1060

THE COLLIERY GUARDIAN.

December 1, 1916.

and a distillation test of 92 degs. at abou!t 315. In the
summer time it would not pay them to change before
that point. In winter they did not reach that point so
quickly. Naphthalene seemed to make a difference, and
summer conditions generally made a difference—the oil
deteriorated more rapidly.

Mr. Taylor referred to the author’s objection to gilled
pipes. He (the speaker) had seen a lot of gilled pipes
exposed after working, and had always found them
clean. That Mr. Wilson did not find them so was pro-
bably due to their very high temperatures. He next
pointed out that Mr. Wilson had his washed oil with
5-5 per cent, of ammonia. This looked rather bad for
the ammonia. Referring to; the type of still used for
rectification, he suggested that the difficulty might arise
from the design of the particular still. 'I’hey might get
a good cab still and a bad plate still.

(To be continued.)

SOUTH WALES INSTITUTE OF
ENGINEERS.

Fuel Economy and the Utilisation of Coal.

An address on the above subject was given at the
South Wales Institute of Engineers, Cardiff, on Friday
November 24, by Prof. Wm. A. Bone, D.Sc., Ph.D.?
F.R.S., chairman of the British Association committee
appointed, for the investigation of fuel economy.

The address was given under the auspices of the
University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire,
the South Wales and Monmouts shire School of Mines,
the Cardiff Chamber of Commerce, and the South
Wales Institute of Engineers; and the Lord Mayor of
the city attended and extended a civic welcome to the
visitor. A telegram apologising for non-attendance
was read from Lord Rhondda, who said the problem of
fuel economy was a most important subject, and one
that was “ vital to the continued prosperity of the
country.”

Mr. W. Stewart, president of the South Wales
Institute of Engineers, presided.

In the course of his address, Prof. Bone said he
believed they were beginning a concerted movement
that would result, in the years to come, in incalculable
benefit to the nation. It was a movement designed to
ensure the most scientific methods of utilising our coal
reserves. The professor compared the positions of this
country and Germany in the recovery of by-products
from coal before the war, pointing out the enormous
advantage accruing therefrom to the enemy in the
matter of high explosives since the war. Dealing with
the general subject of coal wastage and coal conserva-
tion, he disclaimed any wish to see a falling off in the
export trade. He looked forward to an accelerated
expansion of coal exports after the war, for much of the
cost of which it would provide, and had confidence that
South Wales would play a considerable part in that
expansion. The fundamental preliminary to national
action was for the Government to finance a com-
plete chemical survey of the British coal fields and
investigation of the chemistry of coal, to find out
the most scientific uses of coal. There were many
points upon which they were ignorant and upon which
it was essential they should get enlightened, and this
information could only be obtained by a scheme of
systematic co-operative research by all laboratories
engaged upon the technology of fuel, the cost of which
should be borne by the Government. He had great
hopes that before long they would be able to say the
Government was taking an active part in the further-
ance of these objects. There was some idea that the
work of the committee of the British Association on
fuel economy might be taken over by the Research
Council. Preliminary negotiations had been entered
into, and representatives of the committee had met
representatives of the Research Council in conference,
and the committee’s advice had been asked as to how
the Government might take up the question. He did
not know what the outcome of these preliminary nego-
tiations would be, but he was authorised to say that the
prospe-t was hopeful. In proceeding with this highly
important national work, the promoters were anxious to
carry with them at every step the goodwill and sympathy
of the industries affected. T hey desired to keep in close
contact all the time; and with this object there must be
periodical conferences up and down the country with
representative local bodies. He must confess to knowing
comparatively little about the special conditions in
South Wales beyond what he had read, but it would give
him great pleasure if they would afford him oppor-
tunities of personally extending his knowledge in that
respect; and he hoped they might then be mutually
helpful. He had made a certain request to Dr. Gallo-
way, who represented South Wales on the British
Association committee, as to a little assistance in con-
nection with an investigation he wished to make in his
own laboratory, and Dr. Galloway had kindly promised
to do what he could. Either on its present basis or in
some other form, he hoped the Fuel Economy Committee
would receive the co operation of the South Wales
Institute, the University College, and other institutions
in the district, when it needed advice, because there
were many points arising upon which the institute could
he?p. Their special knowledge of the Welsh coal field
would be most welcome and necessary.

Encouragement of Research.

