Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1884-09-18
A Use for Sawdust.

1t is generally easier for mill-owner
to dump his sawdust in the stream for
the water TO wash away than it is for
him to burn it or cart it off. The saw
dust kills the fish in the stream, but he
would be an idiotic mill-owner who
would allow such public loss tointer-
fere with his private gain; and so he
dumps the sawdust, kills the fish, puts
his hands in his pockets, and asks the
public: What are you going to do
about it?" The states have enacted
laws forbidding this disposition of saw
dust, and prescribing penalties for the
otfense, and the offenders either man
age to eVade the law or ignore it en-
tlrely. Thousands and thousands of
streams which once harbored excellent
food fish have been ruined by the saw
dust. In the last report of the New
York Commissioner of Fisheries. it is
stated that ''of all the causes there is
probably none that has exerted such
an influence in expelling both salmon
and trout from our spring streams as
the presence of sawdust." And the
commissioners go on to state that
though there is statute governing
this, it is practically useless because
carelessly worded.
The destruction of fish is not all that
the sawdust must answer for 1t kills
human beings. Waters polluted by
sawdust spread malaria, and make mis-
cradle the lives of those who dwell up
on the banks of the plague-bearing
stream. This is notably the case with
the Raquette River, whose whole
lower course is cursed with chills and
fever; and Potsdam, where one of the
State Normal Schools is located, has
become very undesirable place of
residence from this cause
When urged to burn, or in some 9th
er way dispose of their sawdust, lumber
men have objected that they could not
afford the cost. There is hope that the
question of dealing with this nui-
sance may now be solved, for q process
has been discovered by which the re-
fuse sawdust may be made to Weld
handsome profit. When dry it is car
bombed in iron retorts, and in the pro-
cess is given off so per cent of volatile
products, the remaining 20 per cent.
being granulated charcoal, which can
be used in making gunpowder. filters,
lining refrigerators, and as disinfect-
ant, and with 4 very little tar it could
be pressed into bricks and used for
fuel; % of the so per cent. of the vola-
tile product is in the shape of fixed
gases, which can be used for lighting,
heating, etc.; AZ per cent. is pyrolige-
enous acid, which is crude acetic acid,
and after being purified and concen-
trated is used in white lead, color,
print and vinegar manufactures.
There remains 10 per cent. of tar and
l of wood alcohol. The tar has the
same properties as coal tar, the almost
endless uses of which, such as pitching
roofs, lining water tanks, covering the
bottoms OF vessels, protecting iron from
rustlng, covering the wounds made in
pruning trees, and in the form of BEN
zole, naptha, carbolic and sulphuric
acids, and the whole splendid series of
analine dies, constitute one of the chief
glories of modern chemistry. The
wood or me .hylic alcohol is used as
solvent for gums, in yarnish making, in
the manufacture of analine colors.
The sawdust from yellow pine and
other woods rich in resin yields also q
considerable amounG of turpentine, in
the gathering of which so many trees
are each year sacrificed.
1t is estimated that in saving inch
boards of pine. hemlock, ETC., the one
fourth inch sawkerf uses up one-tifth of
the log. When lumber is sawed by the
billion feet, one can easily see that the
question of using the sawdust in way
to yield 4 profit, instead of first class
Nuisance, is a very important one
Forest and Stream.