The Washington herald., 1918-02-01
MAY DEVELOP
COAL PROJECT
Rhode Island Fields Again
Become Center Of Inter-
est, Says Holland.

which distinguished Henry N. Whit
ney. Of Boston. namely, the ability to
look far into the future and picture
forth In his mind the realization OF
great opportunities. failed him. Mr..
whitney must now contemplate with
some satisfaction. however. the part
he took some fifteen or more years
ago In undertaking to develop that
curious geological deposit which
convulsions Of nature placed under
the soil Of q part Of Rhode Island In
prehistoric times. There coal, none
Of the experts knew in how great
quantities, exists. These coal de-
posits were known many years ago.
At least seventy years ago men Of
capital Of that time undertood the
development Of this coal property.
After q few years they abandoned
the proposition. Later others ven
tured to develop Rhode Island coal,
and they. too. found that II could not
b mined TO commercial advantage.
So occasionally within periods Of
about twenty years attempts have
been made to utilize to commercial
advantage this curious phenomenon
of extensive coal beds under the soil
Of Rhode Island.
Henry N. Whitney. conspicuous as
a man OF enterprise and capital in
Boston. took up the proposition. al
though warned by many OF his
friends that he was doomed to failure.
In reply he said that the trouble
which earlier investors In this prop
erty had met with was, In his opin-
ion. entirely due to insufficient ma
chinery and other apparatus needed
for the economic mining Of coal. Mr..
Whitney h distinguished among the
men Of capital Of Boston for his con-
centration at one time upon q single
commercial proposition. Therefore, IL
was expected that he would give his
undivided attention to the develop
ment OF this Rhode Island coal prop
erty. and he justified this opinion.
With his own capital and some that
he secured he thoroughly equipped
the mines. the machinery alone hav-
ing cost $4,000.
Makes Coal Tests.
Mr.. whitney, however, discovered
that while there was coal in plenty 1t
was OF such peculiar hardness. so dif-
ferent from all other coal deposits In
the United States, that Il was not
available for steam or other heating
purposes. He had caused thorough
tests to be made. He was a director
Of the Boston and Maine Railroad,
end he was in that capacity of suf-
dcient influence to persuade the man
ayers OF that railroad to make ex-
haustive tests Of that coal for locomo-
tive steam purposes. The managers
were obliged at last to tell him that
they could not use the coal to any
ADVANTAGE upon their locomotives.
Mr.. Whitney had some years earlier
become greatly interested In Cape
Breton Island iron deposits and he
undertook with his customary energy
thoroughly to exploit them. He caused
Rhode Island to be transported to this
Cape Breton iron property so that
good test could there be made. But
ssAin the tests were disappointing. At
abandon his Rhode Island coal propo-
Sition.
Now reports come from Boston that
capital has again been found with
which to operate this coal property
in Rhode Island. Probably capital
would not have been attracted to the
property had IT not been for the short
age in New England OF Pennsylvania
coal. Men of science claim to have
worked out a process by means OF
which this Rhode Island coal, which
is almost As hard as granite, can be
ground and then with II there may
be mixed q fairly good quality Sf
steaminR coal. the mixture being put
upon the market in the form OF bri-
quettes. It may be that science and
the exigencies of the war viii shortly
demonstrate that Mr.. whitney was,
after all, correct in his view that this
Rhode Island coal could be exploited
70 enp,p,arcial ADVANTAGE.
Cape Breton Property.
Had Mr.. whitney been able to fore
see that q world-devastatinE war
would begin q few years after he un-
dertook to exploit the Cape Breton
iron mines. he undoubtedly would
have retained possession Of that prop
erty and would be realizing handsome
returns from the investment. He did
establish q large plant at Cape Bre-
ton ana placed in charge of II q man
in whom re had confidence. But the
venture We q failure. or. at least, q
martial failure. Men Of capital in
Canada, behind whom stood the Ca
madam government, took over the
property, highly developed 1t. and now
as q result Of war. demands are reap
ing profits which should satisfy any
investor.
Mr.. whitney, as was the case with
his brother, the late William c. Whit
ney, did foresee that the high develop
ment OF street railway properties in a
large city entails the consolidation Of
different companies into one. To him,
therefore. 10 due the organization Of
the great West End street Railway
Company OF Boston. OF which the Bos-
ton Elevated Railroad Company IL .
subsidiary. Associated with that was
a land enterprise which was highly
profitable. William c. whitney, when
he planned the consolidation Of the
street railways Of New York City.
was solely occupied with that con-
structive work. having no land i'm
proyement In view.
The Boston News Bureau. while
making references to the proposed re-
newed Development Of the Rhode ISL
and coal property. reports that the
experts estimate that In this peculiar
coal there are about LOO heat units
to the ton. whereas some of the coal
that is coming from Pennsylvania Into
New England at this time contains
ppnly about 5000 units to the ton and
Is very unsatisfactory. The European
war has brought great prosperity to
the Cape Breton Iron Company. whose
original exploitation was due to Mr..
whitney. So also the war may point
the way BY which this queer Rhode
Island coal deposit may be 30 util-
ized a. to relieve the situation in New
England. although Mr.. whitney him.
self win not probably profit by these
unexpected developments.
By HOLLAND.