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Show THE EIGHT VOICE OF SHARON SUPPLEMENT Coal Mining Major Utah Industry Utilities Prepare To Meet To Benefit By New Steam Electric Plant Unprecedented Electric Demand In the United States, coal stands next to the soil in the list of national resources. The of the United State? has more than world. the Utah of known coal produces about of the real mined in the United States, although the coal deposits in Utah are among the largest. It is estimated that less than a thousandth of the coal resources of the state has been exhausted. The value of the coal produced in Utah now exceeds $125,000,000 per annum. The coal business adds over to the railroad revenue yearly, as well as employment to thousands of truckers. Utah Soft Coal one-ha- lf 00 Practically all the coal mined in Utah is a soft coal, or bituminus. The difference in composition between anthracite or hard coal and bituminous coal is in the amount of carbon the coal contains. The hard coal contains carbon while the soft coal of Utah contains an average of 88k carbon. With the old style furnace it was impossible to Volatile carbon burn soft coal efficiently. combinations which soft coal contains burns at a lower temperature than the fixed carbon, hence much of the coal is wasted in the black smoke. The modern stoker fed furnace has e this disadvantage and burns the soft coal with an efficiency as high as 80c. 93-97- 0 over-com- Coal Discovered 1850 The pioneers had no sooner settled in the valley of the Great Salt Lake when they began to look for coal and iron, and by the close of 1850, after President Young had offered prizes for the discovery of coal, it was found in abundance, and was used in Salt Lale City that season. The search for coal was stimulated not alone by the need for fuel, but the leaders of the pioneers early realized the necessity of becoming independent of the eastern and western sources of supply for simple tools and other hardware. The great expense and time of transporting such heavy commodities across the plains from Missouri river points made it necessary to try to supply the needs of the early settlers from" home sources. Hence thei' desire to develop the iron deposits and find coal suitable for the reduction of the ore. $1,000 Reward For Coal In January, 1854, the Utah Legislature, realizing the growing needs of Salt Lake City for a more efficient fuel than the timber from the surrounding mountains, offered a reward of $1,000 to any resident who would open a vein of coal not less than 18 inches thick within forty miles of Salt Lake City, and Alwhere it could be profitably mined. in a was reward this those sum though large days, it did not bring forth any results until 1863, when a mine was opened within forty miles of the city and coal sold there for forty dollars .the ton. First Coal Mines in San Pete It was at about this time that the first serious attempts wete made to develop the precious metal deposits of the state and with this the demand for coal gradually expanded from domestic use, foundry and forge and small iron ore smelting efforts, to a demand for power purposes as well. The Wales mine in San Pete county has the distinction of being the first coal mine opened in the state. The year is given as 1855. Two years later eighteen coke ovens were built and were erated about two years, but the coke was not satisfactory and the operation was abandoned after a year or two. The completion of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1869, lent impetus and on June 13, 1870 the first coal "was brought to Salt Lake City by rail. Carbon County Mines Opened 1878 From this time the coal industry began to expand and soon railroads were being built to the coal fields. In 1878 the Winter Quarters mine in the Pleasant Valley district of Carbon county (then San Pete county) was opened and in October, 1879, a narrow gauge railroad from Springville to Winter Quarters was completed. Shortly after, by the last of 1880, the Union Pacific Railroad Company completed a branch road from Echo to Park City and coal was furnished to the great silver mines there which had reached such a state of development as to demand a more efficient fuel than wood, the burnirg of which also depleted the supply of mine timber, at first readily available in the surrounding territory. By A. D. Blake Combustion Engineering Company, Inc., New Yoik When the first report of the National Power Survey was issued in April 1935, by the Federal Power Commission, it stated that the use of electricity for domestic and commercial purposes had grown at such . rate during the depression years that upon resumption .of normal industrial activity the demand would exceed by at least four million kilowatts that which existed in 1929. At the time there were many who bel eved this prediction to be but the subsequent increase in electrical demand over the whole country makes it highly probable that this estimate w ill prove not far over-optimisti- c, off. Beginning with the summer of 1935 the curve of weekly output by central stations has increased almost continuously and has now passed all previous records. At present the demand is 16 per cent over that if a year ago and. 21 per cent over that for the corresponding period of 1929 a year that topped all years. An amazing angle to the is situation that this demand come at a season when present the lighting load is at a minimum, which would indicate the next winters peak is likely to transcend all previous predictions. The figures cited are averages for the country as a whole. Obviously, some