for several hours. The qualities that a good briquette should possess are, according to Mr. Schwackhofer: (1) They must be homo geneous, ringing and nearly smokeless; (2) breakage in transit must not exceed 5 per cent.; (3) weight of each bri- Ittette must not be more than 234 lbs.; (4) the moisture in each must not be more than 5 per cent. and the ash not more than 10 per cent.; (5) they must be easy to kindle and must not fall to pieces in the fire. The various shapes of briquettes are, rectangular (like ordinary brick) cylindrical, ovoid, and syherical. Their weight varies from sy 2 ' oz. to 24 lbs, and their size from 3 inches long 234 inches wide and 2 inches thick to 11 inches king by 8 inches wide by 7 inches thick. The process of briquette making has been patented in the principle countries of Europe, in Japan, Australia, Canada, United States, and New Mexico, England and France being the leading countries in the manufacture of briquettes. In the United States the industry has as yet very narrow limits there being but one successful briquette manufacturing plant in operation in this country, that of the Briquette Coal Company of Chicago, However this company is turn ing out about 100 tons of briquettes, daily, for which there is a continual and increasing demand, so that it may be said that the industry has at least obtained a good start. The briquettes made by the company are ovoid in form, (and thus more properly called eggettes) 3 inches long by 2 32 inches wide by 2 inches thick, and weigh ounces each. They are very compact and hard and do not break in handling. In burning the shape of the briquette is retained until all the carbon is exhausted and the ash is a fine dust. They pro duce almost no smoke: The reason why the briquette industry has gained such a small footing in the United States is chiefly because a binding material, suitable and cheap enough to enable the briquette to complete with ordin ary coal in all parts of the country has not yet been found. Anthracite Coal TVaste
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers