The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1878-03-10
SAL AMMONIA
And a Man who wants TO Return 10 First
Principles.

Tho little ripple that occurred on Tuesday
last In the City Council, all about the ammo
mia works Of the Gas Company, has induced
us 10 investigate the matter In order TO satsfy
ourselves. and at the same time TO inform
some OF the members Of the City Council Of
The exact condition Of affairs In the neghbor-
hood Of the works. Tho result of the investi-
Cation shows that tho subject Is deserving Or
Tho earnest consideration Of The Council.
The ammonia works are situated at the cor
ner Of Locust and Gravier, or, more properly
tho entrance TO the works are Mt that corner.
Tho works proper are IN tho middle of the
block, within few feet Of the Gravier street
sidewalk A short description Of the
NEw INDUSTRY
will not be amiss, Tho process of making
Ral ammonia la quite ample, Through pipe
leading from the purifiers of the gas works on
the opposite block tho "gas water" which is
heavily impregnated with ammoniacal gas, la
carried into a large distilling boiler In The
ammonia works. steam boiler furnishes
the steam to dsengage the ammonia and gas
tanks called saturators, and into which.
from another apparatus n stream Of com
hined nitric and sulphurio acids is poured
The condensation Of the steam bearing gases
furnishes the liquid which, after evaporation,
gives the salts Of ammonia. From these satu-
rators there arises above the roof of the build
ing wooden chimney to discharge the vapor.
Since the complaints have been made against
the factory an iron pipe has been fixed to lead
from the aatufators into the furnace OF the
steam boiler, In order, we were informed by
the engineer and chemist In attendance to
burn the obnoxious vapors or gases. In jus
tice 70 the owners Of the factory, II must be
said that within the building not tho least
announcement odor is to DO detected, and even
when the euice Ia opened that discharges the
residue water from the dstiliing boiler into
the gutter very little unpleasantness is expe-
rlenoed Indeed, we were led to the oonclu-
sion that the bad odor and other effects com
planned VI could not be ascribed to this water;
MT least now that the gas-burning improve
ments have been added to the apparatus.
Even the liquor containing the salts Is odor-
less during the course Of evaporation.
With the most favorable impressions about
the concern we walked out into the street and
10 the corner Of Magnolia. On the southeast
corner OF Magnolia and Graver streets stands
frame building, the lower portion of which
from yellow color has been almost com
Rletely changed to u shining blue, and the
same change mas occurred to the building ON
aysSaed by Mr.. Hutchinson also as grocery.
\ small building on the northeast side has
aso suffered similar damage to some extent.
The locality ia sparRely built, otherwise we
might have to record other buildings IA hav-
ing been discolored by the effects Of the am
monia.
But these accidents We ascribed to the re-
fuse waters discharged into the CUTTERS prior
To the improvements referred to above.
We learned also that Mr.. Sullivan having
kicked against the damage to his property,
the Gas Company concluded to
PURCHASE 1T
from him, and now owns IL. Nothing. how
ever has yet been done by the COMPANY to
repair the damage done TO Mr.. Hutchinson's
property.
NOW FOR THE SMELL.
While, as we have said, the interior of the
factory Is almost entirely free from unpleas-
and In our humble opinion the stencil which
nervades the neighborhood is a nuisance
The odor IL indescrtbable- at least that which
prevails during the day, for Mt night we are
told. II smells as though the Sanitary and
Fertilisng Company had transferred their
pOudrette establishment into the locality
In the day time, however, the odor is not so
strong, hutitis peculiarly fUtid and annoying
having the same effect upon tho olfactorics
that q slow touthache produces in the head. |
This odor, which, we understand, has been de-
olared deleterious to health by Dr. Warren
Stone and other physicians, must come from
either the wooden chimney leading from the
saturators or the smoke-stack of the steam |
boiler. OF both. II may be that some remedy
can be applied to remove the stencil which we |
hope--for the enterprise Is q deserving one |
which should be encouraged, like all factories |
provided that no Inconvenience shall result to |
the people who live in the neghborhood- |
be done.