PRELIMINARY REPORT ON THE OPERATIONS OF THE COAL- 
TESTING PLANT OF THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 
AT THE LOUISIANA PURCHASE EXPOSITION, ST. LOUIS, MO., 
1904. 
Edward W. Parker, 
Joseph A. Holmes, 
Marius R. Campbell, 
Committee in Charge. 
INTRODUCTION. 
ORGANIZATION. 
The authority for conducting at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition 
an investigation of the coals and lignites of the United States is con- 
tained in the act of Congress providing for the urgent deficiencies in 
the appropriations for the fiscal year 1905, and approved February 18, 
1904, as follows: 
For analyzing and testing at the Louisiana Purchase Exposition the coals and 
lignites of the United States, in order to determine their fuel values and the most 
economic method for their utilization for different purposes, under the supervision 
|of the Director of the United States Geological Survey, thirty thousand dollars, to 
be available until expended: Provided, That all testing machinery and all coals and 
lignites to be tested shall be contributed without charge to the Government. 
In the general dencienc} T bill approved April 27, 1901, an additional 
appropriation of $30,000 was provided, making the total sum appro- 
priated for this work $60,000. 
For carrying out the provisions of these acts the Director of the 
Geological Survey appointed a committee, consisting of Edward W. 
Parker, chairman, Joseph A. Holmes, and Marius R. Campbell, to 
direct the construction and operation of the plant. 
It will be observed that under the law authorizing this work all of 
the testing machinery and all of the coals to be tested had to be fur- 
nished to the Government free of charge. Under these conditions it 
was not possible to equip an ideal testing plant, and the assembling 
and construction of such equipment as could be obtained under these 
provisions entailed some annoying delays in the completion of the 
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