The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1874-02-07
The Coal Tar Interest.

The traffic in coal tar is q comparatively
new industry, and it's growth has been very
rapid This is attributable to the many
wonderful transmutations which have re-
warded the chemical tests to which the
substance has been subjected From being
considered but the worthless refuse result
ing from the manufacture of gas, and of
no commercial value whatever, it has
within few years attained an importance
of no common order and the promise it
affords Of almost illimitable future deyel-
opment is evidenced by the fact that it is
at present undergoing a wider range Of
experiments than any other crude material
now serving as the subject of the analyti-
cal operations or as an ingredient in the
compounding processes Of the laboratory.
In one Of its variations it has proved
positive blessing to humanity; and did
carbolic acid alone represent the sum total
Of virtue derivable from coal tar, still
would this isolated fruit of the crucible
well repay the time and toll expended in
its discovery, and hold its place us one of
the greatest material gifts Of modern days.
But the bituminous distillation flowing
from the gas house retorts assumes other
marked forms in the chemists hands; and
although they may not so directly contrib
ute to the physical welfare of mankind,
yet for certain purposes Of utility they are
unapproachable, Creosote oil for instance,
is certainly unequaled in its peculiar pre-.
servative qualities, which are none the
less valuable because the revelation Of
these special properties is Of comparatively
recent date. The United States govern.
ment annually purchases thousands of bar
rcls of this liquid, using it on all wood
work exposed to the weather, especially on
gun carriages 10000 gallons were EN-.
ploycd in saturating the timber composing
the bulkheads in the St. Clair Flats, De.
troit river 1t is extensively used by rail-
road companies for the preservation of
railroad ties, bridge timbers, aud piles, and
upon the blocks constituting the wooden
pavements of Washington, Pittsburgh, aud
other cities The artificial oil of bitter
almonds (oil Of myrbane,) of superior fra
GRANGE and flavor, is also extracted from
the same viscid base, and is exclusively an
American invention and manufacture
But the most remarkable product obtained
from coal tar is the new article called an-
thracene, from which is produced the
coloring matter known as alizarine, the
identical substance which for two hun
dred years has been found solely in mad.
der. 1t is only in the United States that
coal tar has been made to yield anthracene
in large quantities, several hundred pounds
Of which are daily manufactured in this
country and shipped to Europe on orders
from the manufacturers of alizarine, which
is not yet numbered among our domestic
productions. This article constitutes the
base Of all the madder colors-Turkey
red, black, pink and purple. 1t was first
discovered in coal tar by the distinguished
chemists Grieb and Leibermann of Berlin
in 1867. More than $4,000, 900 is in
vested in its manufacture. In several
foreign countries, the pitch from coal tar
is combined with coal dust and pressed
into the form Of bricks, and IN excellent
fuel is thus produced, given amount Of
which, it is said, win generate a greater
heat than can be obtained from the same
quantity of fany other combustible material
employed for utility or comfort while at
the same time, it can be stored more com.
pactly and in better shape than either
wood or coal. 1t is understood that nego-
tiations are in progress in New York,
looking to the utilization, in the manner
described, of the 10000, 900 tuns Of val
ueless coal dust now lying in the vicinity
Of the coal mines and depots Of Pennsyl-
vania.