Johnstown weekly Democrat. (Johnstown, Cambria County, Pa.) 1889-1916, 1889-10-04
TANNED BY ELECTRICITY.
FRENCH TANNERS BRING OUT A NEW
PROCESS.

Americans Hard 10 Convince That the
New Idea Was Really PracticaI--IIo,y
the Work is Done-over 30 Per Cent.
Saved by This --latest system-The
Speed OF Preparation.
The process OF converting hides into
leather, as now followed, consumes a
space OF time varying from six 10 twelve
months. 1t also demands close atten-
ton and good management, as well as
experience. Great care has to be- pXer-
elsed in the selection of material. else
lot Of choice hides are found at the ex-
piratlon Of the tanning season to have
deterloratcd 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 ii Is not sur
prising that when 1t was reported from
france that leather was being tanned by
electricity, American tanners regarded
the statement as new paper sensation.
Twenty-four hours was considered protty
quick work for even electricity. IL was
not until the doubling Thomases had
seen and felt that they believed.
But now since tanning by this pro-
cess seems an assured fact 1t is no
longer regarded as sort OF transatlan.
tic Offset to our electric sugar refining.
Every item that can be cleaned is thor
oughly discussed ana every source Uf III
formation eagerly sought That tn,
earlier efforts in this direction were full.
ures 10 true, but this was largely owiuy
to lack of electrical knowledge on the
part OF the inventors. They were un.
able to econom ically produce an effective
current. And again, many experiments
were necessary 10 learn the strength o.
the most effective current. But thls ~
time was learned, as was also it's most
economic means of production. Only
uniform curruntw will give good results.
just what effect the electric current
has upon The tannin Is, as yet, question
OF dispute. Some claim that its effect is
upon the tannin. giving ii more active
properties. Others say that it effects
the hide only. Professor S. P. Tholnp.
son, who hrs examined The process.
thinks that the ciect Is 10 open the
pores Of the hide and 30 permit u murr
rapid access OF tho amin solution. An.
t'inrr claims that the current renGrr,
tn" sclatlne more soluble, so that it T.,
able TO combine moro rapidly with the
Iannin. There is reason to believe ,na,
there il truth in both these sta u. rnir.
from the fact that the leather l.. IN a
more pliable and of greater s,iu...iu
than that of the long process.
A company has recently been formed
IN England, which is preparing to tau
quite extensively by electric process.
The process is described by those who
have seen 1t as a very simple one rhr
hides are placed in large cylinders.
which revolve upon horizontal aXlrs
Tho drum is filled with decoctiou ~.
amin and closed. Provision is ma,lr
Tor the passing of current OF electllu-
lty through the drum. The drum is kept
a.owly 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 u
sheep and goat, which used to require
s:Um three to six months, by the eluc
tric process are tanned in twenty-four
hours. The heavier hides, such as cali,
oN, 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 coat OF production is greatly rc-
duced by this method, for not only is the |
saving in tue, but in labor. The ac,unl !
cost of working is reduced over 80 pel
cent. By the bark process the cost of |
dry leather, as against that Of or 1 !
cents BY the electric methods. And |
~ ain, where a force OF fifty men were |
required to produce Il given quantity of /
leather, only ten are needed TO produce !
the same by the new methods. Hereto |
tore large capital has been required to
run a tannery having n regular weekly |
output.
As hides often require to lie in the tan
watts nearly a year, it will be seen tina. IL
great number must be in process OF tau.
mage In order that u certain amount of
leather be turned out each week In al
dition to extensive plant, heavy invest
ments are represented by the hides IN
'annage' But the electric process com.
pletely revolutionlzed this. Hides pur-
chased on Monday have been converted
lnio leather and put on the market by
-aturday,