37 6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE 



question of a relatively short period of time. The way 

 to do it has been ascertained. It remains for enterprise 

 and capital to develop and utilize the vast po\ver resi- 

 dent in the lignitic coals of the West. 



The Geological Survey has been conducting at the 

 Louisiana Purchase Exposition a series of experiments 

 in the combustion of coal and lignites.* This experi- 

 mental work has been carried on under special author- 

 ization of Congress for "testing and analyzing the 

 coals and lignites of the United States to determine 

 the most economical method for their utilization." One 

 of the most interesting results brought out in the 

 course of this investigation has been the practical 

 demonstration of the method for using the large 

 supplies of lignite which exist between the Mississippi 

 River and the Rocky Mountain states, and which, on 

 account of its high percentage of moisture, make most 

 unsatisfactory fuel under ordinary processes of com- 

 bustion. It has been shown, however, that the very 

 qualities which appear to unfit this lignite for use by 

 direct combustion tend toward the improvement of the 

 quality of the gas made from it in the gas producer. 

 In the manufacture of what is known as producer gas 

 all of the combustible material in the coal fed into the 

 producer is utilized. The quality of the gas obtained 

 is measured by its value in British thermal units (B. T. 

 U's.) One B. T. U. is the amount of heat required to 

 raise one pound of water one degree in temperature 

 Fahrenheit. Ordinary bituminous coals make pro- 



* This work has been in charge of a committee composed of 

 the following members of the Geological Survey: Mr. E. W. 

 Parker, Chairman, coal expert and statistician; Dr. J. A. 

 Holmes, geologist and chief of Department of Mines and 

 Metallurgy St, Louis Exposition; Mr. M. R. Campbell, geolo- 

 gist in charge of surveys in coal areas. 



