St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1907-05-01
CLEANING THE TOWN,
Garbage Can Furnaces For the
Disposal of Refuse.
WASTE BURNED ON STREET.

Innovation Made by Street Cleaning
Department Of New York City Has
Proved Worth WhiIe-Refuse De-
stroyed Quickly.
The plan recently adopted in the city
Of New York for the disposal of refuse
on the streets by burning it in cans is
proving highly successful. So we'll did
one of the portable refuse incinerators
that were given trial do its work that
twenty-five more were purchased, and
1t is likely that hundreds of these trav-
cling furnaces will be in use through
out the city. This plan might be adopt
ed in any progressive town or village
to advantage. as nothing spells the
beauty of a place like rubbish scat
tered on sidewalks and streets. Not
only is trouble saved for the men
whose work it is to keep the streets
swept, but the street cleaning commits
sioner feels that an important step in
the sanitary handling of town waste
has been taken.
Nothing could be more simple than
the new incinerators and nothing
cheaper, since they are merely worn
out street cans, making furnace. one
can superimposed, bottom up, upon the
other, says the New York Evening
Post The lower can has CRATE above
at a height sufficient to form an ash
pit. The sides of the lower can are
perforated for the admission Of air
necessary for combustion. while the
upper can, inverted and fitting into the
lower receptacle, forms dome, which
prevents the escape of burning mate
rial. In this upper dome is door
through which fuel or waste is sup
piled to the lower can.
The furnace, placed on the ordinary
can carrier. is thus wheeled through
the streets. the cleaner feeding with
waste as he patrols his beat. This
continuous method of garbage disposal
goes on all day, and when the work is
ended it but remains to deposit the
fine ashes in the pit into one Of the
street cans. When 1t is not desired to
use the refuse Instructors, they are
simply unshipped from the carriers and
left in the section houses.
Many advantages of the innovation
must suggest themselves even to the
inexpert municipal student In the
first place, rubbish Is disposed Of thai
otherwise would be mixed with sweep
ings and ashes. Litter of the stree
surface, instead of being gathered into
a pile and carried to Barren island, II
consumed as soon as it is picked up.
Reports from district superintend
ents, section foremen and the men wh'
handle the furnaces are entirely ia
vorable. The heads Of the street clean
ing department are now inclined to re
gard the scheme as reasonable prop
osition and one that will save consid
cradle trouble in the work of the de
! partment.
Cans that are used measure eighteen
inches across the tops and are from
sixteen inches to twenty-one niche
high The perforations are in tire
rows around the can and above tn
crate, the top hole being ten inche
above the CRATE The feed door Is
by 10 inches. The capacity of tn
furnace is about two cart loads o
rubbish a day and the ashes resultin
therefrom about pailful Eight 0
these furnaces are being added eac
day, and soon the city from the Batter
to Harlem will be filled with then
The cost of making is estimated q
about 81 for furnace.