FUELS AND THEIR UTILIZATION. 57 



coals. The association of lignites with valuable iron ores will develop the 

 iron industry, and the vicinity of the Gulf to the coal fields will give the State 

 an advantage in building up an export trade which other countries with simi- 

 lar mineral resources do not possess. Of course the development of mines, the 

 building of coke ovens, smelters, etc., will draw a desirable immigration to 

 the State and increase the prosperity of the people. 



It has been said that the great body of forest growth of Eastern Texas will 

 prohibit the development of the lignites, and that true stone coal will furnish 

 superior and cheaper material for fuel and other purposes. 



Contrary to this, a few men have early recognized the importance of these 

 brown coals. There is, however, little literature on the subject, and the for- 

 mer geological reports only mention the existence of the deposits. Prof. E. 

 T. Durable, in a number of scattered newspaper articles, beginning as early 

 as 1877, described the localities where outcrops of brown coal occur, pro- 

 nounced their economic value, and published analyses of the different coals. 

 In 1882 he published an article entitled "Cheap Fuels — Texas Lignites Com- 

 pressed," which, on account of its importance as containing an account of the 

 first practical test in the manufacture of briquettes to which Texas brown 

 coal has been subjected, will be given almost in full. 



"COMPRESSED FUEL FROM TEXAS LIGNITES. 



"BY B. T. DXJMBLK. 



"Houston, Texas, 1882. 



"Seeking to make the large deposits of lignite in our State available, I pro- 

 jected a means of coking it. My invention was approved and commended by 

 Prof. Silliman, of Yale, who made a personal examination of it. While work- 

 ing in this matter I was led to examine into the practicability of putting the 

 lignite into a better shape for fuel and transportation. 



" The heating power of the crude material has been established in very 

 many localities, but its want of density and its liability to crumble on expos- 

 ure to the air presented objections that had to be overcome. 



" Finding that artificial fuel, made by compressing slack coal and lignite, 

 with use of a bond, had been in successful operation in Europe, I set about 

 obtaining information concerning the same, and have found * * * the 

 machinery required. 



"The prepared fuel manufactured by this process from refuse coal and lig- 

 nite has met with such success that the company finds that it pays to oreak 

 up bituminous coal and prepare it to meet the demand, and are continuing to 

 manufacture these briquettes at a profit. 



"From the analysis sent the manufacturers of the machinery, they were 

 satisfied that our Texas lignites could be made into an excellent fuel. I de- 

 termined to have a conclusive test, and shipped ten tons to France, had it 



