The morning times., 1895-07-26

The report of Health Officer Wood ward
concerning the various systems of dis
posing of garbage, which he has studied,
was handed 10 the Commissioners yes
terday.
In this he embraces an account of the ad-
vantages of each system. AS a result
or his Investigations he is OF the opinion
that the Engle, Bro wu, Brownlee, and Dixon
furnaces might be used in Washington for
the destruction OF garbage without creating
nuisance
The Engle crematory has been used in
this country for the destruction or garbage
ionger aud more extensively than any other
This furnace" says DIR. Woodward,
was constructed that the material
to be burned could be dumped into it from
the carts or wagons thrsLgh openings in
the top. Within the furnace it rested ON
crate. Combustion was secured by means
OF three fires fed with OIL one situated
above the crate, near the chimney, and
directed towards the other end of the
furnace, a secoud situa ted below the
CRATE at the end OF the furnace away from
the chimney and directed to ward the Chin
ney, aud third in the flte or chimney TO
destroy any foul gases escaping from the
other fires After the furnace was fairly
burn any but the first fire
WOULDN'T CREATE A NUISANCE
1.-THE Engle Crematory can in my tudg
ment. be operated in this city without Gre
ating a nuisance. A fume crematory should
be provided, however, as in the Worlds
Fair furnace. to aid in securing perfect COIN
bustion OF outgoing gases.
The Brownlee crematory resembles very
IL
is so arranged that material to be burned is
dumped into openings in the top, falls on
crate, and is subjected to the action OF a
fire passing over it, away from the flue,
and second fire passing under ii toward the
flue.
"A third fire is located in the flue to de-
stroy offensive effluent gases. The bottom
OF the furnace is filled with sand to absorb
water finding its way through the CRATE so
as to permit its slow evaporation.
This furnace, can, in my judgment, be
operated in this city without creating
nuisance"
The Rotary Crematory, which works on
the same principle that is used in roasting
ores, the health officer says has never been
practically applied to the incineratiou OF
of garbage.
OTHER SYSTEMS.
"An inspection of the operation of the
Dixon Crematory in burning garbage was
made at the recently-constructed Dixon
Crematory at Camden, n. J. The material
burned approximated more or less closely
the garbage OF this city. From a sani-
tary standpoint the test was successful.
The improved MertZ is being tried ex-
perimentally at BlissvilIe, L. L, by the
Mertz Company. 1t closely resembles the
Arnold process. The garbage is dumped
into iron tanks where it is digested by steam
nd oytr iS ,r-ba
moved from the tank, sterile and practically
dry. Tin cans, etc, are picked out aud the
tankage pressed to remove the remaining
water and grease The residue is dried by
steam and ground for fertilizer.
This is superior to the Arnold process,
because of the dry condition of the gar
bage when removed from the digesting
tank, which permits 1t to be sorted (tin
cans etc, removed) with a minimum Of
nuisance and no danger of contagion.
This process might be operated in this
city without nuisance under tie condi-
tions specified in my previous report on
the Slmonln ana MertZ reduction SystemS."
The result OF his Investigations is sum
married. by the health officer as follows:
SUMMARY OF INVESTIGATION.
"The following reduction processes have
been examined: The American reduction,
the Mertz, the improved Mertz, the Simonin,
and the Arnold processes Each of these
has for it's object the extraction of grease
and the preparation of the residue, known
as tankage, which is used for mixing with
phosphates for purposes of making market
able fertilizer. In the American reduc-
ton process the phosphate is added to the
tankage during the course of reduction. In
the others the tankage is sold TO dealers in
fertilizer, to be mixed by them.
The extraction of grease is accom-
plished in the Simonin and Mertz by naph-
tha; in the Arnold and improved Mertz,
by steam and in the American reduction
by steam and sulphuric acid. In the Ar
mold and improved Mertz heavy presses
are used to remove from the tankage as
much water and grease as possible
"All OF those process ses involve certain
amount of handling of the garbage, grease
| andtankage, with the Odors incidenttheretO.
The method by which these odors INDY be
cared for has been indicated in a previous
! report, namely, their destruction by fire.
| This is an expensive procedure, requiring
| the construction of a special yentilating
| apparatusand ndthemaintenanceo ofventjlation
| by mechanical means. In a prOperly-con-
! structed building with suitable apparatus of
| this kind and under rigid supervision, it
| might be possible TO maintain reduction
! process with as little nuisance as it is pos
| sible to maintain in crematory.
| CREMATORIES INSPECTED.
I
inspected: The Rider, Engle, Brown Smith,
| Dixon and Brownlee.
I'm the selection of a method for the
disposal of garbage, and in consideration of
the methods which have been examined
| tits neces Sary TO separate circumstance W hich
may arise from the improper management
| of q properly constructed crematory or
| reduction plant, and that which must nee
| arilV owing tn The method itself
Any one OF the reduction processes which
| 1 have examined is in itself a nuisance.
| Any of them may, in my jUdeg ment,
| be maintained in this city in a tightly
| constructed building with perfect system
of artificial ventilation and decomposition
| of noxious gases by means of fire.
This, it will be observed is not part
| of the reduction process, but method
especially provided for preventing nuisance
arising from that process and is equally
applicable to all. The Rider crematory
| has not been examined while burning pure
| garbage, such as is collected in this city.
| 1t differs so in principle from all others that
| | do not feel warranted in expressing an
! opinion as to its merits. The Smith crema-
tory will successfully destroy garbage, and
its only defect the leakage of water, has
| been referred to above.
FINAL CONCLUSIONS.
1.-THE Engle and Brown crematories have
both been employed to destroy such gar
| bage as is collected here and have done
so successfully.
Neither the Brownlee nor the Dixon
have been examined while employed forthis
| purpose, but from their resemblance to the
Engle and Brown crematories 1 think they
might probably, with a few slight modifi-
cations, be so employed
| LAS the result of nv Investigations am