Sir Clifford Cory, Bait., M.P., in proposing a vote
of thanks to Prof. Bone, said the present was a golden
opportunity for this country, since we bad the coal, and

we had the men of science. By the encouragement of
research we could do something to capture the trade in
coal tar products, hitherto largely a German monopoly.
Some people might say that those who were interested in
the production of coal were not likely to be very sincere
in their advocacy of fuel economy. That was a mistake.
Those who knew most about the coal industry were
fully alive to the importance of the subject, the in-
creasing cost and difficulty of production, and that—
wholly apart from the abnormal conditions produced by
the war—the demand far exceeded the supply. Hence,
even from the purely selfish point of view, they welcomed
every suggestion advanced for getting the last ounce of
energy out of every ton of coal brought to the surface.
Every increase in the potential value of coal meant
higher prices, and brought them nearer, he hoped, to
the solution of the difficult industrial questions which
were for ever arising in the colliery districts. It was
said long ago that, as an emblem of the national wealth,
a coal sack would be more appropriate than a woolsack
for the Lord Chancellor. Probably the woolsack was
chosen as being more comfortable, but there could be
no doubt that an abundant coal supply had enabled
Great Britain to hold her place among the nations.
That supply, however, was not unlimited; the demand
was constantly increasing, and the difficulties of pro-
duction became greater as the nearer seams became
exhausted. Nor had we any other supplies of fuel or
any other source of power to fall back upon. We had
no wood ; we had no water power to speak of. Wholly
apart from the special questions raised by the war, it
appeared to him that the question of fuel economy was
one of urgent public importance; that was to say,
economy in the sense of making better use of that
output. Economy in everything was now being every-
where advocated; and as they in South Wales were
concerned with one of the greatest and most important
industries of the country, it behoved them to take the
lead. Prof. Bone had referred to the question of
exported coal. He (Sir Clifford) had been particularly
concerned about the displacement, from the South
American markets, of Welsh coal by c al from the
United States. These markets had been almost
wholly in British hands ; and the question was whether
we would ever recover them. We had been practically
the carriers of the world, and the less coal was exported
the greater would be the prejudicial effect upon the
shipping industry. This would be a serious matter in
normal times; it would be doubly serious to this
country after the war with its huge legacy of debt, to
meet which an extensive export trade was essential.
Prof. Bone had alluded to pit wastage—to coal left
underground. This had been almost unavoidable,
because it had not paid to bring that coal to the
surface. He read that the coal left behind was 25 per
cent, of the total raised in this country, and the total in
1914 was 270,000,000 tons. These figures impressed
them with the enormous pit wastage th it was going on,
but this evil would be largely met by making the coal
profitable to bring to the surface by the extraction of
its by-products, as indicated by Prof. Bone. They all
appreciated the value of the suggestion that there
should be an ascertainment of the chemical character
of the coal seams throughout the country. The company
with which he was associated were working coal with a
high percentage of volatile matter, and they had had
under consideration the installation of coke ovens and
by-product recovery apparatus. But they found that
consulting engineers differed as to particular processes.
If the information that Prof. Bone urged should be
obtained was now forthcoming there need be no
hesitation or doubt in the case.

Information Wanted.

Dr. Galloway seconded the vote of thanks. In a
brief account of the work of the British Association
committee and sub-committees investigating fuel
economy, he said unfortunately very little exact statis-
tical information regarding the conditions under which
industries were carried on in this country was published.
It would have greatly facilitated their work, and enabled
them sooner to form their opinions and make their
recommendations, if the information had been already
collected, say, by the Mining Association of Great
Britain, under the authority of a Government Order.
In considering this matter one could not help contrasting
the secretive methods pursued in this country with the
frank and open manner in which every kind of informa-
tion was published, for the benefit of all, in some
Continental countries. Take, as an example, the
published statistics of the mining industry of one
nation, whose powers of organisation have elicited
admiration even from its adversaries within the last few
years. These statistics gave minute details of the
dimensions and depths of the pits; full particulars of
their equipment; the number, thickness; condition and
method of working each seam of coal; the output of
coal, coke, by-products and briquettes, together with the
costs, selling prices, railway freights, and profits year
by year of individual collieries. His object in
mentioning this was, if possible, to incite those present
to cast aside their habitual reserve in matters of this
kind and to give freely, and without stint, all the
information asked for by the British Association Com-
mittee in the circulars they had issued, in the assured
hope that both themselves and the whole community
would be benefited by the results.

Washing.

Speaking in support of the motion of thanks, Mr. T. E.
Watson (chairman of the Cardiff Chamber of
Commerce), said he was gratified to hear Prof. Bone’s
views on coal exports. They had been told that 25 per
cent, of the total quantity of coal got in this country
was left behind in the collieries. If this was the case in

