Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-03-09
CRE0SoTE.
Nearly 25,oo0,o0o Cal
Ions Imported in 19o8,
Is One !I'...l Of Most .' Satisfactory
Wood PreseIVatives.
l. 7i@t as. - t+tt s.+s5 III
Lengthening Life Of Timber Les.
sens Drain on Forests.

| crease from three and half million
gallons OF the oil of coal tar, or creo-
sote, as 1t is popularity known, imported
| into the City of New York in 1904, to
| I'm amount estimated to he aim osI
| twenty-five million gallons last year, is
one of the indications pointing to the
| progress of the nation wide movement
for the conservation of forest resource
eS.
1t is creosote which the government
and scores of corporations and private
wood users have found to be one of
the most satisfactory personalities of
railroad ties, mine props, telephone and
telegraph poles, fence posts, and for
timbers USED for other commercial pur-
poses. Lergthening the life of timber
| i'll use means the lessening of the drain
ON the country's forests, and what is
more important to the average business
man, it means the saving of thousands
Of dollars annually spent for the labor
OF the frequent renewals made neceS-
sary. when untreated timber is used.
Ten years ago the strongest advo-
Gates of the creosoting method Of pre-
serving wood could scarcely have hoped
| for the present advanced state of this
| industry Creosoting is becoming the
acknowledged standard means of in
creasing the life of timber. ..
Formerly the production of creosote,
from both coal tar and wood tar, far
| exceeded any demand for wood treat
ing purposes. However, the number of
wood preserving plants has grown SO
rapidly within the last four years that
| this country is not now able to supply
| its own demand for coal tar creosote
A brief study of the importation col
| ltnns of the trade journals shows the
| effect Of the growth Of the wood pre-
| scrvation industry. In the whole year
Of 1904 the New York imports amounted
to only 3,500,0Do gallons BY the end of
1907, the importation had increased to
| T,l00,000 gallons, while for the present
year conservative estimates place the
| imported coal tar creosote at between
% to % million gallons.
| The year mas started most auspici-
| ously; during five weeks period in
December ard January the importation
| through New York alone was $4,000
| TONS. giving a weekly average of 5000
| tons or $4,000 gallons. 1t is significant
| that during this same period the I'M
portation of related by-products from
| coal kept pace with that of creosote.
| Ammonium carbonate, chloride, sui
| nhate, and sal ammoniac' entered to
the amount Of 104 227, 1850 and 400
tons, respectively. If these had been
all made into the sulphate, the eqlriva-
lent product would have been 400 tons
per week. The estimated ratio Of
twenty pounds of sulphate to one and
one-half gallons of the creasote oil
would make az equivalent production
of 5000 gallons of. creosote. This is
not far different from the $4,000 gallons
Which were really imported. Since
these ammonia products and creosote
are being imported in this relation. it
is plainly evident that the production
of creosotc is not alone deficient, but
also coal tar products in general
The production of creosote in this
country will, in all probability continue
to be far less than the consumption.
The wood preservation industry has
been in its infancy only, and enormous
demands may be expected in the fu-
ture. The coke, and consequently the
coal tar industries, have until recently
been at their best, but even at their
best the supply of by-products has run
short. On this account, we should turn
to other sources to supply the incrcas-
Ing demands for crcosote personalities.
A great help may be eventually af-
forded by the increasing use of wood
tar creosote which has not been in high
favor in the past 1t is gratifying to
note that within the last few years
some of the more important wood dis
tillers have been turning into a profit
those oils end tars which We're former
| ~ run to waste. The demand for these
products is increasing, and this recov-
cred by-product has been assorted to
he not Only a revenue for the producer
but also a valuable preventative for tire
treatment of structural timber.