The daily morning journal and courier., 1902-10-13
PEAT FOR THE CANADIANS.
Bogs to Be Utilized for Heat and for
 Other Purposes.

Down at Newington peat works are now being established and by the 1st of November it is hoped to have in operation a plant capable of turning out fifty tons of peat per day. Out side of the one at Newington the vicin- ity of Ottawa-notably Mere Bleu- contains many extensive bogs of peat, and the time is opportune for testing the practical utility of that product, for not only may it relieve the present situation, but also be suitable for per manent use in the future. A brick building about 100 by 25 feet is now be- ing erected at Newington and machin- CT imported from Germany will be used in treating the material.
 Some features regarding the peat in- dustry as a whole, the process of pre- pairing it, and it's general usefulness will be of interest at this time. In the city at present is Professor c. A. Sahl- strom, a Swedish chemist, who is an expert in the business, and to Citi- zen reporter he gave some information of value on the subject. The professor Is out her for the purpose of demon- strating his process of peat treatment, and he claims that under the magic wand of science the product of the brown bog may not only be converted into fuel but also into spirits. acetic acid, ammonia, tar, fiber for paper mak~ ing and a brown color for dyeing.
 Professor Sahlstrom is a graduate of the University of Berlin, and a for- x,,oo nF ha 1yo, of the famous gun. He says that peat with heating capacity greater than anthracite can be placed on the market for $4 per ton. He also asserts that all previous attempts to carbonate peat for fuel have either destroyed valuable hy-products or left them in the peat, where they reduced it's value as fuel, whereas by proper treatment these should be saved and the fuel left in 8 better condition. The by-products ex- tracted from a ton of peat are worth $5 A ton of compressed peat occupies 30 cubic feet of space while a ton of coal occupies 45 feet. Putting it an- l other way, ton of anthracite coal produces IA, 200 units of heat, while a ton of compressed peat produces over 150o0 units.
 The process is equally applicable to sawdust At present thousands of dol- 1 lars are spent in building Instructors and in running them simply to get rid of a commodity. which, the professor claims, should be of great value. Out of peat may also be manufactured fiber for papermaking, costing but S17 per ton. A spirit very similar to methlated spirits is another product. Tar from peat Professor Sahlstrom says, is equal to the best. The cost of drying the material for fuel purposes is but 65 cents per ton, while plant capable of an annual output of 50,000 tons may be constructed for $5O,00O. The peat needs to be treated only about two hours. Another important use to which the product of peat may be put, Professor Sahlstrom states, is as preserver for all perishable goods. It absorbs the moisture occasioned by the sweating of fruit, eggs and meat and is a non conductor of heat.
 When, however, the fuel question is the expressing topic, and while peat is being suggested as a substitute for coal, people will be interested in the method and process of it's manufacture. By iudicious draining of the bog the water can first be reduced about 30 per cent. The peat is plowed up to depth of six or nine inches and left to dry in the sun for few days, when it is re- moved to the factory. After this the process is almost entirely automatic
 and needs little handling. On being
 taken to the factory it is crushed into small pieces. From there it goes int
 a dryer of horizontal cylinders, heated
 with waste gas. After leaving tht
 dryer the material is screened and the, carboniZed.
 Professor sahlstrom has secured or the line of the Canadian Pacific rail. way betwen Montreal and Ottawa z bog covering 5000 acres. His previous experiments with the material ant
 demonstrations of its heating utility as
 well as the use of it's by-products makf him certain as to the success of the
 venture. He expects to conduct inside of a month series of demonstration! and then will commence operations or
 the larger bog which has been secured l-Ottawa (Canada) Citizen.