Evening star., 1947-05-18
Hall
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uoMH
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coal has been promoted IN many
fields -- home heating, railroads,
electric utilities, the manufacture
of pig iron. This trend toward
efficiency has been encouraged by
the industry despite a loss of tom
mage consumed. The alternative
often would be change-over to
more expensive but more convenient
fuels.
New Uses Explored.
An example of the new efficiency
is a revolutionary railroad locomo-
tive now in process of development.
This locomotive is powered by a gas
turbine using finely powdered coal
as fuel. The mechanism crushes
lump coal and sends it into COM
buster for burning. In this state
the powder acts like fluid. The
tremendous explosive power of coal
dust mixed with air in certain pro-
portions was sharply demonstrated
by the Centralia blast, which was
caused, experts think, by coal dust
raised into the air and ignited.
This new engine is expected to
deliver "a per cent of the total
power potential of the fuel as COM
pared to 8 per cent developed by
the steam locomotive. 1t is esti-
mated that cost of operation will be
about half that of diesel locomo-
tive.
Extensive research is under way
to develop new uses and new mar
kets for coal. The basic byproducts
of coal, such as ammonia, benzine,
phenol, naphthaline and toluene,
already are used in variety of ma
terials. Nearly all dyes are made
from coal tar or coal gas. The
sulfa drugs and many other COM
mon medicines come from coal, as
do the majority of plastics and
synthetic resins.
Topic for Discussion.
For several reasons these pro-
ducts add little to the market for
mine coal, but it would be a diff
ferent story if a process could be
developed for extracting a synthetic
gasoline from coal cheaply enough
so that it could be sold to motorists
at price approximating that of
present automotive fuel.
There is general agreement that
the industry's main hope for the
immediate future is holding down
the cost of production Lowered
operating costs through increased
efficiency and expanded mechaniza-
ton will be a major topic of dis
cussion at the American Mining
Congress meeting in Cleveland
May u.
The most important item of coal
cost to the consumer is transporta-
ton, about which the industry can
90 little or nothing. But it may
devise ways of getting around the
necessity for shipping coal by rail.
There is the possibility of burning
coal in the ground to produce gas
which can be transported easily. and
there is the possibility of forcing
powdered coal through pipe lines.
Experiments with underground gasi-
fication of coal have had satisfactory
results so far.
A Distasteful Expedien...
Some such revolutionary process
as this may prove the salvation of
coal Certainly the industry has no
future as long as it continues in its
ancient, back breaking wasteful
ways.
One suggested remedy is nation
alization of the mines, an expedient
few desire. The advocates of this
course have become less enthusiastic
after witnessing the continuing dis
organization and low output of the
nationalized British mines.
The proposal of Senator Morse
that mine boards of directors and
operators be held responsible for
safety conditions in the mines would
render less hazardous an inherently
dangerous occupation. 1t would not
of itself change the conditions under
which many miners live. What is
needed here is sustained wage
comparable to that received by the
miners today and more stable condi-
tions for the operators. This would
encourage and make possible many
reforms which cannot now be ac-
eomplished.
printed by special arranRement with
B. Louis Post-Dispateh.} 4