New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1866-08-08

J
dry, ii VIII weigh about one-iourih as much. Coz
dersug and dying reduces it 20 about oue-fouth the
size. An Of wtdraned pcat-hog is estimated 70
sont3ln the following quantities OF raw or wet peat
n. deep -.....-.......-..--.. 100 TO Loo tunS
3 n deop..........-.......... 300 10 3 @D iuus'
10 T. dcep.................... loo to 900 tunS
% II. OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES xU)0 u ~ OJO luN
Forty cubic feet taken from the bog, IS estimated
and 100 cubic feet required TO make one tuh
Of dry fuel
Charcoal can only be made OF peat naturally very solid
or made 50 by manufacture. Then it makes charcoal OF
100 density which far superior 10 the best wood char
coal possessing caoifc power greater than the best
coke. Solidiicd peat yields - to ~ per eeh,.
of It's weight in charcoal. Such peat will sink IN
water and If exposed 20 the weather absobs water ye
SLOWLY I has been found in natural state sufficiently
firm to be worked into snuh-boxes, and other uDkes
ooEDENsISG PEAT-How 1T is DoSB-How MUCH 1T
COSPs-MACTuEES AND PLAT WORKS AT LEAlNS-
TON, AssACHsBTTs, DESCRIBED.
We first visited the works Of the American Peat Com.
psnv" where although found the resultant product OF
excellent quality, feared from what We saw that the
condonsDg operation was too expensive Inc process
conducted under Becleys patents who was present. anu
anxious to afford our company all inc aclues possDG 70
condensng and getting the peat roady for market at 5
tun, and the cost Of the engine and MIL at wv ing
engine is rated IA power, and it does It's work with
100 lbs per hour OF trashy peat working 90 tuns uay
OF crude peat which makes one-fourh that quantity OF
salatle dry fuel in The form Of hard black bricks.
The peat is dug in ditchos through the marsh when Il
pretty wet much so that only small portion OF we
peat can be dug mill dam nderng DRAINAGE leht
IA <
the foot Of inclined plane the cars are pushed ~ manual
labor Up the plane TO an elevation Of about - et thy
are drawn by wire rope and power OF steam Az the
top of The plane the cars are dumped into the hopper OF
an iron MILL which breaks up tho crude peat into small
fragment oombng out any sticks, roots or sods that can,
not be reduced TO homogeneous mass, which are carried
through spout outside the building. This waste ma
tea when dry is burned under the boiler OF the steam
engine Tho plastic peat from the grinding mill Is again
elevated TO tank 80 or 40 feet high where it is rendered
still more homogeneous and plastic by agitation In Water
l. hydrOStgtC
portion Of its water through gates at the bottom OF tne
TANK failing upon revolving belt, where II Is cut ~
hand knives INTO suitable sized pieces which are placed
upon she es under dying she'd or upon porous brick
door in the else upon the grass sod where they
viii dry enough TO pile in 4s hours Of good weather
Sometimes whom the peat "a of compact quality ana
pretty free Of ber il is taken directly from the mill and
spread tho ground TO dry, and aiterward cut up IN
blocks. This process rs more expeditions ss 'he peat "a
the tanks requires time to digest and part with
about 40 Per cent of its water before IT Gttans the proper
consistency 10 flow out in dough state, stiff enough to
cut into blocks which can be handled.
These works have been in operation expernentaly,
three years and like all experimental works, have
undoubtedly cost good deal OF money that Others pohl
ing by their experience, may save. We told that
this plan embraced Ave different patents and suppose
tLe patcntecs consider the whole perfect They certainly
make good fuel almost as dense as mineral coal and
quite as good for making stoam Indeed, We never saw
better fire than makes; and possibly It makes power
cheap enough to do oil the ooyatng of the heavy mo-
terial TO such great hight to MAKE the manufacture
profitable Tic condemned peat, when Dry Se4b ie"dy
AZ IS tun a; the works OF $40 tun in Boston.
knor this examination We went 70 the works Of the
Boston Peat Company, about mile distant OF which
able to give mOTo minute particulars.
