New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-04-06
SOUTHERN ENTERPRISE.

On Saturday we paid visit to the factory Of the
Louisiana Oil Company, situated on the New Shell
Road, near the first tollgate We there beheld the
operation Of an enterprise that is new among us, but
which struck us as promising incalculabe results
in the futurewe mean the manufacture of rosn oil.
We had no idea, previously having studied
the chemistry of the pine tree-of the quality of
rosin Though simple in appearance; it is a COM
pound of half dozen different substances each of
which, upon separation, may be put to separate
and valuable use. The process of separation is a
chemical one of the simplest description.
Entering the building, the strong etfluva of the
roin struck our nostrls and the large brick furnaces
with connecting machinery struck our eyes. There
was nothing particular to strike the ear as the pro-
cess was silent, and appeared to require hut little
manual aid The machinery consists of the furnaces
mentioned three in number, each furnace enclosing
castiron retort of forty barrels capacity with tower
ing goose-necks'' on top, connected with copper
pipes running through large tank of water small
engine or doctor for keeping the tank supplied
with water, and for conveying steam into the retorts
through small pipes; large open boiler, of the
sugarkettle pattern and variety of troughs, tubs,
and other receptacles necessary to the process of dis
tillation.
The process is this The rosin, as it comes from
the pneries. is elevated to platform level with the
top of retort No. say about twelve feet from the
ground 1t is broken into pieces and dropped into
the retort through hole made for the purpose, and
for the additional purpose of ngress and egress OF
men, when cleaning out is necessary. The retort
as we have already stated holds forty barrels of rosn
Being filled, an iron lid is screwed over the hole and
made Theoretically tight with plaster The fire is
then started beneath and around the retort in its
brick prison. and the process begins. When the heat
reaches o height Of 1875 degrees-there are guages
by which the heat is regulated-two substances with
draw from the rosn and escape through means pro-
vded for the purpose pyroligneous acid and gas,
Five gallons of the acid thus produced from forty
barrels of rosin.
The heat being augmented to $50 degrees, another
substance naptha separates from the original material
and runs off to its receptacle. The proportion OF
naptha varies from ten to fifteen per cent. Mean
WHILE another substance pitch, settles in the bottom
of the retort, and off through spout to tub
close by. After the acid, gas, naptha and pitch have
taken their departure there is SO per cent of the
material left. By frightening the heat to $50 de-
grees and upwards, this residue of 81 per cent. is
converted into vapor, which goes off through the
goose-neck" on top, and into the water-mmersed
copper pipes. This condenses the vapor and it runs
out into an open vat in the shape Of crude gas OIL
In this shape the oil is valuable for different uses,
though it is not than half through the process
From the vat in which we first the oil, it runs
in trough to retor No. 2, which is exactly like the
first When the oil is highly heated, small jets Of
steam are let into it, for the purpose of purifying it
and expelng what naptha may remain. The oil
again dssolves into vapor and passes through the
condensing process The first Oil that runs off is the
besta ghtcoored article, of very superior quality
then comes the second quality, darker kind
somewhat thicker And finally comes the third and
last quality, which is the darkest and thickest OF
a1 We should state, that in the process of pur-
fcation, lime is introduced into the oil as well as
steam and that the large open boiler is used for
boiling out what water may be left in the oil by the
steam.
Having followed the rosin through the o.
its dissolution let what the different pro
ducts are good for
The pitch is used by boat builders and is superi
article, commanding half dollar more on the bar
rel than the other kind.
The acid and gas are wasted. not being produce,
in quantities large enough to render the saving 0
them profitable. The gas is the same as that pro
duced at the gas works.
The naptha is used by painters and india.rubbe
manufacturers, as substitute for turpentiue, and
sold to them at % cents per gallon.
The crude oil is used for making gas, printing ink
shoeblacking and the Mexican Mustang Lniment
and is sold at Is cents per gallon.
The next quality is used by painters, for mixing
their paints and they pronounce it very supero
article.
The next quality is used by tanners and woole
manufacturers.
1acta nuhO frat1n