Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-01-07
SOME NEW USES OF PEAT
Scarcely Any Textile Fabrics Which Cannot
Be Made From Il.
Has Advantages Over Cotton or Wool
Dogs Are Sure to Have
Great Value.

Ii"ih tie ScAtHtiiic tuieIlcal
One of the most interesting and attractive
exhibits at the Vienna exposition of last
year was a building containing the most
diverse articles made from peat. Every
thing in the building, from the carpets on
the floor to the curtains at the windows and
the paper on the WALL and been made from
peat. These were but representatives of
what will undoubtedly soon become a great
industry and give to the peat boys of the
world a value never before dreamed of.
Credit for the discovery of the possibilities
of peat belongs chiefly to a Vienna gentle
man, Herr Karl A. Zschorner. His investi-
cations into its nature began some twelve
years ago with study by means of the mi
croscope of what is called in Austria
torfsueu.' This is the layer of moss
which covers the surface of most peat boys.
1t has hitherto. by those who have made
Use of the peat for fuel, been at consid-
cradle expense removed and thrown away.
Herr Zschorner's examination showed that
the plant remains which make up this layer
abound in hollow, spiral cells These alb
serb water and other fluids with great avid
ity. While ordinary straw cannot absorb
over four times it's weight of fluids, this
peat straw Will absorb ten times It's weight.
The peat straw, moreover possesses the
antiseptic and disinfectant qualities of peat.
qualities which have long been known, but
of which little use has been made. Herr
drying the straw and using it as an alb
sorbent in stables. breweries and various
manufactures. For such purpose it proved
most admirably adapted and the demand
for the product soon grew large. Having
greater absorptiye power than ordinary
straw. the peat straw can be used much
longer in any given place, and yet will have
proportionally greater manurial value. 1t
gives healthy, resilient footing also for
animals. For packing of both perishable
and breakable articles 1t is also better than
ordinary straw. since it is more elastic and
less easily penetrated by heat and cold.
Herr Zschorner did not rest his investi ga
tions here. A further study of the peat
itself showed that it was very largely made
up of fbers. These fibers come from the
remains Of reeds and grasses, which, grow
ing and dying in successive generations,
form the peat. In their submergence the
reeds and grasses suffered no anatomical
change but their physical and chemical
character became entirely different. The
organic substance of the plant became
inorganic, so that nothing capable of fer
mentation or decay was left, while the fib-
rouS structure remained intact. These
fbers then were found to have unusual
physical properties They were found to
be very durable, very elastic, to be nom
conductors of heat and non-combusttble
If a fabric could be woven from them, it
would be one possessing unique properties.
To the toughness of linen it would add the
warmth of wool, an absorbent power great
er than that of cotton. and the indestructi-
woven without the aid of oils or water, or
much of it's value would be lost.
After twelve years of experimenting Herr
Zschorner succeeded in making the peat
fbers weavable. There is now, therefore,
scarcely any textile article which cannot
be made from peat. Coats, hats, carpets,
rugs, ropes, mating and pillows some
of the articles which have been made. and
have been found useful. What superiority
these will prove to have in practice over
fabrics made from other fibers only time
Will tell. Some Of them have, however, already
been proved to be immensely superior to
any other fabrics. This is especially true
of the blankets and other coverings used
for horses and cattle. for they greatly eX-
eel In warmth, absorbent power, cleanl-
ness and durability. The unspun fiber
promises to be n valuable substitute for
absorbent cotton, since it will not only alb
Sorb much greater quantity of blood and
other fluids than cotton, but it possesses
powerful antiseptic properties as well. The
coarser fiber 1t Is expected will come into
favor for use in upholstery work. its ex-
traordinary elasticity making 1t most yalu-
able for this purpose.
The latest achievement of the discoverer
of the uses of peat has been the making
of paper from its fiber. This has been car
ried to such an extent that paper of al
most every variety of weight and quality
can be made. while the toughness and dura-
any kind of vegetable pulp. The above are
but few of the uses to which this re-
markable fiber be put, but they indi-
cate possibilities which may yet rank peat
boys among the most valuable of the
world resources.