Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-08-22

WASTE PRoDUcTs.-The glyceune in
dustry, which has obtained colossal pro-
portions, is a notable illustration. of a
great manufacture based entirely upon
The saving OF a product that until lately
was a waste result with the soap boiler.
Even more important in magnitude, We
may estimate the industries connected
with manufacture of the aniline coIors
and artificial aIIsarine from the refuse
coal tar that was formerly the curse and
3 the nuisance OF gas works. The waste
blood of the abattoires is sought after by
the sugar refiner and the manufacturer
of albumen. Old boots and shoes and
leather waste are turned to good ac-
count by the chemical manufacturer in
producing the cyanides ferro and ferri
cyanides, so indispensable in color
printing and photography. Sawdust
mixed with blood or other agglutinative
substance, and compressed by powerful
pressure, is moulded and turned into
tloor-knobs, buttons, and thousand de-
coralive and useful articles; or as is the
case, too, with the spent tan of the tan
neries, and the spent bark Of the dye
works, il is utilized for fuel. Oyster
shells, OF which our barbarous ances-
tors made the shell mounds that delight
the soul OF the aTchaologist, are burnt
TO lime. The waste Of linseed oil man.
uGacture Is eagerly sought for as food
for cattle. The waste ashes OF wood
fires are leached for potash. River
mud is mingled with chalk burnt and
ground 10 make the famous Portland
cement, aud the ruthless hand of utili-
tarianism has not even spared the brick
bat, that from time immemorial has
served only 10 crack the heads Of OPP
posing factions, but grinds IL Up 10 make
cement with lime. The finest glue size
il made Of the waste of parchment skins.
The waste gases If the blast furnaces
are now employed to heat the blast, 10
generate the steam that drives the en-
CINE iha; makes the blast, TO hoist ores,
machinery etc.; and even the Stag that
had for years served to decorate the
hill-sides, is cast into building and paw
ing blocks. granulated for buildings
or ground for cement, mixed with ap-
propriate chemicals, and made into the
common grades of glass, or blown by a
steam jet into the finest filaments to
form the curious mineral wool used
largely as a heat insulating protector
upon steam pipes, boilers, roofs, ETC.
SO, too, the enormous hills Of anthracite
coal-dust that have for years borne ST.
lent testimony TO the crudity of cur
methods Of coal mining, bid fair 10 dis
appear in time beneath the boilers sup
piled with ingenious dust-burning de-
vices, or in Jumps Of artificial fuel
Even the anthracite itself but a few
years ago was black stone, unappre-
ciaied and useless. The waste heat Of
the lime-kiln is made to generate steam
and warm immense public buildings,
and the "exhaust" of the steam engine
must do duty in heating the feed water.
Instances like the above could be null
tiplied almost indefinitely TO demon
strate how invention has enabled US,
with the most beneficial results, to reap
advantages where none were supposed
tcesist, or where, ifthey were suspected,
ted, they undervalued or unavailable,
or simply neglected. And now, having
endeavored to illustrate what modern
invention has done and is doing in the
direction of utilizing the waste products
Of nature or those Of the industrial arts,
we shall be prepared to consider the
question whether there are no. waste
forces of nature that can and should be
turned to useful account, and whether
we are not guilty of the crime OF ne
glecting to avail ourselves Of exhaust
less and incaleulable stores of power
that could be made to do our bidding
POiyteckaic RerieIC.