i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
i STEAM COAL - Clpdigital.org
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50 THE <strong>COAL</strong> TRADE BULLETIN.<br />
REPORT OF <strong>COAL</strong> TESTS MADE<br />
AT THE ST. LOUIS EXPOSITION.<br />
The fact that coals and other mineral fuels<br />
used in the United States during 1904 cost the con<br />
sumers approximately $1,500,000,000 indicates the<br />
magnitude and importance of the problems which<br />
the United States Geological Survey had under<br />
investigation in connection with its coal-testing<br />
plant at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition. It<br />
will interest many people to know that a preliminary<br />
report on the operations of that plant has re<br />
cently been published. It is the work of E. W.<br />
Parker, .1. A. Holmes, and M. R. Campbell, who<br />
were appointed by the Directors of the United<br />
States Geological Survey as a committee to install<br />
a coal-testing plant on the World's Fair Grounds<br />
at St. Louis, and to conduct therein a series of<br />
tests on the best methods of utilizing coal and<br />
lignite. The report contains a brief statement<br />
of the results obtained from September 1, 1904,<br />
when the plant was put in operation, to December<br />
24. 1904. A more detailed report, which will be<br />
fully illustrated by photographs and graphic charts,<br />
and which will describe the methods employed in<br />
making the coal tests and discuss the results ob<br />
tained, is in preparation and will be published.<br />
The total sum appropriated for this work was<br />
$60,000. Under the law authorizing the work all<br />
of the testing machinery and all of the coals to be<br />
tested had to be furnished to the government free<br />
of charge. These conditions made it impossible<br />
to provide an ideal testing plant in the time allot<br />
ted for the work, and there was considerable delay<br />
in assembling the equipment. The conimittee<br />
feels, nevertheless, that through the hearty and<br />
patriotic co-operation of a large number of manufacturers<br />
of apparatus and machinery, it was able<br />
to collect and install, within a notably short time,<br />
a testing plant that was well suited for such<br />
pioneer work. The buildings erected for the work<br />
consisted of a boiler and engine house, a storage<br />
and washery building, and two buildings for bri<br />
quetting machines and equipment. A part of the<br />
metal pavilion was utilized for a chemical laboratory,<br />
in which all of the chemical work connected<br />
with the tests was performed.<br />
The various portions of the plant were put under<br />
the direction of men thoroughly equipped in their<br />
special lines. The steam-test division was under<br />
the direction of Prof. L. P. Breckenridge. of the<br />
University of Illinois. The producer gas tests<br />
were under the direction of Prof. Robert H. Fer<br />
nald, of Washington University, St. Louis. The<br />
washing operations were under the superintendence<br />
of John D. Wick, of Chicago, general fore<br />
man of the plant. The coking plant was in charge<br />
of Fred. \V. Stammler, of Johnstown. Pa. The<br />
briquetting tests were directed by Dr. Joseph Hyde<br />
Pratt, of the University of North Carolina and<br />
the North Carolina Geological Survey. The plans<br />
for the chemical laboratory, its equipment and<br />
operations, were made under the direction of Prof.<br />
N. W. Lord, of the Ohio State University.<br />
The field work was placed in charge of Mr. M. R.<br />
Campbell, one of the committee appointed by the<br />
director of the survey for the prosecution of these<br />
tests. All of the coal shipped to the plant for<br />
testing, with the exception of a few carloads was<br />
collected under the supervision of a survey official.<br />
This was done to avoid any possibility of the criti<br />
cism that selected coals had been subjected to<br />
these tests.<br />
Among the results already clearly indicated by<br />
these preliminary tests the following may be<br />
stated as worthy of special consideration: (1) The<br />
tests in the steam-boiler plant of 65 carload sam<br />
ples of coal from 17 states indicate that the steamproducing<br />
capacity of American coals is high and<br />
that the quality of many of these coals may be<br />
improved by washing. (2) The producer-gas tests<br />
show the most striking results, and they indicate<br />
a revolution in the economical use of coal for the<br />
production of power. The results clearly demon<br />
strate the following points: (a) that most of the<br />
American bituminous coals and lignites can be<br />
used successfully in the manufacture of producer<br />
gas. and that this gas can be utilized in an explo<br />
sive gas engine; (b) that this method of using<br />
fuel is much more economical than the present<br />
mode of generating steam. (31 Some of the lignites<br />
from partially developed but extensive deposits in<br />
North Dakota and Texas, when tested in the gas<br />
producer and gas engine, have shown unexpectedly<br />
high power-producing qualities, such as promise<br />
large future developments in those and other<br />
states. (4) Some of the American coals, and the<br />
"slack" produced in mining these coals, can he<br />
briquetted on a commercial basis.<br />
This report is listed as Bulletin No. 261 among<br />
the survey's publications. It is intended for general<br />
distribution and may be obtained on applica<br />
tion to the director of the United States geological<br />
survey. Washington, D. C.<br />
The United States census report on coal produc<br />
tion shows that while in 1830 the production of<br />
coal per unit of population was hut one-fortieth<br />
of a ton, it is at the present time on a basis of<br />
four tons per capita, a hundredfold increase, or<br />
10,000 per cent. In 1840 the per capita tonnage<br />
was .105; 1850, .278: 1860, .514: and not until<br />
1870 did it approach one ton per capita, the exact<br />
figures then being .955. Since then rapid strides<br />
have been made. For 1880 the tonnage was 1.518;<br />
1890, 2.255; 1900, 3.534; 1902, 3.838; and at present,<br />
it is safe to say, at least four tons per capita.