The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-05-18
UTILIZING WASTE.
snwdust and shavingS, Once Thrown
Away, Are Very Useful.
From Che New York Times


F.. Not very many years ago both sawdust
and shavings were esteemed a disagreea-
bic waste. and were shunted as quickly as
possible into some handy river or stream.
or burned in heaps on waste ground.
Nowadays the bye-products of saving
and planning mills have become a con-
siderable source of revenue to the latter.
Sawdust was the first TO creep into general
use. Its availability for the packing ana
preservation of ice in ice houses has long
been public knowledge. Butchers shops,
saloons. and public waiting rooms of all
descriptions buy sawdust in quantity for
use in sweeping, as an absorbent of mois-
ture OF dirt OF every kind.
As machinery becomes cheaper and COM
petition in business necessitated economies
in every department. machines were con-
structed for compressing sawdust mixed
with glue and like material, to make the
composite mass as dense and compact as
possible. Briquettes are made of sawdust
and pitch or coal tar for kindling fires.
An especial quantity of light porous build
ing brick is prepared by subiecting clay
cement and sawdust to hydraulic pressure.
All tie sawdust from the hard woods
of every variety is reserved in separate
bins for sale TO those who compress II into
boards for use in the yeneering of cheap
furniture, or mold it under pressure into
imitation carving for modern picture
frames
Sawdust is purchased in quantity for the
filtration of crude sugar liquors in the
factories of the sugar trust. Asphalt
works utilize sawdust in their factories.
Its servlceabilty for the packing of bot
ties and glassware of all kinds is familiar
to all So universal is The use of saw
dust that 1t is now graded and sold ac-
cording to its porosity the coarser grades
usually commanding the better prices.
Large quantities of sawdust are useG
annually for admixture with artificial
hydroxide of iron for the publication of IL
Eliminating gas. There is, of course, no
chemical affinity between sawdust and im-
pure gas, but in order that the gas may
readily be forced through the purifying
mixture, a porous substance must be MIN
ged with the heavy powdered oxide OF
iron, and sawdust or shavings are utilized
because they are comparatively cheap anu
plentiful.
When it is necessary to fill the space be-
tween the outer and inner walls of houses
and other buildings to render them par
TALLY, if not wholly fireproof, sawdust Is
pounded into these spaces by hammers.
thus cutting off all draughts and circula-
ton of air. Buildings protected in this
fashion are warmer in winter and cooler
in summer than those less fortunately con-
structed, for sawdust is a non-conductor
of heat.
Many men gain their entire means of
existence by the sale of sawdust. One firm
in Brooklyn devotes it's energies solely 10
the purchase of this bye-product on year
ly contract with planning mills. agreeing
TO buy all they produce. This firm then
sells it wholesale or retail to smaller deal
ers, or dericetly TO the consumer. Some
idea of the magnitude of their business
may be gained from the estimate thar
their annual output of sawdust If spread
out on Broadway, New York, to the depth
of one foot. would cover that thorough
fare from curb TO curb from the Battery
10 Thirtyfourth street.
Somewhat later than the sawdust in
dusty took It's rise shavings came to be
utilized. These shavings are not the long
curls and ribbons of the smaller carpenter
shops, but short chips. about an inch
square, and are largely produced by box
factories and planning mills where dressed
lumber is prepared.
Shavings are sold in bulk by the wagon
load, in bags, and in large quantities in
bales. Baling is accomplished by pressing
the shavings into compact form in press
similar to that used in baling hay These
from breakage by laying strips of waste
lumber beneath the girdling wires.
The shavings industry finds it's largest
customer in the livery and stabling bust
ness, where it is used as bedding for
horses. In our large cities it may be had
cheaper than straw, and it Is generally
more economical, for the bed requires re-
newing less frequently. If it were more
generally known by farmers that the ma
nure made by decomposed shavings con-
tains more fertliZing properties than
straw manure they would be able to econ
omize both in cattle bedding and fertlIz-
ers. Straw, on account of it's hard sur
face and lack of substance, Is capable
of absorbing little of the urine. which is
rich in ammonia, but the shaving absorb
nearly all of the liquid, thus making a
drier bedding and richer manure.
Producers of shavings count on them
for their entire boiler fuel nowadays. The
modern planning mill sucks all of the
shavings, directly they are made, through
a huge pipe and suction below into
storage bin, whence they are drawn, as
required, by other blowers, and forced up
on the hearths below the boilers, thus dis
pensng with hand labor entirely; thus
fuel costs little or nothing in a lumber
mill.