Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-08-04

supply CATS Idpluly SiiOu6h W
care of all demands.
All these circumstances point to
the desirability of devising a plan
for the storage of o
Water Storage System
There has been one extensive, sue
cessful experiment in this country
along lines heretofore found feasible
in England. The Illinois Traction
Company which operates a network
of interurban electric railroads
throughout the state has establish
ed a system of subaqueous storage.
1t has been learned that coal can be
stored under water. This keeps the
air from working its deleterious eff
fects on the coal and also prevents
spontaneous combustion. 1t Is a
curious fact, however. that q small
| quantity Of water will not prevent,
but stimulates spontaneous combus-
| ton. Merely to moisten coal or
have 1t half covered will set it afire.
Many Of the bunker fires on ships
| arise from leaks. To affect proper
and safe subaqueous storage. the
coal must be wholly submerged.
The reason this has not been re-
sort to more generally is that
such a storage plant is expensive.
The Illinois Traction bins are vast
concrete lined basins. The handling
of the coal is multiplied because it
must be mined, hauled to the storage
bins. dumped in. flooded. Then when
coal from the bins is needed. the
water must be partially drained off.
the coal hoisted and transported
again to the point of consumption
However. In some cases, the cost OF
uIInh cfnroO0 in rnno rAad nc Nun;1
spent in that it provides insurance
against suspension due to shortage
of production. strikes or interior
ence with distribution.
Recent Investigations by the Blu
reau OF Mines reveal that the dan
gers Of spontaneous combustion are
not SO great as they have been con-
sidered in the past. The most re-
cent study, made by o. p. Hood,
Chief Mechanical Engineer of the
Bureau, shows that the combustion
Is caused by the surface heating OF
the coal. The contact between the
oxygen in the air and the inflam-
mable elements in the Goa causes
the heating which increases to the
point OF combustion. Mr.. Hood
points out that the surface presented
by q ton Of coal Is tremendous. Each
lump presents a surface and so does
each powdered grain. The normal
| coal pile is not so tightly packed as
to prevent the passage of the oxy-
gen-bearing air through interstices
to practically every particle of the
coal.
One Surface Acre Per Ton
When all these minute surfaces
exposed to the air are added by Mr.
l Had he rAtr-tha ncfnrich{n toto
of approximately one acre OF sur
face to every tor Of coal.
Two remedies for this are suggested
| by Mr.. Hood. First, store only the
large Jumps Of coal. In the lump,
the coal is naturally packed 81
densely that the air does not pene-
trate. Jumps Of nut size and under
are those giving the greatest air sur
face per ton. He suggests that By
more careful handling. coal can BIZ
brought up and stored i'm large
blocks.
A second suggestion is that coal
lbe artilcially compressed. Coal dust
is pressed into coal brisquets as q
commercial proposition now, for the
! purpose of making 1t easier to han
die. Compression on a larger scale
and into large blocks is suggested to
prevent deterioration due to expos
ure to the air and to prevent spon-
taneous combustion. Fine coal oil
coal dust car be compressed so that
a ton car be put in the form OF a
block a little less than a cubic yard
Lin size.
Further, Mr.. Hoods Investigations
show the air around stored coal in
fuences combustion. Coal stored in
a hot place will deteriorate and ig-
mite more quickly than coal stored
in a cool place. This suggests the
| possibility of cold storage Of coal
Mr.. Hood also has found that for
eign matter in coal. such as sulphur
will hasten its spontaneous ignition
BY screening and careful cleaning OF
coal intended to be stored, this could
be eliminated. His investigation
accordingly. have convinced him
that proper methods and care car
make the storage of GOAL on a large
scale a feasible enterprise.
Figures prepared by the Geo
logical Survey show that ths
United States owns in the public do.
main more than 100, 900, 900, 900 ton.
of unmined coal. 1t has been sug.
gested that the government process
to the miping OF this coal and plac,
ing it in scientific storage for us9 II