The record-union., 1893-09-09
GARBAGE DISPOSAL.
The Great Incinerating Works in
Philadelphia.
Admiration of the Medical Fraternity
and Leading Sanitary
Experts.

Experts.
There is no problem that confronts a
municipality so important as that which
concerns its health. The questions as to q
pure water supply, or the proper method
OF drainage, or the rapid and speedy dis
posal OF its garbage are equally vital. a
mistake in either is sufficient to produce
an epidemic and consequent loss Of lie,
the memory of which no financial eX-
penditure could ever eface. \ sugges-
tion or an appliance that is in the line Of
progress and improvement is always
gladly welcomed and the originator
hailed, and very properly, too, as a pub
lie benefactor. 1t is in this connection
that the admirable work of the American
Incinerating Company is receiving the
commentator of all familiar with what
is being daily accomplished by it in the
southern section of this city. Established
first this year, more as an experiment to
test the efficacy Of destroying garbage by
IRE, 1t has already proven distinct sue
cess, ana 1t is extremely probable that in
the near future the garbage oil the entire
city VIII be disposed of III tnls way.
1t has been said that the "slOp barrel is
breeder Of disease" The sanitary re-
moval and destruction OF the garbage OF a
pOpulOus city is question oi absorbing
interest, particularly at this time, when
strong efforts are being made to guard
against deadly epidemic threatened
from abroad. In the putreiactiOn OF dis
Carded vegetable matter turks home
menace to the health OF the community.
Iis fact lends great interest to the very
al
initial efforts OF The American Incinerat-
ing Company. The Well-equipped plant
OF the concern on w aShlngtOn avenue,
above Fifteenth street, has excited the
investigation and Won the admiration OF
the medical fraternity and the leading
sanitary experts. In the gigantic furnaces
OF this spacious building there is re-
duced to ashes daily the carefully
gathered garbage OF that extensive dis
trict comprising the First, Second, Third,
Fourth, Twenty y-siXth, Ihirtieth, Thirty
sixth Wards and portion OF the Seventh
Ward. That section, which, including
what are known as the river wards, takes
in large part Of the slums of PhiIadel-
phia, has a total population OF about 3UO
UlO persons. Tins means that the AmerI-
can Incinerating Company collects and
destroys utterly the garbage OF a popu-
lation bigger than that of the District OF
Columbia; twice as large as that of the
GAl4L6 toLdLC VI AGAdA3AGy tlIt6 LlIIlCS As
large as indianapolis, and exceeding
Tittsburg by $4,000 Not a bad record tor
an establishment not q year Oldl
The garbage Inclneratlug plant is the
largest Of It's kind in the country, and
already other cities are beginning to send
councilmanic or aldermanic committees
to inspect It's workings with q view to its
Introduction. The plant received nota-
ble praise III the recent official report OF
the joint special committee OF BOston's
Board OF Aldermen and City Council,
which visited Philadelphia in the early
part OF the present year. The visitors
spent an entire day at the plant and re-
turned TO the Hub with a most lavora Die
report as to this method OF disposing OF
garbage The method OF iucineration
adopted by the company is the invention
Oi \ Oah bowling, who also acts as the
general Superintendent. The uestruc-
tion OF garbage by burning is not a new
idea, but Mr.. Dowliug carried it further
toward perlecuOu Lhat has been attained
in any other system OF inclneraJion.
either in London, or elsewhere. His in
NenuVe- ability, coupled with the great
executive ca aclty OF the company in col
locting and handling the garbage over 50
extensive territory, has demonstrated
the entire practicability OF incinerating
refuse at an economic cost,
The scheme of collection and destruc-
ton Is complete in every detail and ad-
mlTaDle in every way. The work, Of
course, is done under contract with the
city, and while just now its cOntrac5 only
provides for the collection and iucinera-
tlOn OF the garbage Of the First Tor south
ernJ District, the system has proved so
elective that next year ii Will be ex-
tended TO the Fifth District and there
after to the remaining sections OF the CITY
as fast as plants can be built. The COM
pany has but recently erected an incin-
Grating furnace at Twenty street and
Snyder avenue, which viii be utilized in
consuming the garbage collected from the
Fifth District
The carts used in the collection of the
garbage merit a description, luasmuch as
1t is through them only that thousands OF
people know anything OF the great work
that is gong on in their very midst. The
garbage and otlal collection carts are con
structed OF steel, with close iointures to
prevent leaking, and designed with steel
lids or covers that close hermeticallv.
making them absolutely odorless, Tie
carts are similar to those in use in New
ork and are OF not displeasing shane.
Not satisfied with constructing tie cart so
as to avoid all nOisOme exhalations or
Grippings, the tail piece slopes and the
vehicle IN dumping can be turned to such
an angle as to completely empty il with
out the use even OF a spade. To still
further guarantee absolute cleanliness
LAlt Cdl u are treated Win lime before be-
ing loaded, and after unloading thew
are thoroughly washed out. They arc
thus Kept in an absolutely clean state All
the time. Upon arrival at the furnaces at
asmngton avenue the garbage is mixed
with powerful disinlectant and dumUel
on screen directly over a large drain lit,
which is properly trapped. The liuuil
drains through the screen into the pit and
then 10 the sewer. The retained solid
matter is then run through an Ingenious
press and fed through pipes to the fur
mace by two Archimedan screws. The
feeding Is done very slowly, thereby Sc
curing complete incineration
There are TWO reyerberatory furnaces
one Is p feet long and the other is Ia
feet in length. Each furnace is ~ feet
wide at the bottom. The hight is ; feet
the rCof being arched. The stack is 70
feet high. These furnaces have a de-
slructive capacity OF $50 tons in twenty
four hours. The fuel used is oil. 4
steam pipe connects with the oil supplv
near the outlet; the steam sprays the oil.
which, when ignited, creates almost a
blowpipe heat The intensity OF the heat
near the stack is POO Fahrenheit, and
at the front end OF the furnace it is >, 500,
according TO desire. There are six OF