The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1866-03-30
Chr alniun 4 aunrnal.
BrpDEFORD, Me-, MARCH 30, 1866.
PEAT AND IT'S MANUFACTURE.
BrxrnN March ~, lSj6.

r'ttllrkN -fNHIAl NtNNf slli'N ANhhN'N " wv -
ls,,rl manufacture OF Peat ~ fuel, and as
ave nj inquiries have arisen in my own mind
not rnly in regard to the raw material, but to
the proposed organization, thought itmlcht
rot Q undressing TO YOUR readers like my
self II You would give further information -"
the subject. In my bpyhood W. used cOmhnn'
ly o. burn peat wood was ~ abundant th' "
was not burned to any extent, and hal u been
abundant, il could not have found much thVor
for two reasons: Hs smell. unless burned IN
large Fireplace subject 10 a strong draught, and
the almost impOs,ib,iify 20 dry Hcxcept at much
expsn.s in time In reference To the proposed
commny-can sufficient raw material be found
at convenient distance for transportation and
secondly what guarantee have we that another
machine. or another company TO work peat nm
der another patent, may not interfere? Or in
other words, what exclusiyeness il given to the
manufacture? II IL would not be too much to
ask, should he very interested to know more
OF tie properties OF peat, which must confess
L am ignorant OF. SUBSCRIBER.
The inquiries OF our correspondent are very
opp rtune, and as the subject Of his commu
nication is one so very interesting to all classe.
whether mere consumers Of iuel, or capitalists
we reply, giving all the information we have
been ablo to gather concerning peat and il
manufacture.
ASwe have heretofore remarked, tho use Of
peat rs an article Of fuel 10y no means a new
one. II has been burned in Europe for a long
time, but TO no considerable extent, and that
principally in Ireland, which country, accord.
ing 10 the report of a Parliamentary Commits.
sion in 1914, contains 1881 900 acres OF peat
bog as il nature, still mindfuloi her great law
orcompensation, furnished to the down-trodden
lrishman part means Of living from the bog~
by thoroadsidc,l to compensate for English
misrule in grinding the faces OF the poor. In
this country. hut little orno attention has boon
given to the subject, until recently. That fact
is Mt 10 surprising when we consider the new
ness of the country. and the extent of our wood
lands and forests. But these arc disappearing
or have disappeared, and the scarcity of fuel
and its high price justly cause alarm among
cOru mers. But the alarm is not merely Tor
the present want OF fuel, but in consequence Of
the ;rcat demand for wood, timber becomes
proportionally scarce whilo our "grOwths" are
not allowed to attain their majority; and as
our forests arc cut down oT 'ratcr po~cr BE-
eoD''s diminished. 1t it perhaps proper tn say
that fuel il thc.bisis Of our manufactures, and
tire lcmand iur fuel iucrcascs with the length
OF timo in manufacturing, and with their n-
cre,Sing numbers. Wood has comcaltoscth.
er to costly for that purpose, and New Eng
linl isentircly dependent upon Pennsylvania
forcoil, paying its money to the owners of the
MINIS, the labor necessary to work them, and
the monopoly of transportation while in al
mos; endless quantities BITTER artic'e Of fuel is
found at our very doors, sufficient to last us II
thOusandycars'
OSIcY, INDICATIONS, AND rsorEErIEs, or FEAT.
Erieny we say that it Is composed OF vegc,al
matters, made up from mnsseS aud dccaycd
SPECIES of aquatic plants. Ia is found in hogs.
although all hogs arc not rcit, and in this
country ranges from one To thirty feet deep,
thrnsh the average drrth is about six feet,
while the character and temperature of the at
mo 'phere and climate regulates its density.
Sp aking generally, peat is almost always found
where "cat.o-nine-tails' grow, and, accord
ing to DR.. Rennie, the occurrence OF peat is
frequently indicated by the growth Of dwarf
ish eyergreens and rank swamp heritage, and
by the elasticity Of the crust which supports
thrm. !, is proved by the figures Of the most
skilllul mining engineers OF France that con
d'psed peat, deprived of its excess OF oxygen,
possesses nearly double The heating po,rer Of
col! 1t is hardly necessary here to 60 into u
discussion whether psat is better than coal in
tho manufacture OF iron. II is soundly assert.
cd by scientific men that iron manufactured BY
neat is more malleable than Swedish, and that
to,ls made from it arc of superior quality.
For generating steam ii is unqualiIiedy superb
or 10 any Other fIri a,tGiHabie, In paper
rct,d at Exeter Hall Eng } before the Society
OF Engineers, 1t was there stated, among many
other trials and experiments in regard to the
properties OF peat for steam purposes, that a
trial trip was made upon river steamboat
where the same work was done per hour Tor
two hours and twenty minutes with twelve cwt.
tat ordinarily required twelve cwt. OF coal
pr hour. Mr.. Chandler, constructing engin-
CIR UPON the Eittery Navy Yard, recently gave
u, the result Of an actual trial Of peat in
generating steam, with proportions very SINH.
l,r to that just quoted, while an experiment
his recently been made on the New York Cen.
trail Railroad with like result.
Peat is antiseptic. This is proved from the
numerous bodies that have been found preserved
in it, both of animals and things, and what is
Of more Importance, Is powerful disniectan,
and deodOrizing agent, rendering it even more
healthiul than wood, as fuel.
ITS MANUFACTURE.
With these general remarks we now come to
speak specifically. While the properties of
peat as fuel have been 10 some extent known
and appreciated, no method OF manufacture
sufficient To render il commercial article, or
supply even moderate dcmind, has hitherto
been ascerta'nCd, and consequently it has not
been brought into U.s.. We have before us
lump OF prepared peat by new patented pro.
Cess which seems to be the eureka Of the pca,
inventions. II is ~ hard as wonl. hl,cL s,,id
and odorless, and by our own experienc, makes
one Of the pleasantest and most cheerful fires
imaginable. giving intense heat, consuming On.
tircly without clinkers, and is adapted tn any
stove or open crate where wool or coal is hurn