The St. Louis Republic., 1903-09-25
Commission Visits Sanitary Com
pany's Reduction Plant and
Studies Methods.
COMPLETE PLANS FOR FAIR.
Delegates Will Depart October
IL to Inspect Systems at Louis
vile, Washington, Montreal
and Minneapolis

| The first steps were taken yesterday
| afternoon by the st. Louis Garbage Com
| mission to see whether the handling of
| garbage in st. Louis compared favorably
with the manner in which 1t is disposed of
IN other metropolitan cities of the United
! States.
The main object in view is the changing
OF the present system. providing 1t is
| found that garbage can be disposed of
more effectively and economically than
under the present contract with the St.
I Louis Sanitary Company, which has con-
Quoted the work for several years.
Whether the establishment of a municip-
al reduction or incinerating plant would be
profitable investment for the city viii
be the prime object of the commission,
whose members yesterday afternoon de-
cided to visit five cities. four in the United
States and one IN the Dominion of Canada,
to make comparisons.
The commission. composed of the MEM
bers of the Board of Public Improve
ments, the sanitary committees of the
House of Delegates and City Council and
Health Commissioner Simon, accompanied
by Few invited guests and members of
the press, made trip on the harbor boat
Mark Twain TO familiarize themselves
with the manner Of handling garbage at
the st. Louis Sanitary Works. situated at
Missouri avenue and Gasconade street.
Prior to the visit to the sanitary works
a run was made up the river to point op-
posite the Nelson Morris Packing Com
pany, in East st. Louis to inspect the
manner in which new process for the
reduction of animal matter is being car
rled on in that institution
At the St. Louis works the commission
was met by Walter J. Blakely president
OF the company. and L. c. bryant, su-
METHODS OF REDUCTION.
CARRIED in linen busters. provided by the
management Of the works. the commits
sion inspected the plant and the details
of the business were explained from the
dumping of the refuse into the boiling
tanks to the sacking of the fertilizer ready
for shipment.
The wagons which gather the matter
are driven into the Sanitary Works on
the nrst hoor. There the refuse is dumped
through trap doors into huge tanks. As
son as tank, which holds thousands of
turned on. For nine or ten hours then il
Is boiled until ali the matter assumes a !
nroWnish hue: Much of the moisture hav-
Ing passed off by this time, the matter |
Is seived to remove all foreign matter, |
such as cloth. tin cans, ETC., and is then |
treated 70 an ammonia bath. which re- !
II, IN.
tanked ready for sale and to be made into |
Glycerin. listerine or soaps.
Then the brown matter is hoisted to the |
top of the building. where fan arrange |
mtnt dries it completely. Next. # is shot |
through chutes to the grinding depart |
ment, where it is reduced to a powder, |
after which 1t IS sacked ready TO sell as
fertilizer.
According. to Superintendent Bryant SIS
per cent OF all matter brought in is
moisture Fifteen per GENT of the gross
he tr,r, Il
profit. Nine dollars a ton is said to be the
staple price on all the fertilizer that can
be turned out while the greases obtained
bring price proportionately the same,
IT is said. In addition to this. the Sanitary /
Company receives Sl30000 annually for col
lecting and like sum for making away
with the rubbish.
Great stress was laid by the representa-
uves of the company on the manner OF
doing away with odors, which have been
q source of complaint continually by res
idents in the vicinity of the works This
point especially was developed because IL
Is said to be feature unknown in other
cities.
Perforated suction pipes network the
which, it is claimed, change the
of the works several times q
minute. The odors are said to be, drawn
into these pipes and passed over the fires
IN the furnace, thereby nullifying greatly
the nauseating smells.
Fapors. laden with odor. are condensed
In cooling rooms after having been passed
over the furnaces also and the only mat
ter getting into the waters of the Missis-
sippi, it is claimed, Is pure as crystal.
ARRANGE FOR TRIP.
After returning to the harbor boat the
went into executive session,
deciding upon a trip of inspection. Chair
man Hiram Phillips, president of the
Board Of Public Improvements. presided.
1t was decided to depart from ST. Louis
on October IL for Louisville, KY. The
will then journey to Washing
ton, D. c.. New York. Montreal, Canada,
and Minneapolis, MINI. These cities will
furnish information upon all manner of
handling garbage. Louisville and Mime
apolis have incinerating plants. while the
other three cities utilize the product of
their reduction works.
A committee on arrangements for the
trip was appointed. with Water Commits
sioner Ben Adkins, treasurer of the com
as chairman. Councilman Jere-
miah Sheehan. Delegate John r. Nc
Carthy and Health Commissioner ]. II.
Simon make UP the committee.
The commission IS composed OF Hiram
Phillips, Joseph P. Whyte. Frank Valiant.
,rt Aull. Councilmen jeremiah Sheehan. w.
A. Gardner. Joseph SpieselhaiIer; Dele
gates John R. Mccarthy A. G.. Tesch-
macher Henry Weeke. John B. Williams
and Isaac Conran. and Health Commis-
sioner John H. Simon.
IF Public Improvements, will make the
rip with the commission. Among the in
rited guests Yesterday were: License Col
ector Patrick j. Clifford. Supply Commis-
;ioner John Boyce and Andrew Gazzoln.
Speaker of the House Of Delegates. The
oarty dined on their way to the sanitary
plant.