ECONOMISING IN COAL

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 231, 18 June 1918, Page 6

ECONOMISING IN COAL

(To the Editor.) Sir,—Apropos of the paragraph in today's Dominion under tho above heading, where Mr. Bingham, Karori Borough'' Engineer, gave some very valuable hints to the citizens re burning slack mixed with a smalt quantity of cement,' I may say tlmt I can also give a method of burning slack coal. I fancy it should also bo cheaper than Mr. Bingham's, j The writer was for a few years in' South! Wales, in connection with a large anthracite colliery about eight miles from Llanelly. small farmers round about tho colliery. used to como with their small carts and take away, at about da. per ton, the small duff or slack. This slack went 'through a quarter-inch mesh screen, so that it was indeed very fine slack. This they took and mixed with ordinary clay. [ regret to fay that I never saw the mixture in operation, but I have seen a firo of those "coal clay balls," as the Welsh people call them, and a nicer or hotter fire you could not wish for. Perhaps many of our Welsh frionds in the city have themselves made those balls and may be able to tell how tliey are made up. .1 remember once seeing a small trough lying close beside a littlo cottage, as a friend and I were passing. This trough was about 3 feet long and twelve inches wide and of a similar depth. Curious to know what its purpose was, I asked my friend. "Oh," said he. "that is used for making [coal clay balls/'" I fancy the method is to got the clay into the consistency of porridge (am Scotch), then add the slack coal, putting in as much of tho coal as the clay will absorb. Then press into little balls with your hands. These can then bo put on a board in the back yard to dry, after which they are ready for your fire. Perhaps some of our Welsh friends will come to our a:d; if not, then someone may try the experiment as I have endeavoured to explain and give us the result of his experiment. Ther-.i is plenty of clay about Wellington., and many no doubt will try this method of using.up slack coal by making "coal clay balls."—l am, etc., J.T.l>. June 17. t