New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-06-23
A PESTILENCE OF STENCIL ES

| THE SOURCES OF THE FRIGHTFUL SMELLS TIA,
| AFFIIcT MURRAY BnL-How THIS NUISANCE "a
| CAUSED.
The sickening stenches arising from the East
River and waited from the manufactures fertilizer,
and tie oil reneries at Hunters Point and Rayenswood
have aroused general expression Of indignation anon,
the inhabitants OF the East Side OF this city TRBUy.
reporter recently called upon Prof Charles r. Chandler
President Of the Board Of Health, and obtained an a
| count Of this steadily increasing nuisance.
The smell from "sludge acid" which IL the al
Of ytrol supburio acid after II has used BY tina
reiners to purify petroleum The crude petroleum 4,
divided "fractoned" into various grades o. o.
according 10 its volatility. After the oil has been TIM.
fractIoned" the heaviest portion still remains and IA
drawn of into large tanks peculiarly constructed
and subjected to the action Of pnric acid The effect
OF this treatment little color but more par
tcuary to sweeten" the petroleum that is to remove
the dsagreeabe odor About two por cent by measure
Of ecid poured into the OIL tho mixture thoroughly
agitated. and standing for suitable time dark
tarry sediment separates This what is called sudes
acid" BY means OF stOpcOck In the bottom OF the
tank this sludge acid be drawn or leaving the re-
fined petroleum behind This OIL il again sitaed with
water and then with alka either caustic soda OR
ammonia, all traces OF acid reaction leay.
ing the Oil "swcet" Some OF the careful refners
then expose it to somewhat elevated temperature 10
expe small percentage Of naphtha benzne which
the oil still retains while few subject II 10 redistlaton
The modes OF agitation various, being force
air through the Of the tank Tails occasions
powerful odor that pcryades the atmosphere for long
distance and is very offensive.
Tie reners dispose OF the sudge acid" 10 manufac-
rers Of superphesp hae of lime for ferzng purposes
1t is almost as powerful ordinary commercial sui
phurc acid and can be purchased at much less price.
IL is said that the manufacturers OF fertilizers let
this stand for time In tanks, and also
dilute 1t with water when very offensive oil arises to
~
then poured upon bonedust refuse boneback, and
similar materials, when it becomes heated, aud
gives OF offensive senches much complained OF In
this city. There three occasions on which offensive
odors may arise first, when the reiDer treats his oil
with the sulphuc acid second, When the manufactures
of fertilizers the refuse oil into the river third.
when he the bonodus other base used with the
" sludge acid" Now what proportion OF the stencil
complained of in this city is pro uced by eachaProf
Chandler said, is impossible 10 determine at presen
which establishment is responsible for It, IL seems
probable that lie blame il equally divided between the
fertilizer manufacturers and the oil refiners. do NOT
believe that 1t necessary TO stop the manufacture OF
fertilizers the refining Of oil but think that all this
smell be stopped by proper care the use OF suitable
apparatus, and notifications Of the process"
The New-York Board OF Health over two years ago
communicated with the Board Of Health Of Brooklyn in
regard the nuisance at Hunters Point and suggested
conference upon the subject This conference held
plants have made by persons living in various SEQ
tions OF this city, but the NewYork Board of Health had
no legal control the operations they beyond
its jurisdiction. An attempt was made to have an act
passed by tho Legislature OF 1878 but vas unsucces
ful This draft OF an act modified and presented to
the Legislature last Winter 1t passed the senate bus
not the Assembly. In the Summer Of 1876 President
Health of this city the President Of the
Board Of Health OF Long Island City,, the Pr.s,
dent of the Brooklyn Board OF Health and the
Sanitary Superintendent OF Brooklyn There was
considerable discussion put no plan was agreed
upon for tho abatement OF the nuisance.
visit to Hunters Point will demonstrate that the
complaints that have been made by the inhabitants Of
this city been founded on fact Going toward the
north from the ferry the visitor comes upon the fertilizer
mandatory OF f. +. Coe; next the STANDARD OH Works,
which space many acres, and afterward the
Empire ana several smaller reneries and varnish works
Toward Brooklyn, also, several extensive yarnsh
manufactures, and the oil rcfneries of DeSoe Pratt the
oleophne works. and the Brooklyn oil Works. In an
eastery direction the fertilizer works and bone fac
tory Of Henry Preston Sons the rendering and tallow
establishment OF James Bucban Co.. ana that OF Peter
Van Idersten Calvary Cemetery The standard Oh
Company which regarded of the most extensive
refining associations the United States has its principal
Office and works in Cleveland Ohio John ID. Rockefeller
the President, lives In Ohio but William Rockefeller the
Yice-President resides in this city. The Secretary,
Henry NJ. Fagler and tie Treasurer, Oliver ii. Payne
both live in Cleveland No reports have ever been
printed nor have any statistics, regarded as trust
worthy, been made public by which any accurate con-
caption could gained OF the extent OF capital en-
loyed or the amount OF business transacted by this
company 1t stated by prominent banker Of Wall
ST. that the interests VI all the companies engaged IN the
oil business nearly identical that IL was neres
sary that little publicity possible should be given
TO their operations. They nearly all private firms.
| although the rame OF company" is often assumed
! TO facilitate their transactions me Enple, tns
Oeophine. and the Brooklyn Oil Works, are all
otce in this city is at No I4i Pearl-st The Pratt OH
| Works are owned by Charles Pratt Co OF No l25
by the Deyoe Manufacturing Company, of which James
Mc(ice is President and Pan BacOok jr., Secretary and
Beayer-st In evey one OF these establishments sudge
aoid" is produced. and the peculiar penetrating odor
this city when Wind IL blowing from the east Dr:
Edward H. James, Assistant Sanitary Superintendent 81
ferent smells in all OF which sludgc acid was prom'-
nent component There was that OF the acid proper;
second the acid and the rank smell OF decOnposhg AMI
nal matter and tbiri the acid combined with an odor
OF burning bones The odors coming from the rehherIs
| from she slnd9e acid alone
The processes employed at each OF the reneres dner
soew hat as to detail but the result reached the same
The crude petroleum has rank disaeeable odof thas
can be partially removed by the action Of Oh OF vtrlo
The product Of fractional dstillaon is crude naph'
tha This separated into gasOcne, refined naphtha'
| and benzine. Each Of these products is sometimes
sweetened by acid and thus may yield sludge ait'
The second product Of the crude oil is kerosene, WHICH,
treated with acid yields tbs refined Kerosene ana
sludge acid" From the resduum, by further dis'ila-
ton. parane oil. This Is treated with ACIDS.
The first product beached paraine oil, which, cooled
and pressed, yields ubricating OH and paranne Ine
other product the resduum is again sudge acid
This sludge acid" is of very little 10 value to tbe
oil rcfuers but II ia useful in the manufacture OF Ger
tain kinds of fertilizers T. f. Goes works FOR the man
ufacture surerphosphates adons the grounds oi the
| standard Oh Company. reporter OF The IRboNs
visited MIR Goes works. In the manufacture OF ieiu
izcrs sulphlrc acid used TO convert nsolube phos
pilates into very soluble Superphosphates. "Siudgs