The Washington herald., 1909-05-23

and nearly 10000 pounds OF zinc chior-
ide were used in preserving timber in the
/ United States last year Small quantities
o. crude oil. corrosive sUblimate. and
other chemicals were also used
These figures are based Epon reports 10
the United States Forest Service OF
forty-four firms which operated sixty
four timber treating plants Assuming
that on an average one gallons OF creo-
scte or one-third OF a pound OF zinc chlOr-
/ ide viii protect q cubic foot OF timber
from decay. more than I18o93.go9 cubic
feet Of crOss-ties. piling. poles. mine, and
other timbers were given a treatment
that viii greatly increase their life and
usefulness.
CreOsOte supply Limited.
/ Never since timber treating began on a
commercial scale in the United States
las the domestic supply Of creosOte been
equal to the needs Of the industry With
I the rapid development OF wood preserva-
F ton in recent years the insuficiency Of
/ the home production OF c-eOsote has be-
come more marked. IN 1893 almost seven
/ tenths-to be exact. So per cent-of the
creOsote used by the treating plants was
! imported and but 81 per cent was Cd
/ tanned from domestic sources
/ Nearly three-fourths OF the imported
! c-eosote come from England and Ger
many; some is obtained n Nova Scotia
/ and some in Scotland and Holland The
/ domestic creosOte used by the treating
/ plants vas obtained chiefly in New York.
4 Philadelphia, and other large cities.
A By-product OF Gas.
/ Creosote is distilled from coal tar. q
] by-product in the manufacture Of fliumi-
I mating gas and coke from bituminous
/ coal Not more than % per cent OF the
coke used in the United States is made
( IN by-produce ovens. No coal tar IS re-
z covered from the beehive ovens fl which
most Of the coke IS made Consequently
I the total production Of coal tar is far less
I than Il wocld be with more conservative
/ operations.
Were all the tar produced which the
/ coal annually coked in the United States
/ IS capable OF yielding il would distin as
much creOsOte as is now used by the
wood preServers Unfortunately. Ameri-
/ can operators DO not even get the fullest
use OF the limited quantity Of coal tar
{ =
/ the operators TO distiIl coal tar for creo-
! sote alone. so unless they can find a
/ market for the associated products II is
/ not separated. Germany has gone far
ahead OF the United States IN the devel-
/ Opment Of coal tar products. and her ex-
pcrts OF them to this country are steadily
/ increasing
Is an American Product.
4 The zinc chloride used in wood preser-
walton is all obtained from domestic
sources. according TO the reports. Most
Of it is produced by a few large chemical
companies.
/ CrosS-ties are particularly liable to de-
/ cay. since they are used under conditions
/ which are favorable TO the growth Of the
wood-destroying fungi. Consequently the
railroads have always taken q leading
part IN timber preservation IN the United
States. Twelve OF the forty-fOur firms
which are operating timber-treating
plants are railroad companies The rail-
roads also have many ties treated by
/ commercial timber-trsating plants
/ Statistics upon the number OF ties
/ treated IN 1893 have not yet been COM
/ piled. In 1907, however, according 10 For
/ est Products Bulletin No. s OF the Bu-
( reau OF the Census, the steam railroads
Of the United States used I9,1g2,0e0 treat
ed ties. Of which /. .217. coo ties were treat
ed at their own plants and $4,000 ties
were treated at other plants
Electric Roads Use TheEa.
The electric roads used $4,000 treated
/ ties in the same year. nearly two-th.-ds
OF which were purchased already treated.
I The majority OF the treated ties used by
1 the steam railroads was preserved with
+ zinc chloride. while with the electric
roads more ties were treated with creo-
sote than with any other one preserva-
/ tive
Many telephone and telegraph poles are
CreOsoted. and there is a growing use OF
treated timber by the most progressive
mine operators. IN many harbors the
only practical method Of protecting piles
from the destructive teredo is 70 creosOte
them heavily
One OF the most recent uses OF creO-
soted wood on an extensive scale Is for
rectangular wooden block pavement New
York, Boston. Baltimore. Indianapolis.
Chicago. and other large cities are using
/ large quantities. Creosoted wooden blocks
/ have been laid in front OF the new termi-
nal station building in washington.