The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1897-04-06
MILL WASTES.
Mr.. Mcdowell Has a
Plan for Treating Them.
AS Explained to Committee
1t Seemed Practical.
BY II the Refuse From Woolen Mills
Can Be Made Valuable.

The joint special committee of the city
council on manufacturers waste held an
open meeting in Clerk Hayden's Office
this forenoon and for two hours listened TO
tho address Of Henry Burton III. Mcdowell
on new process of wool washing and
also on method for utilizing the waste.
His proposition in brief is TO establish "a
plant and get from all the woolen mills,
by system of pipe lines, all Of their
waste, separate the product, recover from
the wool scourings the potash, recover
from the dye waste the indigo and utilize
the sand and dssmanure for fertilizer.
He claims that If he can be assured Of
the waste resulting from the handling OF
twenty fine million pounds of wool
annually that his income from potash
alone would be $3.50, 600.
He offers TO give bonds, build his plant,
relieve the city of the nuisance caused by
the waste going into the river and his re-
ward will be the profit on the byproducts.
A good many questions were asked by
Chairman George l.. Vose md other
members of the committee but they were
for information on different points rather
thrn for the sake of criticism.
The temper of the meeting was friendly
to the suggestion and the next step will
be to hear from the manufacturers.
Another meeting will be held within
thirty days and the millmen will be
asked2toDattend.
An abstract of Mr.. McDowell's state
ment is as follows:
One of the greatest evils which the city
OF Providence Is suffering from is the ex-
cessive use OF soap in wool washing
Wool is largely gelatine and TO bring it
in contact with hot alkali is Injurious
to the fabric. The manufacturer there
fore must decide between the evil of not
cleaning his wool well or that of in
juring Ii.
He must clean his whole wool and TO
the present time the manufactures could
not have done any differently in the city
of Providence
Mr.. Mcdowell made the point that the
manufacturers throw away as waste
$40, 600 worth year OF the very substance
that would make a perfect carding oil.
And the same thing Is true of potash,
which Is thrown into the stream at the
rate of S250, 600 worth year.
The best way TO get rid of the waste
would be to establish plant and utilize
IL. such an enterprise, Mr.. Mcdowell
claimed, would yield an income of $3.50,
600 on the potash alone and "A new indus
try would be created instead of hamper
ing those already established. The nui-
sapcc would be abolished and everyb body
would be satisfied.
The method which Mr.. Mcdowell
recommends is called the solvent pro-
CeSS, buuu IL, tic ClctnluS Oh WOOl Dy inc
hydrocarbon process.
One incidental argument I'm favor Of
this method has been advanced by Ed
ward Atkinson from the point of view Of
the fire insurance underwater. He says
that the carding oils ordinarily used are
liable to spontaneous combustion. The
claim offered in opposition TO this
method, that the oil I'm the pith of wool
renders it liable to destruction by the
hydrocarbon method, is all nonsense, for
the reason that there is absolute chemical
proof that there is no oil in the wool
pith. To prove this the speaker cited the
case of one big concern where naphtha is
used for the very reason that instead of
injuring the fabric, it actually enhances
its value.
Mr. Mcdowell, however did not recom-
mend the use of naphtha. His method is
called the Winfield Vutee Mckinney pro-
cess. This Is TO be used on a lot of wool
at Lawrence, where special works are
being set up for il. and it was heartily
endorsed as the ideal way for the manu-
facturers of Rhode Island. The oil used
has a high melting point and is perfectly
satisfactory to the fire insurance people.
The grease used does not go TO waste
but is caught in still where il is refined
as well Us preserved. The manure and
sand Is caught in fine mesh. The pure
water evaporates and goes into the atmos-
phere leaving behind n valuable potash
product.
The plan Is also consistent with the
modern theories of san ttry engineers by
which different ingredients are kept
separate and in control.
In conclusion he made the prophecy
that In ten years no wooden manufacturers
will clean their own wool