Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1892-12-20
AN INTERFERING Chaplin OK

An lNvgReoTiNo CHAPrgR ON
cHANc0Al.
A writer In the Boston Trauscript
gives the following Interesting talk On
charcoal. How many people use char
coal In the different departments OF busi.
uess without giving . thought 10 lie
chemical composition! Il II q. species OF
carbon produced by burning wood. veGe-
table and animal substances without
contact With the air. We use u 40 Q
black. inodorous, brittle substance
where quick hot Ore Il required. u II
used By blacksmiths and Tor various
household and domestic purposes. 10 h
made by plllng blllets Of wood together
In cone-shspesi heap, covering The pile
With earth 10 prevent the air from reach
Ing u. The mass IL burnt slowly, with
q slight access % air. The usual process
IL carried out In forests where wood 10
plenty. About II per cent of the weight
of the wood II left ~ charcoal.
Charcoal seems soit aud pllable, but W
the fine powdered charcoal u put he
tween plates Of glass, and the glass
rubbed together, there will appear par!i.
eles of coal 90 very hard that they Will
cut the glass, scratching II as readily ~
q diamond, which IL one OF the hardest
substances known. Charcoal IL aiso
very combustible. and Il exceedingly
valuable In many Industrial business de.
partments. II u extensively used Tor
fuel In cities; u burns almost without
flame. u IL found % bc quickly ignltcd,
aud when In state OF combustion " IL
partially decompo.eSi Into hydrogen, or
carbonated hydrogen, shich burns With
out flame ar very little Illuminating
power. A cubic foot of charcoal made
from soft pine wood weighs upon an
average from eight to nine pounds, aud
from hard oak az rock maple the weight
10 Increased from twelve Ia thirteen
pounds. Hence the hardwood charcoal
IL the most valuable and IL best sdsptsi
for producing great heat In q small
space. One pound ~ dry charcoal Will
heat se,enty-a pounds Of water from
icr IN . boiling point. Charcoal is very
useful In many ways.
In the first place u u very unchange-
able. and an indestructible substance,
aud IL not affected (ln common tem-
peraturr) by either air ar moisture. ~
the tune of the great eruption of vesu-
vius, when ilerculsneum Was oSerwhelm-
ri With burning lava, stone and brim.
stone, the besms of the great theatre
and other large buildings were converted
Into solid charcoal; aud though done
100 year, or mor- ago, they remslned
ss entire and perfect N they were In the
beginning. And u wssfound that char
ring wood upon lis surfsce protects the
cod from the effect ~ moisture aud
contact with the rsrth. All the houses
and large baildings In Venice ARE said Ia
have been preserved by charring the tim
ter. before they were driven Into the
damp coil. Til. rendered them beyond
the reach of decay. Oak beams aud
stakes wsr- found In the b-d ~ the
rhsme. River. supposed To have been
driven there nc the time of the Roman
Invasion by Julius Crssr. They were
chsrr-d deeply aud their hearts ~er-
like stone. 4 lo-t art e,idcntly In the
preservation ~ timber.
Charcoal po..rsse. the power 81 al
sorbins different gases and condensing
them within lie pores. u Will take NJ
aud absorb ninety time. It, weight aud
bulk Of ammonls, thirty-h,e times iis
bulk 10 carbonlc acid, nine times IT. bulk
In oxygen. seven time. lts bulk In nitro
gen. when charcoal Il saturated with
one q. sud I. put Into smother, II Will
give out portion 81 the Gas already alb
.ort,ed snd take NJ q certain amount Of
the new gss.
Ch.rvo,I taken from the heap ss soon
Ne the firr 4. extingui.h-d will take the
Ia. ~.
mo.pherr rapidly AZ u greedy To get the
whole. Expose the newly burned char
coal week 10 the stmosphcr. AMI !,
will Increase In weight nv the exposure
In the air from IN 20 ~ per cent. II
pay. to kept thus exposed, /. the
charcoal makers nearly double their
money.
Chemist. have discovered that char.
coal I. capable 10 varying ". quality 81
absorption according Ia th. different
Kind. of coal aud wood from which IL u
made. som. qualltlc. are fine while
others are loose aud spongy and absorb
NOR, moisture than those of hnei
grades.
Their. are many great principles
worthy 10 remembering In charcoal. II
I. noted for removing offensive oior.,
and will check putrifsction-or gan
gr-n.. II will also .er,. a. powerful
snti.rptic. II will restore tainted mest'
u powdered aud rubbed aud careful,
washed oil. Sailor. going tn sea cat
burn the inside of water c,sks, for b,
thus charring them, ia. water will k-ei
pure and sweet for many weeks. Char
coal can b. made useful for preserving
many vegetable substance. containing
much moisture. po,stoe. when water,
can be- made dry. aud completely pre-
served. by the use 81 charcoal. Had
odors can ~ removed from cloths by
wrapping them In powdered chsr,oAl.
Hone black IL made 81 charcoal frou
bones. Ivory black, aud many o,hel
useful things are made of TIL. charcoal
In clarifying aud refining sugar, alec
for wines, ,lnegars aud .yrup.. different
quslitic. % charcoal are used. Tb'
henlficent use 81 charcoal on the soils ol
the earth, Ia manufacturing Fertilizers
pulyeriflng With lime AMI other pho.
phs,e.-is not generally enough under
stood. No power has yet measured it'
qualiiie. and chemical actions Will
other materials for plant food, e.pe
cl,lly where alkalie. and other minera
substances are needed.
SOMETHING or A PHILOSOPHER