A NEW GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE.

Timaru Herald, Volume LXXXIII, Issue 12901, 12 February 1906, Page 6

A NEW GOVERNMENT ENTERPRISE.

COAL BRIQUETTES.

It was announced recently that the High Commissioner in London -uad accepted a tender- for a- brkjuttte-making plant lor the State ccal-mines on the West Coast, at a cost of £3430,. and £405 for a Hatlev double-cylinder xon-compound high-pressure eagiue. complete witli condenser. The plant is to be capable of turning out 200 tons of briquettes per day of. eight" hours. "' Mr WoodheaU, whi> has been engaged by the Government to erect the plant, artived hi the colony several weeks ago r and he is now on : the! West Coast.- ,Mr Woodhead .whs' employed- at the: St" Louis : Exhibition by the thiited to demonstrate the -usesi othriqnette;-cwtl: His plant at the E3Rppsition, was similar to that which is being, imported by the Government- of New Zealand- ;fos»-tlie'Seddc»-ville State mine. :> According to the '"Grey tl»a system is known as the fluxing, system*. Tlie coal, after being pressed, is miiet! with' a certain proposition,, BtJijs heated by steam, superheated sp/tOtitpßroxiiiiotelv--250 degrees Fahrenheit.. This p.foceisV r«- : | duces all the carbon and vtiaiilo. matter jkro a; sami-plastic stat<tf.and afUv- passing. throßah. a cooler, where the-heat is-Tediroed ;to a.j)prosimately 100 degrees, it is> fomeel into moulds and then subjected :u»-a pressuie on ea*th side sinvt&aneoushv of tw tins- lo- the square inch. This raakes the. briQuette- one dense ma? 3- and fcb» coraamalgamates the: carbon irfth the. volutila. The result is tlbtf-volatilft: matte* adds to- the- combustion- of the carbon, and the essnteracts tiiat combwrtkm: o£ the volatile-matter, thus aatting up & comi-ic-ustinn of two matters, and the calorific tvalue of. the- liriquette is at least from 15-tsJ-So. pe? cent-seore than tae. natutsl coal.-. 'i's. the i)J«ndiny, <;f the twc"=otganic jy»2>er'tie* of the. is ntjiised- and .the generar tioh of: sbiolci- ui the liursing is fbam. 15 |to 20" percent. l«ss than thtr-uatural 0001. .--- i Acuoi-dSig- i»"i.pAr Wjiodheafl; -*w the? burn* away, refeactoijr, natter as- sSlca*. eto-. J t*-theii?'-beihgr dfsir.tegrafed and dwtrrbate<t hi the .v.-h.le cf tiie- «iops in n» lotMc 6t-ris>--thiKuigh diif grate baa*.?with t&easli. .and does- not form into clinkers. ;i I'lie- of tEft phiutj Sessrs IK'Uliam Johiuson and Sons.-. Kng:.}a3id\. wer«- a?waarded a gv»W.aaedul' a* the World's Fair.. Sc_ Louis, jsb& ..have inrneti' otrt niang.- otbax satisfac£(«3 briq,«witihg: plants; ■'J -'... ~; .... I Mf the- site- and; 'tiose" in aad : iSlfc. W/wdhead b«iSMld hive • th~ plant and' liwatiW -He.'is>s*rongT3rin faypur t«shg:'fime- at W«tport; • maintaining that the? consumer woald be Ijss than ifr th> rJriquatfaes -vrere tiier; mm'e and?" subjected to the naa»erouk tandihgjf I neoesuarf thereafter prior iot.ship> ment. . In. tie- Old €oun*rjr the br^aetting giants:; are att ereSed close t»> the wtrarvesi Mr Woodheud has been- asked to report ;on: tfc* whole; qwestion tor the GovKramenfc. f He* will, xnl: favour i".of the buildthg isnd plant being erected-at j'iWestport. Brlquetting; fia the (Jhr'Goan|!try.-,. the exjtert says, is practically- confined to tlie North of England and South WJstbs, and last year there waa expoited la;tter ijlaa* 3,000,000- tons of briqueAes, I'aiTgely to the Pacific eoast of South Jimerie.t.: 1Z& Admraltjj'. make use- of _tlie brtijuettesv and -they dee now storing- diem afe the : aivtU bases.