New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-11-24
THE ROOD QUESTION.


/ EXCURSION or TIE PHILADELPHIA COUNCILS
II AND MAYOR TO BOSTON AND CONCORD TO
INSPECT THE STAFFORD WOOD PAVEMENT
AND ROBBINS D-PEESERYING PROCESS
II BOsTON, Nov. IA company OF Philadel-
phans left that city Friday last for an excursion 10
Boston, Lowell. Manchester ana Concord mainly 10 IN
spect the Stafford wood pavement, and the Robbins
preserving process and report on the expectancy
of LAYING the pavement preserved by the Robbins pro-
4 cess in Philadelphia. The party consisted OF Mayor
II Morton McMohae wife. and daughter and members OF
II tho City Council W. s. stokcey James F. Mercer. s.
II Kueass Alex j. Harper, Alex. H. Fox, James T. Han
II cock Col James Page James f. Dillon John H. kersey
II NJ L. johnson, Daniel L. Ray Jabez Gates NJ H. DICK
II ersop Samuel g. King, aud Samuel W. Catel, chairman
II of the committee and Henry G. Carey Louis A. Cooley
II and wife, and Dr. Emerson, of Philadelphia accompanied
II NV Sclpnck ana Martin Voorhees, OF Princeton, y. j.
yonr and Col j. T. PeytOn OF NewJersey.
i Arriving Boston (via Newport on saturday morn
inc the Committee were met with cordial hospitality by
tho ity authorities and provided with rooms and enter
| tain ment at the Parker House Mayor McNchael Mr.
Ca ~ and sir Cooley being attended by ladies' felt not
nj liberty to accept these municipal hoptses and put
w at the Revere. After breakfasting the party pro
carriages to Coursquare, to see the pavement
! At first view 1t resembles the NlcOlsOn
| glance however, detects that the wood mas
| harder, smoother, semi ihetanc aPlG5aianUo
almost amounting to polish. differing from the same
wood laid in HicOlson pavement as walnut OF oar d
ters from pine or poplar rms results ron inc hopns
process OF treatment hereinafter described Inc Com
mtce divided in opinion as TO the 0ner points l
difference between the Stafford and the NlcOsOn Inc
Stafford Is laid in sections three feet long by two Woe
.
geBiOusly and rather firmly fastened tos9theL as
these sections are lald on stungers HhDe1dtd ia
icOlsOn OF being more easily taken mp, renewed
and replaced. The NiCOsOn, resting on alternate
orOssaYers OF boards two or three deep running IRON
curb 70 curb, makes dOuDLIess nIiieI saue pu is
grade is always broken and rendered uneven IN taking
that of the sewers watermains. and pipes under
meath The Stafford pavement as LAID here last August
and now examined had settled barely enough 10 affect the
OF the grade from curb Ocurb SO that In places
was thought by some of the Committee that water
would stand the depth Of third OF half inch where
originally it had OH When visited by the Commit
tee, though had raned heavily the night before ana
the streets everywhere wet, water standing
Saf y mar Whaycr water works down between the
blocks or sections sinks the gravel instead Of being
retained III the wood, as by me Nicolson' 10 hweH
freeze, and aid its rotting. Yet the cross layers
under the NicOlsOn pavement seem 20 give 10 hriner
grade than that Of the stafford Under very heavy teams
the Stafford showed sort OF sprng yedlug uhuer ,He
wheel and returning 10 place after u passed rms
seems 10 be due to the fact mat NE sections are u
somewhat independently OF cdc DINER, anu all,t to
downward pressure passes over the lateral pressure from
adjacent sections forces them back IN place The blocks
OF the Stafford are FIX ny t"c4Ec inches "lue' ou ihts
thick and inches deep whatever may be the rela
that of the NcolsOn, the committee were ol Dut one
opinion as to the great advantage 9 applying 70 either
process OF rendering the WOOD llseH Waterushl
Satisfied by their examination the Committee passed
spent the remainder Of the day ~ drive through the
city out TO reservoirs Mount Auburn Cambridge,
&c. on Monday they proceeded ny an carry uaih 70
Concord 70 the new wood preserving process.
