The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1880-01-02
RI~s,n,oud Chcm,cal.works.

prictors and the community. They are SIT
liated on what Is known on the city maps as
Williamsburg avenue, and diagonally OPP
poSate the gas-works, covering the spot on
which the Rockets Presbyterian chapel
ooce stood. The owners and originators
are Messrs. Talbot 4 Fales. The senior. OF
the firm is Mr.. james NJ. Talbot, so wei
known in our community as to need no
word OF ours TO tell who ne Is. The otheT
partner is DIR. L. S. Fales, formerly OF
Washington city, now settled here. Dr.
Fales is q practical chemist ana entireIy
competent TO take charge OF such works.
He has started and put inte practical opera.
| ton q number Of acid and other chemical
works, and has been engaged the greater
part OF his life In agricultural chemistry.
He was one OF The first men in this country
to utilize the refuse from gas-works and
make them subservient 10 mans uses.
THE BUILDING.
| The main business here will be the manu-
| facture OF sulphuric acid.
| The house In which the acid is manufac-
tured is OF frame except the lower floor,
used for storage, which Is OF brick, and was
built by Mr.. James NJ. Newell. IL is 1876
by 81 feet, and 26 feet high in the clear.
! Inside of this is the leaden chamber, which
4 =,
high; in the construction OF which $4,000
pounds Of lead were used. The lead comes
| in sheets 90 feet long and I wide. This
chamber is open at the bottom and fits into
pan OF water, which receives the acid as
IT falls. This pan or bed has capacity OF
32e. 900 pounds of acid, Of AZ degrees quail
ity. This is that which Is known as mer-
cbantabIe acid. This immense weight OF
| 30 al "A
frame OF woodwork.
The boiler used here is some fifteen or
twenty-horse.p power, and is intended only
| to generate steam, there being no ma
chinery on the premises. There are four
sulphur furnaces, separated from the lead
chamber by the boiler each OF which holds
100 pounds Of sulphur OF birthstone, which
are replenished or changed every four
hours-One each hour, night and day,
when the factory Is in full operation. These
| furnaces are OF brick, with iron bottom. on
which the sulphur is thrown to be melted.
They are connected with the chamber by
pipes.
SULPHUR yAPOR.
The sulphur, in melting or dissolying,
passes through this pipe IN the shape oi
vapor OF sulphur or sulphurous acid. The
burner is also charged with given quantity
OF nitrate Of soda or soda placed in nitre-
moi. 4 cast-iron vessel holding about ten
mounds. TO which is added an equivalent OF
sulphuric acid to decOmpose the nitrate OF
soda and liberate the nitre acid from it, and
forms nitrous acid. This passes up the
pipe along with the sulphurous acid into
the lead chamber, where the combined gases
come in contact with the jet OF steam from
the boiler, combination or Interchange
OF clements takes place, the sulphurOus
acid taking up an equivalent OF oxygen
from the nitrous acid thereby forming sui
phuric acid, which falls TO the bottom OF the
chamber. gradually increasing in strength
until an acid of about 40 Braume's by
drometer is attained. This, a. we have
said. is the standard for ordinary acid.
Should stronger acid be wanted, II
can be boiled down in leaden pans,
or distilled in platinum or glass retortS
until standard OF 100 Braume Is reached.
Around the lead chamber one-and-a-hali-
inch lead pipe passes, through when the
steam is let in by means OF twenty lets
ieoui-dstant from each other. There are
! the same number of "drips," - they are
called. at same distance apart. for ascertain
inc The strength OF the acid, It's strength
being regulated by the amount OF steam
thrown in, The lead chamber is connected
with a tower 90 feet high, 4 feet by inside
which is filed with artificial coke, through
which the gaseous contents OF the cnamDei
are forced This takes up the combnatIor
OF sulphurous and nitric acid, and the case
are then forced into the main stack, anC
through it to the outer air.
The daily capacity OF these works Is 9,OO'
hounds OF acid OF 40.
AMMONIA.
The works for manufacturing ammOnl;
are inside the enclosure OF the gas-Works
The substance used is the waste ammonia
liOlor, or wash water from the scruOOers
, This is forced into large reservoir, ant
after the manipulation received there come
, ont in what is called four or hye-0unc'
) Iio,or. Ii Is then conveyed into larg'
boiler. with capacity for one hundred
. barrels. and with this quantity is put on
| barrel OF lime to decOmp0se the suIphate o
= hydrogen. The steam arising from TN
! Iiould is conveyed into heavy lead tani
+ or receiver (made OF twelye-pound Lead
I and TO it is added a sufficient amount o
sulphuric acid OF 800 strength to neutral
7 i've the amount OF ammonia contained II
+ the lquor, and causes it to fall to the bot
tom in sugar-lke crystals, which is gathere'
5 nm and put In drainers. The residuum
e called "mother pickle" is placed back Il
e the tank for the next operation, and so con
+ tinued I'D ipfaitum. The salts OF ammonia
e after draining sufficiently. is put into larg
e bins to dry of, after which it Is ready 10
market.
! AQUA AMMONIA.
4 In connection with the large boiler abo'
: described there is a smaller one with CT
nacitv OF fifteen barrels. and in which Is
l. rotary shaft with projections or mixers
IS its outer surface. Into this boiler SUI plat
o of ammonia is placed. and to each IL
n pounds is added the same quantity OF Iim'
diluted with water to the consistency
e whitewash, and from this is formed carbon
= ate of ammonia. This is passed through
y lead worm, and thence into a series
d "Wolfe's bottle" which are partly nile
e with distilled or filtered water. The lesu
II is the aqua ammonia OF commerce. By II
h creasing or decreasing the number OF DO
/. ties different degrees OF strength are a
n tanned. The capacity OF the works is abo'
II I. 900 pounds OF ammonia per day.
vARNIsH AND OILS.
e As everything that has heretofore bee
: thrown away at the gasworks or passed
into the river is 10 be utilized. the san
II gentlemen have erected another larl
o boiler. with a daily capacity OF thirty ba
:, roIs for the Durpose OF making black va