South Wales, some of them interested in collieries in
the district would want to know why this coal was not
brought to the surface and help them to pay the present
rates of wages. He recalled that a distinct improve-
ment was brought about in the position of the Scotch
coal trade by the washing and making ready for market
of what was called dross—the inferior small coal. It
was not much use to make coke out of small coal con-
taining 15 or 20 per cent, of ash. The coal must be
washed, and he looked to the washing machine makers
to tackle this problem, and at least to give them as good
machines as the German washing plant. They must
have means of drying the dust, for if they took the ash
from the coal and substituted an equal weight of water,
it was a case of “ Thank you for nothing.” Prof Bone
bad told them that in this country 5 lb. of coal was
consumed for power production per B.H.P. hour. That
was simply disgraceful. Recently he had had figures
taken out with regard to the consumption of coal per
I.H.P. on a certain line of ships, and he found that it
averaged only about 1J lb. per I.H.P. Now, what was
the consumption per I.H.P. at their collieries? He
should say there was no place on earth where coal was
so wasted as at a colliery. There they found boilers at
301b. pressure, and pipes carrying steam for half a-mile,
leaking at every joint, and non-conducting composition,
made in distant ages, coming off all over the steam
pipes. There was an ample field for the colliery
engineer to make an enormous saving, not only for bis
company, but for the benefit of the country at large.

Pit Wastage.

Principal Knox (South Wales School of Mines) said
he was afraid that the pit wastage in many parts of the
coal field was nearer 30 per cent, than 25 per cent. This
was partly due to the fact that the seams were very
close together, and might be avoided by a propetly
regulated system of taking the seams in rotation.
Another cause of wastage was the leaving behind of
small coal in steam coal areas because it had not been
considered of sufficient value to haul to the surface and
dispose of on the market. There were ways of utilising
this coal even without resorting to washing processes,
and one of these was in gas producers. Then, of
course, another reason for leaving coal underground was
to provide pillars. The great pit wastage of coal was
not due to lack of technical skill but because we failed
to apply scientific methods that were adopted in other
countries. There was no unity, no co-operation in
carrying on the industry as a whole. Prof. Bone had
great faith in State aid for organising research, but he
(Principal Knox) hoped that the money placed at the
disposal of the Research Committee appointed some 18
months ago was not to be the measure of future State
encouragement in this matter. Probably the chief
direction in which they might look for help from the
national exchequer was the provision of laboratories,
the staffs being paid by the manufacturers concerned,
as was the case in America. They were doing something
in a small way at his own School of Mines, but they
could easily and profitably expend £100,000 for every
£100 now at their disposal, and would still have many
years’ work to do before achieving great results,
because, as Prof. Bone had stated, these investigations
were a slow, uphill task. With regard to finding out
the chemical composition of coal, a geological examina-
tion ought to run concurrently with the chemical
examination, and there ought to be some means of
correlating each section taken for analyses with that
particular portion of the seam, which varied consider-
ably from top to bottom.

The thanks of the meeting to Prof. Bone were carried
amid cordial applause ; and the proceedings closed with
a similar compliment to the president, on the motion
of Dr. Henry K. Jordan, seconded by Mr. T. E.
Watson.

The French Coal Famine.—A Paris correspondent states
that owing to the disorganisation brought about by the
shortage of coal, a number of electric lighting and power and
gas companies are threatened with complete breakdown, and
a great number of factories are compelled to work short
hours. The loss, owing to lack of coal, is estimated at
between £500,000 and £700,000 per day.

Hull Coal Exports.—The official return of the exports
of coal from Hull to foreign countries for the week ended
November 21 is as follows :—Amsterdam, 254 tons; Alderney,
134; Alexandria, 4,482; Barcelona, 1,142; Boulogne, 752;
Harlingen, 384; Havre, 1,237; Porsgrund, 366; Rotterdam,
463; Rouen, 9,010; Treport, 894 — total, 19,118 tons.
Corresponding period November 1915—total, 37,192 tons.
Corresponding period November 1914—total, 31,322 tons.
These figures do not include bunker coal, shipments for the
British Admiralty, nor the Allies’ Governments.

Coke Fuel for Electric Power Stations. — The Highways
Committee of the London County Council have placed an
order for eight coke-burning mechanical stokers for use under
the steam boilers at the Greenwich generating station. These
stokers, if worked to their full capacitv. will consume 100
tons of coke per 24 hours. The present total coal consump-
tion at the power station has been estimated at 165,000 tons
per annum, and the present price is 32s. per ton. Having in
mind the huge surplus of coke available in London before the
war, the financial advantages which should accrue to the
Council by equipping their boilers with stokers which open
the door to this alternative source of fuel supply should be
considerable; whilst from a national point of view, the
advantages ensuing from the policy of using coke in lieu of
raw coal to the extent indicated are important, in view of
the abnormal cost of imported raw materials used in the
manufacture of carburetted water gas, a commodity which,
however desirable and useful in normal times, is now expen-
sive from more than one point of view. Moreover, the valu-
able residuals which would be recovered by diverting the above
quantitv of coal through the gas works would include 1,650
tons of sulphate of ammonia, 300 tons of materials for high
explosives, and 1,650,000 gals, of coal tar.