geographic regions show greater others but in all the trend is upward and it is than activity the present figures for the Rocky Mountain that significant not Region only exceed the average but head the list. That the utilities are preparing to meet the situation is evident from the large amount of new construction now under way. In some instances this involves new steam plants but in the majority of cases the capacities of existing stations are equipment being extended by the addition of to operate at 1200 to 1400 pounds per square inch steam pressure and exhaust to the present equipment in those stations. By this means the efficiency of the older stations is greajjy improved and additional capacity is obtained at minimum cost. high-pressu- re hour, whereas at present with a consumption of 695 kilowatt-hour- s per customer the average rate is 488 cents. Another factor in making available cheaper electricity has been the engineering advances in steam plant design and practice during the past 20 years which have effected vast economics in the generation of power and increased the reliability of supply. In 1915 the average coal consumption in plants generating power for public use was approximately 4 whereas it is now 1.46 pounds. In pounds per kilowatt-hou- r other words, while the output of electricity has nearly trebled the fuel consumption has remained about the same. These are averages. Many of the more efficient stations are proon considerably less than a pound of ducing a kilowatt-hou- r coal and as the older plants are replaced or modernized the average for the whole county will be reduced still further. Much is current concerning hydro powDiscussions centering around present governmental projects have led many, outside of engineering circles, to assume that water power is synonomous with cheap power. As a matter of fact, it may be cheaper or more costly than steam power, depending entirely upon local conditions. It must be remembered that the cost of generating electricity up to the switchboard is but one of several items entering into the total cost of making it available to the customer. Other items, which together far exceed the generating cost, are fixed charges on the investment, distribution, taxes, commercial expense and overhead. Only the generating cost is reduced to a smaller figure in the hydro plant, as compared with steam, and in most cases the fixed charges and distribution costs are substantially' higher because of the greater initial investment, which offsets the saving in fuel. Furthermore, in most sections, because of seasoned variations in steam flow, droughts, etc., it is necessary to supply hydro power with steam power as a standby or for use as the most economical loading of the system warrants. er. low-pressu- re Over a considerable period of years the total power produced by public utility plants throughout the country has averaged about 60 per cent from fuel and 40 per cent from water, wdth slight variations due to seasonal droughts or flood conditions. It is likely that this ratio w'ill continue notwithstanding certain governmental developments now under way. While these are being laid out for large ultimate outputs the initial capacities are greatly exceeded by additions to steam plant capacity now being installed by the utilities. According to recent statistics compiled by the Edison Electric Institute the total number of customers has increased by about six hundred thousand during the past twelve months and the annual consumption of electricity per domestic customer has gone up 7.6 per cent. Despite this, the average per kilowatt-hou- r has decreased by 6 per cent due to a widespread reduction in rates for electric service, in the face of greatly increased taxes paid by the utilities. Ability to reOne thing that should be borne in mind is that there is duce rates is, of course, dependent upon increased use of no such thing as a yardstick for electric costs that is applicelectricity. This is well illustrated by the fact that is 1920 with an average annual domestic consumption per customer able to the country as a whole or to any extensive region, as of 339 kilowatt-hour- s the rate was T'i ccents per kilowatt- - conditions vary with the locality. 1- -2 I Provo Has First Steam Power Plant in America Semi-Outdo- or The New Electric Plant is Unique in the United States Congratulations 1 Because it is the first central station to have an outdoor boiler. 1 1 Because it is one of two stations having" but one turbine and one boiler. UTAH POWER & LIGHT CO. upon the establishment of this New Because its novel features produce maximum economy and dependability. Ultra-Mode- rn Generating Plant at Caryhurst, Utah. Facts About Entering Castle Gate It to know that this magnificent plant will be powered with GOAL, a HJITAEH product famous throughout the West. is a pleasure fCTjnjLnjlJJUlli There are 2141 tubes in the boiler and superheater. The largest boiler units in the world for New York Edison Company. The highest pressure boiler unit in commercial operation in America for Philip Carey Co. boilers The highest capacity in both industry and utility plants at Ford Motor Co., and Milwaukee Electric Railway and Light Co. high-pressu- Producers of CASTLE GATE COAL -- 3. . Salt Lake City, Utah - -- The unit develops approximately 6600 boiler horse power at 450 lb. pressure. The Combustion Engineering Company Which Furnished New Steam Generating Unit Has Also Installed UTAH FUEL CO. """ 1. re Combustion Engineering Co. , Inc. I New York Office 200 Madison Avenue 421-- 2 Dooly Block Salt Lake City Office 1 |