Show raw afu ew ao 0 for r a to acm A rad bureau of mines says careful handling will bring results from va various I 1 alous fuels washington agton acceptable substitutes for anthracite are available so BO that an intelligent people using intelligent firing methods can face the prospect of an anthracite famine with equanimity according to the bur bureau eau of mines that federal agency which has beon been giving much study to the subject and has been making experiments reports that tho greater number of homes in this country are heated by bituminous coal other substitute fuels which can bo be drawn upon in caso case of a hard coal shortage aro coke fuel oll oil bri brt and steam sizes of anthracite when one has learned godso to osa coke the service obtained Is comparable in a many ways with anthracite says bays a report by 0 P hood chief mechanical engineer of tho bureau of mines there aro are those that even prefer coke it Is clean to handle smokeless and under proper damper control gives a steady heat coke Is s so 0 much more bulky than anthracite that tho the bin will not hold as many tons deliveries must usually bo be made moro more often and the furi furnace faco roust must bo be filled more frequently I 1 knack in burning coke thero there Is a knack in burning coke also that must bo acquired at tho the ox ex penso of a little pati patience olice and thought some coke does docs not kindle quite as readily as anthracite but once going the tiro dro la Is apt to burn too fast unless checked the coke bed lies so lightly that air goes through easily and the porous structure of tho coke gives a very large surface for burning this all means a 11 little more care and under standing in managing dampers dam pera it Is also necessary that there bo be no opportunity for air to leak into the ash pit when tho the ash pit dampers are closed else tho the coke will burn bum out when the draft Is apparently cut on off when bituminous or soft coal la 13 mentioned many new england people think of tho the fuel used lo in pittsburgh and the central west and of the constant fight to reduce the smoke nuisance one of the most effective remedies for domestic smoke in those districts Is the use of low volatile or so called smokeless coal cent and that Is tho the kind of soft coal roost most readily available to new england bituminous coat coal available the low volatile coals from central pennsylvania and west virginia running from 10 16 to 25 per cent volatile matter are naturally tributary to the eastern anthracite using district these coals white while not as clean to handle as anthracite can be burned nearly in domestic heating equipment no change in grates or equipment la is needed to ff bum bituminous coal in furnaces heretofore using anthracite what Is needed Is more attention and a better knowledge of the problem of burning tho the hue flue surfaces must be cleaned often with high volatile coal even dally daily and with low volatile at least weekly more heat from soft coal when tho the higher volatile bituminous coals 1 are fired tho the amount of gas generated at first la Is so great that an extra amount of air Is needed for a short time to burn blim these gases this air can bo be supplied supplee d through the damper in the firing door or if the be flee fife has b been een very hot and the gas Is excessive excessively by leaving tile the tiring firing door slightly open lor for a few minutes after putting on fresh coal anthracite has the quality of burning very efficiently at low rates keeping ln g a small steady fire for mild days on very cold days when running a hot firo the efficiency falls off bituminous coal acts in the opposite way it requires more skill and Is less efficient in mild weather but more efficient in cold weather than anthracite take it the season through from 10 to 25 per cent more bituminous coal la is likely to bo be needed than of anthracite although with increased skill find and attention tent lon tho the proportion might even be reversed T there here are other substitutes that may bo be had locally there Is an in ait of good fuel available this Is handl handled ed like anthracite th requires little added attention t I 1 on and tho the satisfaction resulting depends upon the quality of the bri |