Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-04-01
CoalMust Change Color
Try Frederic j. Haskin

tor the by-products which will be ex-
trsctcd i'm tho process of making the
hriqucttcs should more than pay for the
cost of mining. A ton of this new coal
viii Yield not only fuel for the furnace.
but also fuel for the. fiivver. cooking gas
tor the kitchen range. fertilizers, high
explosives. cosmetics and a number of
other things.
The consumer will call the new prod
net brown coal. but the scientist will
know il as Ignite. Lignite. the poor
relation OF the black coal known to-
day has been despiscd and ignored for
generations. but IL is at last coming into
is own as the benefactor of mankind.
The United States has the worlds
greatest supply Of Ignite, There are
some thousand billion odd tons of IL
waiting to he mined. The supply is
practically inexhaustible. Long after
tho last piece of black coal has been
mined the ignite mines will still be do
ing business and the many by-products
ul ignite win be used in the household
and shop Ignite is. according 10 eN-
pcrts OF the Bureau OF Mines. the COM
morcial and economic future OF the
United States,
This heretofore despised member OF
the coal family, they say. is TO sup
icum supply OF this country. II is we'll
known that about half OF our petroleum
production is gone and that practically
every American oil field is on the pro-
ducing down grade. Without fuel oil
and lubricating oil our Army and Navy
in Time OF war would be so terribly
handicapped as TO invite defeat. In
time of peace our merchant marine and
industries generally would suffer.
The Fuel Shortage.
Tho only answer TO the problem would
seem to be conservation. And America
b. not conserving. Indications are. ac-
,urdlng To government investigators.
that the consumption Of motor fuel will
double within the next few years.
American industrys life blood is petro-
Ieum The blood is today coursing mcr-
lily through industry's veins. but should
the supply be exhausted. industry would
perish, unless some substitute Is found.
Iignite Is not a newly discovered sub
stance. Ii Is far from mystery in the
scientific world and its wonderful possi-
bilities have long been thoroughly un-
dcrstood But ignite has been ap-
parently hopeless from a commercial
viewpoint II was known as the soft
est. dustirst. poorest grade of coal ex-
tant II was known that its physical
and chemical characteristics lay some-
:. here hvtw,en those Of peat and bitu-
minous coal
n was uumarketable chiefly because
10 parts with most OF its moisture when |
exposed tu the weather and falls into |
dust much more rapidly than ordinary |
coal when first dug it is spongy. con- |
tauanr anywhere from p 10 % per /
,ent 1T water once taken from the /
l.round its disintcgration is rapid. I'm /
less loaded Immediately into cars in /
zero weather. il slacks with the evapo-
ration Of its moistuye and cracks like /
dry mud. falling into dust.
Science has now solved this problem
Is distnling the more volatile sub
stances out Of Ignite. and pressing the
residue into smokeless briquettes. The
lriqucttes are 60 be used in the family
and shop furnace. The distillation prod
ucts include gas. oils, tars, dyes, ferti-
lizcrs. drugs. Photographic chemicals.
acids. perfumes and a variety of other
commodities. The practicability of this
has been proved. Al that IS needed is
, lguite distilling industry. The United
States Bureau 81 Mines is hack OF the
project. 10 create such an industry.
The United States holds the greatest
deposits of ignite. But there are nu-
smaller beds Of il scattered
throughout Europe Germany has her
Ignite fields and is making great strides
in the use Of u'em.
Germans the Pioneers.
The fuel problem has been even a
more serious matter In Europe than in
his country In fact il has been re-
gnrded as the most serious obstacle in
he road 10 her economic recovery. Ger
many is suffering with the rest Of the
European nations. Her fuel famine has
lreatened her industrial progress for
many years. She is now turning 10
ignite as a solution. and so is showing
he United States the way
Brown coal mining as now practised
IN Germany Is simple As in this
ountry the coal beds lie very near the
surface. some OF the beds are within
- feet Of the surface. Near Halle one
may see the farmers mining their
brown coal for domestic use For ma
,hlncry they use spades. The coal
Ehen used in this primitive state is not,
n course the refined. perfected form of
uel IL viii be when manufactured into
lriaucttes. But IL is fuel and the Ger
nan peasant finds IL satisfactory The
ierman industrial baron. however. sees
ne possibilities OF brown coal as a fac
ory fuel. an Germany there is brown
'oal boom. The scientific and indus
rial forces Of the nation are centered
lpon making ignite a commercial asset.
The scientific German has CONNER
tally utilized his Ignite beds TO some
ixtent for years past. though the in
iustry Is spoken Of as "A new thing. For |
xample. in 1913 Germany exported 10
ne United States. which has the great
81 Ignite beds in the world coal tar
,roducts made largely from Ignite.
O the value OF S22.000.000. The United
states has annually imported for years
Millions OF gallons of creosoting oils
hat are simple distilled elements Of
ignite. This country has always been
ne Of the chief purchasers of Euro
'ean fertilizers. Ignite is one of the
most important sources of fertilizer
nown. The fertilizer, known scfen-
shcally as ammonium sulphate, also
ontains in great quantities, ingredi-
nts used In high explosives.
n is also worthy Of note that Ignite
vas the source of the saccharine used
broad during the war as sugar sub
titute.
Again Ignite through one Of its by
parafiin, is relieving the soap
anime that has annoyed Europe for
hese past several years. II is hoped
a European scientists that parafin
reduced from Ignite will eventually
"a H.. s.fFs. /