The record-union., 1893-04-14
GARBAGE DISPOSAL.
How Lowell Disposes of Garbage by
Cremation, the Only Proper Way.

How Lowell Disposes Of Garbage by
Cremation, the Only Proper Way.
Lowell, Mass, Journal, March 31stl
The much-talked-of crematory of the
Board of Health at Ayers CITY, SUBJ
urban part of Lowell, has been fitted with
the necessary apparatus for using petro-
leum as fuel, and the test made Monday
is pronounced a most satisfactory one.
Under the direction OF Colonel w. +.
Morse OF the Engle Garbage Crematory
Company boiler, engine, blower and oil
pump have been added to the plant, to-
gether with the necessary piping. To Sc
cure the best results from the oil it must
be sprayed or atomlZed, and the flame
from 1t must fill the furnace the same as
coal ire. This result has been obtained
in the apparatus now in use at the crema-
tory.
The burner used is tube four inches
in diameter, bent at a right angle, one
arm being two feet long ana the other one
loot. There are two smaller pipes inside
this large tube, one of which is inside the
other. The end of the burner shows three
openings. From the center one comes
the steam; from the next one, a narrow
rim outside the steam pipe, comes the oil,
and from the last and largest circle of 81 x
outside holes in the face of the burner
comes the air, which is pumped or forced
Thus the oil from the tank outside flows
by gravity to the burner, where it is taken
by the air current, which completely sur
rounds the oil, and carries it from four to
fifteen feet as body of glowing flame.
By peculiar spiral method of boring the
airholes in tie face of the burner a rotary
motion is given to this burning flame,
causing it TO expand and ill the whole
chamber.
If necessary, steam jet can be en-
ployed instead of air, or both may be
used together. The combustion produced
by using both air and steam is the most
tremendous heat that can be produced by
artificial means-too powerful for any
thing to stand but few moments Iron
1nelts at 200 degrees, and this heat will
be nearly 1000 degrees. Under usual
conditions, only 2,500 degrees to 5000 de-
grees will be used to destroy garbage.
The action of this body of live flame
playing directly upon pile of household
otfal is very striking.
The water is first evaporated, then the
animal matter is consumed, and last of
all the vegetable part is burned up. A
current OF air takes all the ashes into the
lower chamber. The product of this COM
oustlon, which Is carbonic acid at q tenn
perature of 1000 degrees, passes into the
90-teet smoke stack and thence into the
air, where it is quickly dissipated.
Each day there is collected from 10 to
u loads OF garbage, averaging 1900
pounds each, or II cubic yards, and from
to 10 cubic yards of house and store
dirt, sweepings and the like. Ii all were
brought in at one time it would take ONLY
about four hours to consume it, but there
are two collections with all interval of
four hours between them, so that the
work is greatly prolonged beyond the
real time required.
The foregoing is sent to us by J. A,
Stuart. who is visiting the State and is a
citizen of Lowell. The system of crema-
ton of garbage is the only correct one,
The RECoRD-UNIoN has clearly and fire.
quently pointed that out. 1t has shown
that the dumping system is more ex-
pensive, dangerous to health and in vio-
lation of sanitary laws. More than that,
the State law now forbids garbage dump
ing within city limits or a quarter of a
mile outside OF them. Garbage disposal,
therefore, will presently cost our people
still more because of the longer haul. A
garbage crematory is a need, and as a
health and economic device ought to be
ordered erected here at once.
TEST IN BOSTON.
The garbage crematory erected in the
city otfal-yard at the foot of East Brook
line street, on Albany street, by the
Brown Developing Company, was tested
to-day in the presence OF members of the
city government, and the results were
apparently quite satisfactory. The Gre
matory is about twenty-three feet lone.
ten feet wide and ten feet high, and has
friedrich walls foot thick, covered
with boiler steel, braced with great iron
rods to keep them from being forced
apart by the heat. The receptacle for the
nar hoca has "a oan of
and is fed through openings in the top
with iron covers. The furnace in which
the fire is started is part of the structure.
and is fed with crude petroleum con-
Quoted by means of pipes from large
tank a considerable distance away. A
wood fire is first started and then the oil
is turned on, and, with other devices for
generating infiammable gases, an intense
heat is soon produced. a blower, run by
Il siX-power steam engine, forces
this fiery mass into the receptacle
for the garbage, which is slowly fed
in until 1t becomes burning mass.
After that the combustion is very rapid,
the garbage disappearing almost as
rapidly as 1t can be shoveled in. There
are two chambers for its reception, and
there is system of draughts by which
all the smoke and gases go from one to
the other, making a complete circuit of
the crematory, and then what is left es-
Gaping TO the air through a high CHM
ney. In this test to-day all kinds of stuff
were fed into the furnace Just as they
came from the places where they were
collected, tin cans, bottles, bones and
similar matter being disposed OF. From
twenty-five to thirty gallons of oil, cost
ing about three cents a gallon, were used
each hour, consuming from four to five
tons of otfal an hour. Scarcely any ashes
are made. The amount of garbage col
lecteG by the city each day is two hun
dred tons, and it is estimated that this
can all be consumed by four furnaces at
a cost of about p cents a ton. The whole
operation is remarkably free from odor,
and scarcely an offensive smell is notice.
able as coming from the furnace.-Boston
Transcript, February 10th.