New Coal for Old

Fuel substitutes of various types are the subject of active experimentation, out of which it seems probable that revolutionary developments will come in the near future.

1) The Piron system of low-temperature coal distillation, which Henry Ford is investigating at cost of $20,000,000, is a method of making a coke from bituminous coal which has all the advantages of anthracite and can be used in blast furnaces.

2) A low-temperature system invented by Charles C. Bussey, of New York, is in successful operation at Louisville, Ky. It differs in method from the Piron system, but gives somewhat similar results. It utilizes inferior bituminous coal and oil shale, and yields by-products of fuel oil, gas, ammonia and benzol, while eliminating sulphur and phosphorus from the coke.

3) The U. S. Bureau of Mines, under 0. P. Hood, Chief Mechanical Engineer, is working on a process to produce lignite char, a fuel similar to anthracite, but softer. In Germany this material is widely used for heating and cooking, but the competition of high-grade coals has kept it back in America. With the gradually increasing scarcity of good anthracite and bituminous, lignite will become a valuable substitute.