MILES    CITY    COAL   FIELD,    MONTANA. 
59 
Proximate  analyses  and  calorific  determinations  of  coals  and  lignites  from  the  Miles  City 
field,  Montana. 
[F.  M.  Stanton,  chemist  in  charge.] 
Character  of  coal. 
Name  of  bed . 
Subbituminous. 
Lignite. 
Kircher  (A). 
Weaver  Dominy 
(C).    I     (D). 
Location . 
Sec.  25, 
T.7N., 
R.47E. 
Sec.  22, 
T.8N., 
R.47E, 
Sec. 19 
T.  8  N.,  R.  48  E. 
Sec.  2, 
T.7N., 
R.51E 
Sec.  6,  Sec.  3, 
T.7N.,  T.7N, 
R.48E.  R.50E. 
Laboratory  No. 
5780 
7S3 
5694        a  2425 
Sample  as  received: 
Moisture 
Volatile  matter 
Fixed  carbon 
Ash 
Sulphur 
Calories 
British  thermal  units. 
29.52 
27.96 
33.  84 
.70 
4,286 
7,715 
29.21 
26.15 
35.45 
9.19 
.75 
4,260 
7,668 
29.60 
27.40 
32.97 
10.03 
.68 
4,156 
7,481 
Loss  of  moisture  on  air  drying. 
Air-dried  sample: 
Moisture 
Volatile  matter 
Fixed  carbon 
Ash 
Sulphur 
Calories 
British  thermal  units 
14.00 
15.40 
18.10 
18.05 
32.51 
39.35 
10.09 
.81 
4,984 
8,971 
16.32 
30.91 
41.91 
10.86 
.89 
5,035 
9,064 
14.04 
33.  46 
40.26 
12.24 
.83 
5,075 
9,134 
5963 
«3701 
30.25 
30.  48 
31.34 
7.93 
.60 
31.75 
25.49 
33.31 
9.45 
.70 
4,078 
7,341 
29.13 
25.33 
30.51 
15.03 
.55 
3,701 
6, 602 
21.90 
20.  00 
16.50 
10.69 
39.03 
40. 13 
10.15 
.77 
14.69 
31.86 
41.64 
11.81 
.88 
5,097 
9,176 
15.12 
30.34 
36.54 
18.00 
.66 
4,432 
7,978 
5962 
35.51 
26.  75 
28.87 
8.87 
.40 
3,535 
6,363 
22.90 
16.36 
34.  70 
37.  44 
11.50 
.52 
4,585 
8,253 
a  Sampled  in  1906  by  A.  G.  Leonard,  Bull.  U.  S.  Geol.  Survey  No.  316,  1907,  p.  205. 
Only  one  sample,  No.  3701  of  the  above  table,  has  been  tested  by 
ultimate  analysis.  Its  chemical  composition  after  air  drying  is  as 
follows : 
Ultimate  analysis  of  air-dried  sample  from  Weaver  bed,  Signal  Butte. 
Ash 18.  00 
Sulphur (50 
Hydrogen 4.51 
Carbon 18.  01 
Nitrogen . , 65 
Oxygen 28. 17 
STEAMING    PROPERTIES. 
The  engineers  of  the  electric-lighting  plant  and  the  pumping  station 
of  the  waterworks  at  Miles  City  report  that  clinkers  are  apt  to  form 
when  these  coals  are  burned  with  forced  draft.  If  plenty  of  time  is 
given,  however,  the  results  are  satisfactory,  but  for  this  purpose 
larger  furnaces  are  required  than  for  coals  of  higher  grade.  The 
electric-lighting  plant  is  equipped  with  two  150-horsepower  boilers 
and  common  shaker  grates  without  blast.  The  fire  is  never  allowed 
to  go  out,  and  4  to  5  tons  of  coal  are  consumed  in  twenty-four  hours. 
Two  tons  of  clean  coal  from  Red  Lodge  are  reported  to  be  equal  in 
efficiency  to  3  tons  of  the  local  coal,  but  dirty  coal  containing  much 
slack,  which  is  sometimes  shipped  from  Red  Lodge,  is  no  better  than 
the  average  Miles  City  coal. 
