The record-union., 1893-03-07
the present dangerous way of treating
offensive and worthless matters"

colonel Morse for the present method of
garbage disposal in New York is crema-
ton, or the destruction by fire of the en-
TIRE refuse of the city, with the exception,
OF course, of ashes. These latter can
still be dumped as now and at compara-
lively small expense, if not mixed with
vegetable or animal matter. Colonel
Morse advocates the Immediate building
OF number OF small furnaces or crema-
tories, larger than but similar to the one
at present in successful and constant
operation at the foot of East Sixteenth
street, to be located in different parts of
the city, chiefly along the water fronts on
both sides of the city. Others can be
erected IN vacant lots, temporarily, per-
maps, IN the upper part of the city.
10 these crematories would be hauled,
IN tightly closed carts, every hour, by
night as well as by day. the refuse pro-
duct of stables, markets, shambles, fac
tories, shops and the household, there to
be utterly destroyed off the face of the
earth, including all the noXious gases
and odors, leaving nothing but the ashes,
full purified. These ashes, by the way,
1t is believed, could be made the source
of some revenue to the city as fertilizers,
to be sold to the market gardeners of
Long Island and New Jersey.
MASSACHUSETTS LEADS.
AS usual in matters of this kind. Mas
Northern and Eastern States. The city
OF Lowell last fall, Immediately after the
cholera scare, contracted for the erection
of one Of the large-size crematories,
which was duly built and put i'll practical
operation about the lst of January. A
staff correspondent of the New York
Times made a visit TO Lowell on Satur-
day and saw the machine in full blast
Like most valuable inventions, it is one
OF simplicity.
Described briefly, it is an empty cham
ber, with two 1ireboxes and a tall chim-
ney. The chamber is for the reception of
garbage. One fire at one end is for its de-
struction and the second fire, at the other
end, is for the burning of the smoke,
clnders, gases and fumes as they pass out
and over in the attempt to 90 up the
chimney tlue
At the time of the visit the furnace was
III fulI operation, but nothing could be
seen issuing from the top OF the high
chimney save thin film OF white smoke
or steam, while not the least odor of
any Kind was apparent from any side of
it.
Considerable opposition was made al
nrst TO the location of the crematory at
Lowell, 1t being within a mile and half
OF the center OF the city and in the midst
OF number OF dwelling houses; but, as
day after day went by with no unpIeas-
health of the neighborhoOd, all opposition
was withdrawn.
THE CREMATORY.
The crematory is inclosed in house
made Of corrugated iron, forty-five feet
long by twenty-five feet wide. IL stands
about twenty feet from the line of the
street in what appeared to have been a
sand bank. A platform from the street
leads directly TO the top of the furnace,
q lnnty Of lo /, l..
opened, for the reception of teams.
The teams drive upon the platform
back up to the house doors, and dump
their loads upon a chute made of steel
plates which slope toward a number of
holes IN the top OF the furnace One of the
holes IS large enough to admit the body
of horse, and whatever the nature Of the
material thrown down, it quickly falls
or Is raked into the holes. and descends
into the malstrom of flames passing be-
meath. The holes are ordinarily covered
with flre-clay plates, Withdrawn and re-
placed by the aid of iron handles. When
the apertures are uncovered there is
strong downward draft, and no odor is
apparent upon the promises save that
from the material as it is dumped. A
hose and brush, however, quickly clean
off the platform, and the roaring fire
takes care of all the waste, both liquid
and solid.
THE FURNACE.
The furnace, or crematory itself, is
rectangular brick structure, thirty-tive
feet long. ten feet wide and twelve feet
high, with stack thirty feet of brick and
sixty feet OF iron. At each end of the.
furnace, on line with the garbage
CRATES, which are set inside, half way
from the top TO the bottom, are the fire
boxes, and at the stack end are hues into
the chimney, closed by heavy fire-clay
slabs. The interior walls are lined with
heavy fire-clay blocks, accurately fitted
together, backed on the outside by
heavy brick wall, braced and bound to-
gether with stays, rods and angle irons.
The furnace being charged, the fires are
lighted, first at the front and atterward at
the rear end. The flames from the first
fire pass over and through the mass of
garbage, piled upon the CRATES, driving
the smoke and gases into and across the
second fire, where they are consumed.
The flames from the second fire are by
the action OF strong draft brought back
underneath the garbage CRATES, intensely
heating the mass from below. When
liquids are to be destroyed, part of the
heat and flame is directed under the
hearth or pan, and all the contents are
quickly evaporated and burned. All the
odors, sgases and products of conbus-
ton are passed through one or the other
OF the fires, there being no escape except
across the fire boxes.
COST AND BENEFITS.
The ashes, as they fall through the gar
bage grating, are ralled out OF a range of
doors on one side of the furnace below
the platform, and from time to time. as re-
quired, the garbage is stirred up and dis
trlbuted over tie CRATES by iron bars
thrust through an upper range of stoke
doors. The cost of this crematory was in
the neighborhood of $4,000. and the cost
OF its operation, involving the services of
two laborers and the burning of a ton and
half OF coal day, is an additional ex-
penSe, but the city swilI houses are aboI- |
ished, along with the system of selling
the garbage to farmers with which to feed
swine and perhaps milch cows, as has
been done; and the city authorities and
chief property-owners are satisfied with
the change and the extra charges in view
OF the results.
Boston is experimenting with various
kinds of crematories, oil and coal burn
ers, and will probably, according to the
report of the health authorities, adopt the
cremating system before the warm
weather sets in.
IN THE SOUTH.
In the Southern cities garbage crema-
tories have become quite numerous and
are still increasing, owing TO the greater
uanger OF epidemic diseases in warm
climates. The work OF a crematorv in
Savannah Ga, during eleven months of
1892 gives an interesting idea as TO what
the garbage of city of 65 600 inhabitants
consists OF and OF its quantity. During
the time mentioned there were burned
5,473 loads of garbage, or II, III cubic
yards; Oil loads of night soil, euualing
5,675 cubic yards; 80 cows, 10 horses, i5
goats, 623 dogs, LOO cats, 70 barrels OF
fish, Il barrels of onions, 3S barrels of
apples, 1862 pounds OF meat, u, ~ head
OF poultry, loads OF oranges, Is loads OF
bananas, IL loads of cocoanuts, / lofd of