Year: 1870

COmpOund-Unsatisfact Result.


For many years past attempts have been made
to introduce substitute for coal for use on
steamships, which, while occupying less room in
bunkers, would give greater heat, be less eX-
pensive and make less ashes; but up to this time,
however, all such attempts have resulted in fail
ure. Some time last year Colonel William Hol-
stead discovered that peat anthracite coal dust
and coal tar, in proportions of seventy per cent.
of the former, twenty-five per cent of
coal dust and FIVE per cent. of tar
or rosin, pressed together by machinery, dried
and made ready for use, would do more work
than double the quantity OF ordinary coal and
make but very little ashes. This at least was the
result of q preliminary trial. Captain Spinney
late of the United States Navy, subsequently
became interested in the discovery; the inven-
tion was perfected, company was formed and
preparations made for producing the material In
quantities sufficient for more elaborate and
decisive trial. Determined to put their stock on
the market at once, the International Fuel Com
pany prepared to give public exhibition of the
superiority of their combustible over coal, and
with this view engaged the steamer G. P. Schultz
for trip up the Hudson River yesterday


The day was cold and damp; the air was heavy
with wet snow drifting from the lowering,
heavy laden clouds, and thick fog lay broad
upon the river. The new fuel lying on the deck
did not look promising; the blocks, fifteen inches
long, ten wide and tour and half deep, into
which the material Is pressed by machine pres
sure of five tons to the square inch, was wet
with rain and felt hard and heavy in the hand.
The fuel was weighed first by Captain Spinney;
but, for the purpose of avoiding eten the suspi-
cion of favor, Captain DeGroot had IL reweighed
in the presence of the committee A lot of
1000 pounds was carefully weighed and sent
below, where Mr.. Belknap saw it put into the
furnace. The representative of the COM
pany wished to have the fire made on
layer of live anthracite; but this
the committee would not allow. Fire was
started with wood Mt quarter past IL o'clock
A. NJ, and 119 gallons of water put in the boiler
water in gauge nineteen inches Half an hour
later the fuel was ignited the lines were cast off
at twenty-four minutes past IL z. M; twenty
seven pounds of steam was speedily obtained,
and the steamer rushed out into the stream with


her bow to the north. This was good begin


ming; but unfortunately the speed did not last


long The steam ran down 10 ten pounds in


twenty minutes; the wheels revolved slowly, and
Ii became evident that coal was still the reign
ing monarch. On turning at Ninety-eighth
street the gentleman in charge of the furnaces


was relieved by another, who, it was said was
better posted on the manner of using
an increase of fifteen pounds of
steam in few minutes, and the boat leaped
through the water at splendid pace. The hopes
of the gentlemen interested in the success of the
trial rose with every pound of steam and con-
tinued high until the steamer touched the dock.
They did not know, however, that the commit
tee who were satisfied of the futility of con-
tinuing the trial under such circumstances, had
ordered quantity of anthracite coal to be
thrown over the new fuel in one of the furnaces.
| Had this course not been taken, it would have
been impossible to reach the landing place until
after nightfall


Captain spinney feels quite sanguine of the
ultimate success of the fuel as a substitute for
coal, and proposes to have another trial soon