The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1903-06-27
GAS FROM
FIR STUMPS
New Illuminant Discovered by
Professor Frankforter.
HAS STRONG HEATING POWERS

ny Means Of obstructive DistiIia-
tionv the Dean Of Minnesota uni-
versity's Chemistry school Re-
moves Turpentine and Tar, and
This Process Develops the Gas.
each stump OF Douglas Fir Worth
$500.
Discovery Of a new illuminating gas
which can compete with coal gas for
illuminating purposes, the detection Of
processes by which a new turpcntine in
nmitless quantity and Of properties
permitting It's genera! use III manufac-
lures and the arts, can be produced |
from material formerly thought worth
less. and the solution Of the problem |
Of utilizing the byproducts Of the great |
Douglas fr forests Of which cover
thousands of square miles Of the Pa
cific northwest, are the recent achieve
ments of Professor George T. Frank
forter. dean of the school Of chemis-
try Of tie University OF Minnesota,
says ST. Paul special dispatch to the
New York Herald.
Professor Frankforters discoveries
are the result Of many months of ex-
pcrIments In the western forests and IN
the laboratories Of the state university
and are Of immense commercial value,
They relate entirely to the utilization
OF stumps Of the Douglas fir left by
the lumbermen and until now thought
TO have no value. These stnmps cover
tremendous area of western ''cut
over timber lands, and so little have
they been regarded that It has been
the custom to burn them ont 70 rid the
land OF them and to permit agrlcul-
tural operations. The burning process
left ash deposit which for several years
robbed the soil Of its agricultural
values. For each stump burned Pro
fessor Frankforter announces the own
ers haqe thrown away the equivalent
OF 5000
The Douglas FIR IS one of the best Of
the western timber trees and is much
sought FOR building purposes. It's lower
portions are filled with a resinous
pitch, ana the portions containing the
pitch deposits have been yalueless for
lumber because Of the impossibility Of
forcing the saws through the pitch
soaked fbers Of the log For this rea-
son the lumbermen have cut the trees,
frequently eight to ten feet in DIANE
eter, at a height Of twenty feet from
the ground. This left the pitch soaked
stump standing. to be burned or al
lowed to rot away
Announcing the results of his dis
coveries. Professor Frankforter said
the other day
at has long been known that the
pitch in the abandoned stumps had
commercial value, but means q sri
tracing it have not been at hand i
was to provide these means that
spent months experimenting. | have
been astounded to find, by exact seien
fifc methods, that 40 per cent Of th'
abandoned gtumps is valuable pitch
This pitch, properly treated, produces
a turpentine inestimably superior Z
that now obtained from the southern
forests. the supply Of which Is decreas
ing year by year
.The new turpentine has all th
chemical and medicinal qualities Of tn
common commercial turpentine, but
absolutely free from it's dlsagreeaol
smell and taste. These two feature
have been the greatest drawback I
tie more general use Of turpentine l
manufactures and the arts, The odo
of the fir tnrpentine is mild and ba
samic. ana its taste Is mild and pleas
ant. 1t might be utilized in a tho'
sand ways, even in chewing gum an
for soda fountain fiavors, so pleasar
Is its taste.
ITO give tersely the results, | wi
say that each stump contains 40 pf
cent Of its bulk in pitch It contain
i've or SIX cords Of wood OF the pitc
in the stump % per cent can easily |
resolved into turpentine. 30 per cel
into tar oil and so per cent into con
mon tar. The tar is an excellent pro-
uct and can find ready sale. The min'
product Is pyroligneous acid, contai
ing aeetic acid.
"All the products Of the fir stunt
can be removed by what is technical
known as destructive distillation 81
Of the most marvellous features Is tn
during the distillation process the
gives out a gas Of strong heating an
Illuminating powers, sufficient 70 mai
tain the process and furnish the meal
Of extracting the products desired +
commercial purposes. The distillauc
pays for itself and leaves the produc
Of the pitch practically clear profit.
After all the products have been e
tracted--t urpentine, tar oil, tar acid
gas there is still left a charcoal q
superior Of which Is hard TO find. X
garding the gas given of, il Is a stroI
snuninant, and with reduction oper
tions carried on on large scale
would be produced In volume sutiiciei
10 conduct extensive gas lighting ope
ntions
"A new source Of turpentlne at tn
Guncture Is especially important.
have made thorough tests Of the Yves
prn product and am able to announ'
that the south has new competitor
the field which win supply bett
article and Ia larger quantity than