The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1918-07-09
Make Available
Vast Resources
In Ignite Coal
Bill Pending in Congress Would Develop
Use Of Billions Of Tons Of Neglected
Fuel and Add to Oil Production.

| WASHINGTON.-If the house Of
| representatives will pass a bill re-
Gently reported to the senate, $780,.
| 600 will be available for making in.
vestigations of Ignite Goals, to de.
termine the economic practicability
of their utilization in the production
of fuel oil, gasoline substitutes, solid
fuels, gas for power and other pur-
| poses.
While this bill effects primarily
! the two Dakotas, experiments would
be conducted in Montana, Wyoming,
| Utah and Idaho and in fact wherever
extensive Ignite deposits are found.
The bill is recommended by the in
terror department and by the bureau
| of mines
In urging the passage of the bill,
the secretary of the interior in let
ter to the mines and mining commit
tee of the senate said:
Millions Of Tons Available
Millions of ton of brown and
black Ignite Goals are available
for mining in western and southern
states in regions where bituminous
coal is relatively scarce, the Ignite
Is not extensively utilized because of
certain physical difficulties in con-
nection with its storage and use.
On the contrary, bituminous coal is
transported from distant states or
oil Is used as a source of heat and
pewer. But the present practice is
wasteful of transportation facilities
or of oil which could be reserved for
other uses and for which there is
no present substitute. Furthermore
local industrial development is hand
icapped and will be more and more
retarded as difficulties of transporta-
ton and shortage of oil increases.
A memorandum from the bureau
of mines Of this bill says: 1.-THE ma
tons coal resources of all ranks
total 3,553,637,1OO,O00 minable
tons. OF this total 1,O51,29O,OOO,-
900 tons, or nearly one third is lig-
mite. OF the Ignite, 964,424,0OO,-
900 tons are located in North and |
South Dakota and northwestern Mon
tana, in Texas approximately 23,-
OOO,0OO,000 tons, in Alaska 7,4O4.-
100000 tons and relatively smaller
quantities in several of the other
western and southern states.
National Problem
This tlignite in its natural state
contains to 40 per cent water and
Tor this and other reasons inherent
N the Ignite itself it is not a very
desirable fuel as mined. Millions of
;ons of bituminius and anthracite
Goals are annually shipped into these
ignite-bearing sections literally car
wing Goals to Newcastle-resulti
n high price for both industrial and
commercial fuel, the tying up of
transportation equipment much
leeded for other service, and in other
ubstantial economic lost motion. ,
The economic problem is not local j
tut a national one.
Instead of trying to burn the raw
ignite in the primitive and wastful
rays now employed, it should be
lodif1ed to produce several products
ach peculiarly adapted to a partic-
lar commercial need, namely: !
Useful Forms Of Ignite :
l. Dried Ignite, for use on auto
latic stokers and in fuel-gas pro-
ucers.
q. Powdered coal, from the fried.
ulverized Ignite, for use in cement
Inns, railroad locomotives, and
Their large furnaces.
3. Dried Ignite briquets, for large
and-fired industrial furnaces and
eating plants.
4. Carbonized Ignite, for use in .
ower-gas producers. Tests Of this
'oduct in carload lots have proved
to be very exceptional and un-
'celled fuel for this purpose. It is
about the same analysis as Penn
'lvania anthracite coal. yit aHI
In carbonizing the lingite, valuable
'-products in the form Of gas, am
onia, oils and tars are obtained.
ne surplus gas can be used as Getty 81
-" for furnace fuel, or for gener-
Ing power by means Of q gas en-
ne. The ammonia would probably o.
recovered as ammonium suphate, r,
valuable fertilizer. Just what y
ould be done with the tar and oil