The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1889-08-30
LEATHER TANNED BY ELECTRICITY.
American Tanners Hear what Has Been
Done In Europe by This Method.

american Tanners Hear What Has Been
Done In Europe by This Method.
The process Of converting hides into
leather, as now followed, consumes a
space Of time varying from six to twelve
months. 1t also demands close attention
and good management, as well as expe-
rience. Great care has to be exercised
in the selection OF material, else lot OF
choice hides are found at the expiration
of the tanning season TO have deteriorated
into second or even third quality leather.
Tanners, and leather dealers generally,
are accredited with being very careful
and conservative In all their business
methods.
With these facts in view 1t is not sur
prising that when it was reported from
France that leather was being tanned
by electricity, American tanners regard
ed the statement as a newspaper sensa-
ton. Twenty-four hours was considered
pretty quick work for even electricity.
1t was not until the doubling Thomases
had seen and felt that they believed.
But now since tanning by this process
seems an assured fact 1t is no longer re-
garded as a sort Of transatlantic offset to
our electric sugar refining. Every item
that can be CLEANED is thoroughly dis
cussed and every source of information
eagerly sought. That the earlier efforts
in this direction were failures Is true,
but this was largely owing to lack Of
electrical knowledge on the part of the
inventors. They were unable TO econom-
ically produce an effective current And
again. many experiments were neces-
sary to learn the strength of the most
effective current But this In time was
learned as was also its most economic
means of production. Only uniform
current will give good results.
The process, as described by those
who have seen 1t, is very simple one.
The hides are placed in large cylinders,
which revolve upon horizontal axles.
The drum is filed with decoction of
tannin and closed Provision is made
for the passing of current of electricity
through the drum. The drum Is kept
slowly revolving until the process of
tanning is completed. The length of
time required varies with the nature Of
the hide. For the lighter skins, such as
sheep and goat, which used to require
from three to six months, by the electric
process are tanned In twenty-four hours.
The heavier hides, such as calf OK, COW
or horse, require from seventy-two to
ninety-six hours. By the old fashioned
bark process twelve months or even
more would have been taken.
The cost Of production is greatly re-
duced by this method, for not only is the
saving in time, but In labor. The actual
cost Of working Is reduced over so per
cent By the bark process the cost of
tanning Is from seven to eight cents per
pound Of dry leather, as against that of
three to four cents by the electric meth
DDS. And again, where force of fifty
men were required to produce given
quantity of leather, only ten are needed
to produce the same by the new meth
DDS. Heretofore large capital has been
required to run tannery having a regu-
lar weekly output. As hides often re.
quire to lie In the tan vats nearly year,
1t will be seen that a great number must
be In process Of tannage in order that q
certain amount Of leather be turned out
each week. In addition to extensive
plant, heavy investments are represented
by the hides In tannage. But the cleo
trio process completely revolutionizes
this. Hides purchased on Monday have
been converted into leather and put on
the market by Saturday.
Just what effect the electric current
has upon the tannin is as yet question
of dispute. Some claim that its affect is
upon the tannin, giving it more active
properties. Others say that it effects
the hide only. Professor s. P. Thomp-
son, who has examined the process,
thinks that the effects to open the pores
of the hide and so permit more rapid
access of the tannin solution. Another
claims that the current renders the gela-
tine more soluble 80 that it Is able to
combine more rapidly with the tannip.
There is reason to believe that there Is
truth in both these statements, from the
fact that the leather is much more pli-
able and of greater strength than that
of the long process.
A company has recently been formed
In England which is preparing to tan
quite extensively by electric process.
They will have an exhibit of their leath-
ers at the Paris exposition, as will also
the French Electric Tanning company.
Our visiting tanners, leather dealers and
shoe manufacturers will no doubt view
1t with interest. One Of our largest
leather dealers has decided upon Paris
trip, especially to learn more of this,
what he termed a few months ago a new
tangled idea.-New York Mail and Ex-
press.