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Show STAND TESTS Bering River Fuel of No Practical Prac-tical Use to Navy Other Fields. ADMIRAL INVESTIGATES Better Results Expected From Matanuska District Congress Con-gress Appropriates $75,000 Washington, D. C, Jan. 15 Preliminary Pre-liminary tests of Alaskan coal from the Bering river district have been very discouraging to officials who hoped they might develop a new fuej supply for the navy. Rear Admlial Griffin, in charge of the investigation, has reported to the house naval affairs af-fairs committee that the Bering rivor coal tested so far has fallen so far under expectations in practical use as to be of no value, but from the Ma tanuska fields and other sections of the Bering district from which coal is yet to be tested, the navy is hoping hop-ing for better results. Chemical tests of the Bering rlver coal indicated that it contained a high er efficiency of thermal units than the Pocahontas coal of West Virginia, but when put to firing tests in the navy, notably aboard the cruiser Maryland, it developed only 43 per cent of the same efficiency and caused a great deal of trouble. It made immense clinkers, which clogged the furnaces and covered the grate bars with a molten substance like tar, which shut off the drafts and hampered steam lng. Congress has appropriated $75,000 for experiments with coal from the Matanuska district and these will be carried on. Those who are opposing the Ala3 kan railway bill now being debated in both houses of congress are pointing to the admiraTs testimony, before the naval committee as an added argu ment in their favor. One of the arguments advanced by the supporters support-ers of the bill is that a government railroad is needed to nap the north ern fields and furnish fuel for the navy. |