DESCRIPTION or THRSILL
The operating machine of one Of these mills il fixed in
square, strongly built fume, closely boxed, about iXl
feet the ogs Of the frame standing upon the floor o. upon
tnuc foundation which being more solid ID better, az t
must be very firmly 6xed in level position AL the ma
chnery that be when the mill is al work is the
head Of Tie center shan which projects about two feet
above the upper oOr and Is driven by beyel wheel
Il
zona shaft which is moved by sixneh pulley and belt
connecting with the engine The bolt IS better than al
gearing II gives opportunity Of slipping Ia
stone or hard root should get in the mill and thus save
danger of bcskng This occurred the day We were pres
ent. Iu of such accident, one Of the sides is
opened end the obstruction removed with scarcely loss
Of five minutes time
In the upper part q the box iron Crate occupies the
whole space with openings between The bars, pohaps an
inch wide. About an inch above this Crate knife at
ached TO The shaft continually revolving cuts The p.nt
into such small pieces that by The rubbing motion OF the
Eat blade they crowded through the Crate These
pieces fail succcssiyely upon other gates, growing inner
and ner and arranged upon alternate sides OF The box so
give spiral motion 10 the passing mass, which un-
deIgoes rubbing grinding operation until " IS reduced
10 the consistency of plasees mortar ard that too By
the process OF first breaking the Jumps rubbing aud
thoroughly mixn5i and oil the roots ana NITROUS matter
of The peat bears close analogy 20 tho haiF IN mortar
However light, porous fbrous the peat ma be- ~ IS
reduced 10 perfectly homogeneous ma'- ana ne noer
has nearly ali disappt AIRED. Any peat nom wedrained
is in exactly tue night condition Is TO moisture for
working In This manner If very wet II would be necessary
10 lct it lie de-, two after digging from the bog 20
ovapoIae portion Of the moisture Il sticks 10 the mill
and mods when extremely vet. II the peat can be
drained 60 retain than about % per cent OF
moisture 10 will be found 10 b. in the best possible con-
dou for this process Of manufacture, and the product OF
hard dry fuel will lie 10 per cet, by wegtof me crude
material brought from the bog.
There l. beneath this grinding aud mining mill long
platform endless Chan-cArler, operated By thait
and bel independent in some measure Of TIC main dging
Wheel
Upon ono s,de o. The mill nods-sonciling Ike those
fof brickafe placed upon Inc Garner ana arc carried
under hopper which receives the mortar ron the mn
ard filed and pass ont on the oincr SIDE about
as fast take them OIL and place lhen upon
Il barrow Each block Of mods contains SIX bricks
Sy4 x2s inches. THERE'S attached 10 The mil box con
f,ring div Dor dcrcd peat which J. sed down upon tue
empty mods they passing under the hopper ~ thA'
the plastic mortar does not adhere.
DIGGING, COypENSIEC AND DRYING THE PEAT.
When AT toe mill, the peat W.. CARED some ~
rod. by carts which kept gong by one digger,
stout hi hmm. accustomed 70 such work
Tie cod ing removed the only tool required u inc
ssne" which sometimes made Of all iron ard steel
With handle ike spade and sometimes Of wooo, WIN
steel No Many prefer this icrn because II Is hsn',r
tho blade beng nearly two feet long, four % So inches
wide with lip turned to cut the side OF the block
Tho older and docomposed thc peat IS tho easier 1t
cute and easor is cured and is the most valuable
IT cuts like cheese, is expression When the
deposit is considered excellent. RoeOet however. what
- have said about ooycy peat and not mistake mud ioT
f,j II - --'.5S -
VS. rogyd ihs blocks cut from the dtah measured 70
average about 5s;yI IS inches, and that they weighed,
sccordn0 ~ the condin9 OF the peat II TO Is ID each
We lake il they VIII average - 10 easily. We also found
that working by the day are,s uDoll ~ DiVcAs
times that for days work So II Is seen H." ee'-i
Keep two carts at work as he only lifts the peat
from the bed Of most couple OF feet on TO the bank OF
the ditch.
The carts drive to tue mill aud dump their loads under
shed, right BY the mOeth Of the mills, that one man
can feed two handling the blocks with fork, and thus
Keep continual stream Of crude peat passing from the
bog into the upper end Of the milf which is discharged
below in continuous stream, as unlike the nbrous mass