New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-10-01
The Preservation of Wood

| Of the capacity of certain oils as we'll as
| metallic solutions to preserve wood. We may
safely assert that there is no longer a doubt.
We have passed within the last quarter q:
century from the region of experiment
INTO a state of certainty, and tie uLtenl-
| able logic of facts compels US 10 the cor
| clusiOn that wood can as well he preserved
| to-day as can animal flesh. fruits or ve-e-
! tables.
II the mummies OF Egypt have been
preserved for centuries by some anti>cpt;c
substance: if leather or TIE skins Of ami
mails are indefinitely preserved by the
process of tanning: if fruits and vegetables
| and meats are so prepared as 70 keep sound
for years, we are indeed SAT-. IN asserting
that the durability OF wood can be secured
for ages, and made to last like stone. Tha-
metallic solutions, as well as vegetable oils,
are capable of impartng their inlperlshable
properties by infusion TO the wood with
which they are made 70 become incOrpor
ated, is not now question 70 he discussed
by theorists, but is fixed fact determined
by practical tests, to which our European
friends awake, and by which they are daily
availing themselves to the extent OF millions
of dollars Of saving and profit. Willie we
are asleep to one Of our 1no-t important i,
terests.
In our previous numbers We have con
fined ourselves mainly 10 The advantages OF
a wood preservcr, to accrue 20 railroads
and street paving. bat its very valuable Use
is by no means to be restricted 70 these pur-
poses and, surely, when we look around
us and see ourselves encolnDassed by ruins
of buildings. either built entirely ot wood.
or with wood extensively used in their con
struction, whether these be dwellings. stores
or warehouses, churches schools or mann
factories or depots when we look out on
the sea- the river, or the dock. and witness
the immense fleet of merchant vessels. the
miles Of wharfng and l'iling: or upon II"
farmers broad fields and observe re acres
of fencing. the wagons. carts and iLple-
ments and tools Of agriculture. we may
well conclude that the article which pays
somewhat over the one-ilalf of the entire
internal revenue Of the United States. and
which is in some way employed by all tie
main departments of civilization. is an ar
ticle whose preservation is indeed al.
worthy of our closest investigation and
care.
Now, what would be anything like an a!,-
proximate estimate of an accurate percent
age of the wear and tear of the wood used
throughout the United States, we are wholly
without the data to say. but this We do
know, taking a single house by way OF IL
lustration, that the woodwork i'll the CON
struction Of the framing portion, the sl'ss
the joists, the plates, the studdlng. etc, tie
flooring, roofing, the doors and entrances,
the windows and blinds, the galleries. cor
nices, etc. are all objects Of constant veal
and constant repair from one years END t.
the other to say nothing of the cost of paint
and fastenings, etc, on all new work done |
The price of the lumber, the cost OF the
labor, the expense of the hauling. all make I
up an array of expenses against the land I
lord and tax upon the tenant at once lar |
manufacturing industries they cut down |
materially the profits OF the producer, or !
increase the charges against the consumer.
10 the farmer, the expense of barn and
stable buildings and his fencing is very
oppressive one, as his unprepared rails or
his sawed lumber are constantly decaying,
and this without any consideration of the
cost of the labor expended in their erection
or the annoyance and the damage occa-
stoned to and by live stock for want Of good
fences.
In the manufactures, proper computa-
ton of the great cost of wood can scarcely
be made. But by way OF illustration Of the
large interests involved. we extract the fol
owing from the agricultural report of the
department. at Washington:
There we're in 1860, in the United States.
avs the report, 1885,, 1897 dwelling houses,
BESIDES all public buildings churches, ednca-
ional institutions, stores, manufactures.
lepots. etc. BY far, the great majority of
hese we're wood. A little masonry, little
hardware. little paint and plastering, and