Show COAL TESTING PLANT AT ST LOUIS among the interesting exhibits connected with the department of mines and metallurgy at the louisiana purchase exposition will be a coal testing plant operated under the direction of the united states geological survey the tests will be conducted not for the purpose of determining the relative value or merit of different coals but primarily for the purpose of demonstrating on the most economical methods for their utilization the testing plant will comprise two standard boilers a gas producer coke ovens plant plant and two or more bri plants in connection with the boilers one corliss and one steam turbine engine will be operated and in connection with the gas producing plant one explosive gas engine the power generated by these plants will be utilized for operating the working exhibits in the mines building the testing plant will be located on the ground reserved or outdoor mining exhibits at a short distance from the palace of mines and metallurgy the director of the survey has appointed to conduct this work a committee consisting con of E W parker J A holmes and M R campbell the equipment for carrying on these tests has been planned by the exhibitors of the machinery and congress has appropriated to enable the director of the geological survey to make the tests it is especially provided in the act of congress making the appropriation that all the testing machinery and all the coals tested shall be furnished without charge to the government th the expenditure of the appropriation being limited to the absolute cost of assembling sem bling the plant so as to make it conveniently available for tile the work and the expenses necessarily incurred in its operation not only will physical tests be applied but each carload of coal will be carefully sampled and the composition of the samples determined under the direction of the chemical laboratory of the geological survey the material to be tested will be collected under the direction of mr M R campbell of the geological survey who will procure the operation cooperation co of the various state geologists great care will be exercised to see that the samples sent for testing represent the commercial product of the mines or districts from which the coal is shipped and are not selected samples no tests will be made of any coals shipped in less quantity than one good sized carload as it will require from eight to twenty tons for each of the different tests to which the coals will be subjected the work possesses a peculiar interest from the fact that this government has not heretofore attempted to make any uniform and comprehensive examination of our mineral fuels the governments of great british germany france and belgium have made such examinations and published the results in official reports which are of great value in securing foreign trade they have also had an undoubted influence in encouraging the establishment of manufacturing industries in territories accessible to any fuel that is especially adapted to the needs of those industries |