The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-02-06

BURNING CHARCOAL.
GREAT CARE IS NECESSARY TO
FIRE A "PTT" SUCCESSFULLY.

GREAT CARE IS NECESSARY TO
FIRE A "PITa SUCCESSFULLY.
Labor Is an Important Item in the Prep
aration of the Product for the Market.
Manufacturers Generally Sell Their
Own Charcoal
"Do you keep charcoRls- asked a re-
porter Of a large coal dealer in this city.
No. sir, we DO not. have sold lots
OF coal in nv time, but never pound Of
charcoal. l don't even know how il is
made"
Leaving the wealthy coal merchant
the reporter sought one Of those monde
script coal hawkers who make a liveh
hood by attending to the wants in the
way of caloric OF the very poor classes
ID the by streets aud alleys.
Having found one of these coal holes
the reporter approached the almost car
BOMBED specimen of humanity. who was
for the time being resting from his
labors, and propoCnded the question.
What's the price Of charcoal
Eight cents a peck, replied a gruE
voice, and the little old man straight
ened himself out with an effort As he
stopped filing the peck measure, which
he judged 10 be about the newspaper
mans capacity.
I'VE don't sell much charcoal he
continued, ''only In small lots. Some
manufacturers buy their charcoal by the
great quantity. 1t is used in large lots
by persons who make ice chests and beer
coolers, as it is a poor conductor Of heat.
There's a lining of charcoal three inches
thick in all sides of beer cooler.
Most country people bring their own
charcoal TO the city in wagon leads. and
sell it for from fifteen cents to twenty
cents a bushel We retail IL at about
twenty cents 10 twenty-five cents per
bushel, and it is duh sale at that.
The reporter now left the charcoal
man, and approached an individual who
had Just disposed of wagon load of the
material
Yes, make charcoal" he replied in
answer 10 an inquiry. I'm the winter
and spring is the time when charcoal Is
made 70 the best advantage.
BUILDING TIE PILE.
81 am just clearing up tract Of wood
land and am turning the refuse to ac-
count by manufacturing charcoal. Beech
wood and hickory are the best for that
purpose. Oak makes a very poor coal,
and it is hardly worth burning. Gener-
ally the good wood is culled ont. and
then a huge circular pile is made Of the
knots and refuse. This pile is often 100
feet in diameter and from ten to fifteen
feet in height The wood is piled with
great care in straight rows around a
small opening, about one foot in diam
eter, which is left rs a sort Of chimney
for the fire TO Dc started in.
las soon as the pile is completed it is
covered all over with forest leaves or
straw, and then the whole mass Is COW
cred with dirt 70 the thickness Of three
or four inches. IL now resembles a
small volcano, especially when the fire
is started and the smoke begins to issue
from the small opening left IN the top.
The fire Is started by dropping shavings
center, and then lighting them by drop
ping live Goals into the cavity. y few
holes are made near the bottom OF the
pile Of dirt in order to create a draft,
and as soon as the fire begins to smoke
these holes are again closed.
Now, if everything goes right, the
ere Is allowed TO shoulder away, with I
Just air enough 10 support combustion.
If high wind should spring up, as it /
often does, every hole IS closed tight 10 T
keep down the fire, and very often boards /.
must be laid over the whole pile 10 keep /
out the wind. It takes from ten days 10 /
two weeks to burn a pit, As 1t Is called, /
and this time is period of great ankle I
ty 70 the charcoal burner, a. the opera
ton must be watched night and day, I
and little negligence may cause the /.
loss Of weeks of hard work.
BURNING THE pr
Gas the fire progresses part Of the |
charcoal Is consumed by com bustion and I
the remainder shrinks 10 nearly one-half /,
its original size. The shrinkage, q /
course, would cause the dirt 10 BE- left .
standing alone provided IL would do So 4
In order 20 meet this difficulty the tend I
er goes round and round. over and over I.
tire pile, packing the dirt with shovel /
This continual packing must not be neg /
lected, for If a cavity should occur and /
the dirt cave in instantly, the whole pile /
would burst out into fame which moth /
ing could stop.
AS the buruing progress holes are +
punctured through the DIRT IA such PAGES /
a. the tender thinks the fire has not jet .
been. These holes create a draft and al
once bring the fire 70 that part Of The 4
pit, upon which the holes are again
closed and the charriEg begins. As soon
as the tender thip-5 that the work Is
complete be shuts up the chimney and
packs every hole. lie then spends about
two days IN packing the dirt, and watches
for crevices through which smoke issues +
and close them a. soon as they are dis
covered. Barrels Of water are now
hauled 70 tue PIT. and workmeu begin 70
open ZIP 2 side aud take out the charcoal
Il sparks q FIRE should BE- found they
arc % once dashed with water, and a.
The wcrt PROGRESSES water is thrown into
he pit. while the steam thus created
1enetrates 20 al parts " the coal and
esseas the danger o. fare. A. a rule al
.he caIal IS removed AZ once as a precau-
1ozary measure. and every man WHO mas
banned pit is glad when Re gets u q
his hands From zoo ~ 90 bushels
a-e made il a PIT. This j. nSuled away
:. $1,000 IL. = - r---.L-.L. u lL-l