder as well as of every
man who runs factory or foundry
/ to watch his fires and see that no fuel
! is lost. AS we need more men at the
| front. the laor supply at the mines
will grow shorter and shorter, and the
with the demand for more shipments
abroad.
| Homes Use Twice Too Much Coal.
| During the past year the coal burn
| ed for household purposes and for
| heating our hotels, schools and pub
lie buildings of one kind or another
has been in the neighborhood of 100,-
600, 900 tons. The bureau of mines
estimates the average house uses
twice too much coal. If so, the saw
ing in that item alone would be 40,-
100000 tons or twice what Italy
needs. #.l
There is an enormous waste in the
/ fuel used by our industries. OF the
coal shoveled into the furnaces it is
| estimated 43 per cent of the heat is
lost in the boiler rooms and that only
81 per cont is used for the making of
steam. OF that 81 per cent only 10
per cent goes into mechanical energy,
/ and of the 10 per cent about is u.s.
ually lost in the friction of the, en-
gines and in the transmission lines
! through which the machinery is driv.
en-. This means that only per cent
of the original heat of the coal is util.
lied in doing useful work. The ex-
pcrts here figure that by keeping the
boilers clear the losses there can be
reduced from 10 to Is per cent, and
that great reduction also can be
made in the waste in friction and
transmission Say that altogether
Is per cent could be saved, the amount
would be enormous.
Every factory should have an eff
cheney goal sheet and cut down the
amounf Of itG fIaI cnnSumption II
] possible the heat and power should be
brought from specialized plant and
wherever hydro-electric power can be
had it should be employed. To save
transportation coal should be bought
from the nearest mine and every boil
er should be run to its capacity and
only as many as needed be used. We
are now getting about one-third OF
one-fourth OF one horse power per
hour for each pound of coal.