This was invented by Lewis S. Robbins Of NcwY York.
featuring processes OF practical utility HIS patent IL on
the application Of the oils OIL coal tar III vspos Tor the
is great that if II accOmplishes Us purpose 1t
il the greatest withdrawing "a well as OF
the most important withdrawing inventions ever de-
Viscd Railroad ties require renewing once In i've years.
Fences and roofs half as often Posts and spes stand
ing in water perhaps often. Our whole country is
being stripped OF It's timber five times fast need be
for Want OF some Mind of wood preserving process This
one. though novel in application. Is ancient principle
The presorvatye used in the mummyfying process by
the ancient Egyptians the oil Of bitumen which is
injected 10y this process into the pores OF the wood IL
has preserved animal tissues 1000 years the question
how long will preserve vegetable tissues depends solely
how thoroughly II can DC injected INTO and made to
pcrvade tho fiber OF the wood
Arriving at the works they found To consist part
Of large metallic tank 80 feet long seven feet high and
SIX feet wide Tor holding me "ood WINE was hue pro
Eight thousand feet OF timber could thus be
and the vapors are conveyed from Two ctorts OF Doers
having capacity OF - barrels each with furnaces under
meath. The building merely ncosed the apparatus from
the weather Inc CARLOAD examiner Oy the Connttte
contained sections OF the Stafford pavement gun stocks
the Amoskeag factory tmbers for fumes OF wooden
mills. hubs, pOkes, ellOcs, bedsteads, shingles shut
ected 10 about u hours treatment claimed that
hubs spokcs and feOe can be cut green from the woods
rated with the oils seasoned and ready for Wed
nesday. But splitting open the hubs IN the carload IN
question. showed that a somewhat longer time might
with woods be necessary as part OF them were
not penetrated the 10y the oils. Some however
that had been subjected to longer process, were sat
urated through. readily deOnstrabe to the sight
the taste. and the smell, well a. by burning. The
j
Off its liquids and cOaguatc It's albumen at 22 Fair
IL only necessary, therefore, TO raise the
heat IN the tank above tins temperature. Wood from
which the liquids thus expelled without any oils
being substituted is weakened and made brittle. Bnt
while liquids leaving the wood the heat in the
Orta has been raised TO much higher figure, and The
ySpOrs Of the coal tar forced into and I'LL the TANK
the being placed that they have free access 10
all parts Al from ll2, 10 from 5000 10 Jdyo the oil ~
vapUrized and produces naphtha Al from 300 10 E5'
produces carbOc acid creOsOte Of coal and at from
4T5o to 600, which is high ~ the heat III the
retort il carried. produces parathne mixed
with the dead oils Of cOdltar As OH Is but one
sixteenth lighter than the bulk Of water the yapors
injected the wood add 10 its weight nearly the
equivalent OF the vegetable liquids expelled 10 leave
the size OF the wood exactly, and the weight very
nearly, what they were before. Accurate tests have
been made OF the effect OF the process the strength
the same timber and treating the alternate stripe.
leaving the Others untroated. II IL claimed 10 add
81 per cent 10 the strength Of white pine, and 80 per
cent 10 that VI white ash. The cracking Of wood
II caused by the interior retaining its moisture and It's
size while the exterior, losing BOTH contracts The
terror becoming smaller than the interior the effect
II the interior mad sweled and burst open OutWord
covering Wood saturated by this process with the
OF coal Tar II Tree ium moisture and waterproof and
hence water can either escape from or Get into IT,
Cracking Is impossible iron Abbott A Co chr.
riHgemakers, OF Concord, showed the C0mrnftee two
hubs cut from like wood al the time some Rob.
binized,' aud the others MOI The Robbnized hubs
we're without check or crack whlo the others were
split FROM center circumference. The accommodation
OF wood caused mainly 10y the presence OF LIQUID abu
men IA the sap. This process cOaguates the albmen
"a process Ike rho boiling Of a egg, ana -tops
decomposition. All wood bN the other modes .f scaso
INK loses 20 per o is strength by this loses none
principal resulting from The saving of ina
tercs On tho capital ordinarily invested u seasoning TIN
Der. The expense Oi treating the wood t. moderate
ayeragn: an addition OF on from I've - ten Der