WHY SEND TO NEWCASTLE FOR COALS.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5134, 6 September 1877, Page 3

WHY SEND TO NEWCASTLE FOR COALS.

In a letter to the Oamaru Mail upon the encouragement of local industries of New Zealand, “Alpha” writes as follows:—I beg leave to endorse what you have said at different times on the above subject; and also what Mr. Sheehan’s motion aims atiuthe Assembly. With regard to that part of his motion which refers to the burning of New Zealand coal on the different railways, I do not know whether he refers to the Grey Eiver coal or to some of the lignites, but if io the latter it is desirable he should be in a position to show how his object may be accomplished. What I wish to do now is to assist him and others in that matter, and the remarks I am about to make apply to stationary engines on shore, but still the same remarks will apply to all engines whether ashore or afloat, so far as the generating of steam is concerned ; but not equally so to locomotives, so far as the application of that steam is concerned, inasmuch as locomotives must always have high-pressure steam, which is hot an absolute necessity with stationary or marine engines. Well, now suppose we have a boiler with a fire-grate under it, or in it; the grate is three feet long and three feet wide, which is one square yard in area. We will assume that it is as much as that boiler aud grate can do to generate steam enough to keep the engine going up to its work, burning all Newcastle coal. Well, it is evident that Shag Point coal (lignite) would be of uo use under those circumstances ; then all that is required to be done is to increase the size of the grate from one square yard in area to one square yard and six-tenths of a square yard, and then the work will go on just as well with the Shag Point as with the Newcastle coal. lOOlbs. of Newcastle coal is equal to I6olbs. of Shag Point; thus the Shag Point being inferior six-tenths, the grate requires to be superior six-tenths, and then all is equalised again. The Newcastle coal contains about 90 per cent, of carbon, while the Shag Point only contains about 60, and hence the difference. Well, as to cost, take one ton of Newcastle coal at 44 shillings per ton, and one and six-tenths of a ton of Shag Point coal (which means 32 cwt.) at 275. per ton ; the cost of the former is 445., aud that of the latter 435. 3d., a fraction in favor of New Zealand. If the people of New Zealand would only employ boilers, grates, and engines of the best construction, they need not carry their money out of New Zealand—and thus impoverish it—to buy coal, nor yet to buy the engines or boilers, as I know as good engines can be made in the-colony as at Home, the designs for which can be had on the same terms as all other designs are had, and the engines can be made either in Dunedin, Christchurch, Wellington, or Auckland. ■ All that is required is to adapt one thing to another. If that were done it would give an impetus to industry, and prosperity would still claim a home iu New Zealand. I append six classes of engines, five of which are fuel-savers ; but the whole five are almost, if not entirely, unknown in New Zealand. I can only hear of one fuel-saving engine in New Zealand, and that is in Oamaru, and is by no means the best amongst the classes enumerated. The first, or class A, is the high-pressure or standard of comparison ;

A wish to contribute my mite to the good work must be my excusd for trespassing on your space, which I hope I have hot done unduly. 1 ■

Consumes Fuel Saves Class. per cent. per cent. A 100-00 000*00 B 67*50 42*50 C 45*00 55*00 . I> .. 33*40 • 06:60 E 32‘50 07*60 F .. • 10*00 90 00