Evening Republican, Volume 19, Number 161, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1915 — More Use of Coal Briquets. [ARTICLE]

More Use of Coal Briquets.

A substantial increase in the quantity of coal briquets manufactured and sold in 1914 is announced by the United States geological survey. A tendency to operate in large units is illustrated in the statistics of this collateral branch of coal mining, the smaller and experimental plants going out of existence and the new enterprises being of greater capacity. The production of briquetted fuel in 1914 amounted to 144,635 short tons, valued at $1,123,178, an increase compared with 1913 of 62,776 short tons in quantity and $115,851 in value. This shows the greatest activity in coal briquetting in the history of the industry. The production in 1914 in the eastern states increased from 62,244 short tons, valued at $240,643, to 101,782 tons, valued at $273,046; in the central states from 73,287 tons, valued at $360,408, to 88,325. tons, valued at $424,569, and in the Pacific coast states from 46,328 short tons, valued at $406,276, to 54,528 tons, valued at $425,563. Eight plants used coal-tar pitch for a binder, four used secret binders and one used petrolastic cement. No binder is required in the briquetting of carbon residues from oil-gas works.