The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-08-13
FIRE PROCEED MOOD
Il Withstands a Heat That
Would Melt Iron.
HOW THE TRICK is DONE
Uses to Which It Is Put De-
mand for 1t Growing.

New York. Aug. 12-Ths Evening Post
says: All the wood which has been used
in the construction Of the United States
battleships. cruisers and torpedo boats for
the last four years has come from single
little yard on the East River. filed with
great piles OF boards that look a. II they
had been washed ashore from some wreck
after floating for months, until they were
soaked with brine. Their weathered ap-
rearance is due TO the fact that they have
been subjected to a fre-proofing process
by which all pitch and resin aqre driven
cut of the pores Of the wood. and certain
phosphates OF amonia forced in As seen
in the yard they are stacked up for sew
eral months air-drying. After that no
heat or fame can destroy them.
The manager Of the hre-proofng works
by way of Illustrating the efficacy Of his
methods. will take q piece Of the wood
and toss it into ore Of the big feTnacsa.
easily melt iron Taking II out IN ten
minutes afterward. one finds II 90 BE
charred to a depth OF one-sixteenth Of an
irch or so. but It does not carry the ghost
of a spark or a flame. nor q thread OF
smoke. Split open. II shows clean white
wood from surface TO core. not a fibre in
jured by the heat to which II has been
subjected.
The main part OF the works in which
this is accomplished consists Of two huge
cylinders seven feet in diameter and one
hundred and six feet long. Little railroad
tracks, thirty inches wide. run along the
bottoms of these, connecting with the
tracks that reach all parts Of the yard.
Law. nat cars with hoops Ike those Of a
''prairie schooner" run on the track.
and on these bright new lumber Is piled
in Cylindrical loads. under the hoops.
When a string Of cars is ready to run
into the cylinder a wire cable Is run over
a complicated system Of pulleys and hook
ed TO the last car. the donkey engine ree-s
in the cable, and the cars slide into the
long tunnel. The door Is closed and made
firm against pressure by radiating lever
bolts. Then the cylinder Is filled with
steam at comparatively low pressure. I'M
I'll the wood is thoroughly softened The
steam Is then drawn out and air exhaust
ed In the cylinder, drawing the moisture
out Of the wood, and with It everything
else which Is in the pores. leaving them
empty and ready for the next process. A
compressor sends into the cylinder a solu-
ton Of phosphates and sulphates Of am
monia under high pressure. which forces
it into the hbres OF the wood and thor
Oushly impesnates every plank with the
solutionA
Though conducted on Wholesale scale.
the process Is a delicate one, and Is watch
ed at every stage by the manager. who
Is also the inventor and perfector OF the
process. with as jealous care as a house
wife watches her preserve-kettIes. THIS
care is necessary to make good the boast
OF the company. that their process Is the
only one which does not impair the
strength. or render II unit for sheIlack-
ing or polishing. A few degrees too much
heat, or a few pounds too much pressure
and the process would not be thorough.
The amount OF pressure necessary varies
from 50 to 10 pounds 10 the square inch.
according TO the kind OF wood which Is
being treated. A close-grained wood like
not only can stand more pres
sure than pine. but requires II in order
to force the salution to the core Of the
thick planks. The manager must know
Just what pressure each wood requirts,
what is more, he must see that Il gets IL.
MY engineer IL a good mechanic" he
says but don't trust him IN this case.
Where the mistake means the running %
thousands OF feet Of valuable lumber.
prefer TO keep an eye on things myself"
So he watches the pressure-gauges when
he IL al the works. and requires hourly
by telephone when he Is away. When the
little cars OF steaming planks are drawn
put OF the cylinders. he stands by. she
Ing on a chip here and there with his
knife. examining Il with a knowing eye,
tasting II. and pulling II into shreds. Then
he goes 70 a pair OF scales and has the
bring him sample planks from
the various cars. Many Of ;he planks are
weighed before they are treated. and their |
NelSuL i stamped on Inem- 4ney are 1
wighed again and measured. and the
manager calculates whether. when they |
are dry. they will contain six ounces Of
solution the foot When the |
7lanks first come oy: OF the cylinders
-hey weigh nearly twice as much "a
when they went in One or two planrJs
are sawed completely across, 90 see that |
the solution has permeated the entire |
fbre.
Government and private orders make |
more work than these two cylinders. big |
IS they are. can handle. and plans are
being made for six new plants which |
will greatly Increase the output The
company which has the British righss on
the invention supplies wood for the navies |
u Great Britain. France. Denmark. japan |
md Norway. and \ al work now hiling |
orders for the woodwork OF The new |
Tacht for Queen Victoria One OF two
u The new doEE-toEn ONCE Buildings are |
furnished with wood ;hus trszted. and |
many private houses are being built Of q.
Is X Increases III cost Of construction by |
,niy or per cent