Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1876-09-29
The Products OF Coal Tar.

The Products Of Coal Tar.
One of the most wonderful of our exhibits
in the Main building is that of the products
resulting from an analysis Of coal tar
Here are long cylindrical glasses filled with
dozens of brilliant dyes here are solid
blocks of pitch, such as roofers specially
covet; here are light and heavy oils here
is carbUlic acid, and the creosotic substance
which enables the builders Of wharves and
jetties and bridges to laugh to scorn the
once terrible teredo. One stands amazed
at the huge exhibition of needed and deli
cate articles which, obedient TO the chem
lists wand, have come TO aid in the useful
arts and in manufactures. 1t is not great
many years since the coal-tar in the coun-
try was considered worthless. One day, a
sharp young business man in New York
asked permission TO cart the oozy, some
what offensive substance away from the
gas-works. 1t was cheerrully accorded.
The young man set his chemist TO work,
and brought out OF the coal tar, which lie
had got for nothing, pitch and light and
heavy oils. The pitch was sold to roofers
the oils were farther analysed. The light
oil yielded crude and refined napbtha,
which found ready sale. Then In swlft
succession came the procuring from these
of benzole, for which there was, a few
years ago, such a demand, TO be used in
making aniline the oil of misbane, which
was formed by the action of burning nitric
acid upon the benzole, and Of this immense
quantities were and still are sold 10 the
manufacturers of soaps. By and by the
chemist found carbolc acid in this wonder
ful coal tar, and brought 1t out, TO have an
astonishing sale. Another day, the chem
ist thought he could bring lampblack out,
by burning the residuum of one Of the oils;
it was done, and thousands of tons Of this
are now sold annually by the firm that en-
ploys the chemist. Aniline, which Is the
basis of all the new dyes, comes from coal
tar, and in this exhibit in the Main build
ing you may see a case containing "A dis
tinct products evolved from this wonderful
tar, goodly number of which are dyes OF
the most beautiful and brilliant hues. 1t
seems like magic, and it is-the magic of
the least Understandable OF all things in this
universe-Nature.
About seven years ago, the young Amer
try what there was hidden in coal tar was
journeying through Europe, and while in
Berlin he happened 10 hear Of a very Curl
Gus experiment which had been successful
ly made by two acute Teutonic chemists.
These gentlemen, Graebe and Liebermann
by name, had found that the oil which came
from certain residuum, when they were
anal yzing coal tar, was green oil, filled with
crystals. These crystals they caught upon
prepared cloths, and had them pressed into
cake, and then Germans shortly had crude
an;hracene. They then went on refining,
getting anthragunOne, ETC., until they ar
rived at an artificial matter called alizarine.
They found that this was exactly like the
al izarine which is the valuable property iu
madder. They felt that they had struck up
on something which would do away with
the madder culture in Europe If they could
prove it 10 he exactly what they thought it.
SO these patient German chemists took
some Of the alizarine found in madder and
worked 1t back TO anthracene, which they
knew to be in coal tar. This proof was sur-
fcient, and they patented the process in
Europe. The young American found il
out. His chemists went at work, and OBJ
tanned the same results; an immense econ
omy in the purchase of aiizarine was
obtained for all our manufacturers who are
compelled TO use ii, and Now there is not an
acre Of madder planted in any European
country. All this from coal tar, as any one
may see for himself in the Main building.
In this same exhibit there is a curious
collection of tie decayed and worm eaten
railroad sleerers, trestle-work, piles, etc.,
found in various parts of the country, and
an illustration Of The effective prevention OF
such decay by means of the creosoting pro-
cess. Here another Of the products Of coal
tar is used directly for saving millions of
dollars yearly. This process will check the
ravages OF the woodman's ak, and will pre-
serve us some, al least, of cur beautiful for
ests. The average life of cut timber expos
ed to the air, unprotected by creosoting, in
this country Is seven years; with creosot-
ing it lasts for an indefinite period. When
this process is universal, there will no long
er be $50, 900 acres Of timber land cut over
annually tosupply railroad ties. There are
| now creosoting works at Elizabethport,
Nj, at Pittsburg, Galveston, Cleveland
and st. Louis, all established within the
last fsur years. These establish ments
would not have been started for half cent
ury yet lad not the sharp American had his
eyes about him when visiting other coun-
tries-seen what they used for preserving
Undergone right to his coal tar-the in
exhaustible black genie that never said no,
and asked for The materials for the creosot-
ing process. This exhibit will probably
have special mention in The "award list"
-EdVGrd King in Boston Journal