Evening star., 1915-09-12

| is more than 5000, 900 tons; wet sew
age sludge. 100000 tons; garbage.
100000 tons. and dead animals, 10000
| tons.
1t is of such vital Importance to the
health and comfort of urban resi-
dents that this vast amount Of ma
| terial be gotten out of the way as
quickly as possible that, If necessary,
amounts of the peoples money in the
work. That costly methods of waste
disposal are often unnecessary. how
ever. Is brought out by the govern
are operating that actually make
money while disposing of some of the
substances.
The greatest waste problem faced by
cities relates to the disposal of the
insoluble residue of sewage known
as sewage sludge. Usually it is dis
charged into streams or the sea, but
where this is not practicable 1t is run
into filter beds. Much Of this residue
is then given away to be used as
Since the material must be gotten rid
of, and in most cases at considerable
cost, it Is suggested as a result of the
governments study that it be destruct-
lively distilled for the production of
combustible gas. Under such treatment
ammonium sulphate, valuable fer
tilizing agent, could be recovered and
the remaining gas could be burned to
valuable substances secured would not
represent profit, their recovery
would at least reduce the cost Of sew
age disposal and the process would be
faultless from sanitary point of view.
From the sludge Of the 1879 cities con-
sidered ammonium sulphate, valued at
nearly half a million dollars. could be
secured each year. 1t is estimated.
Street sweepings, the governments
valuable as fertilizers since the auto
mobile has come to be used SO ex-
tensiyely. This Is not. as might be ex-
pected, because fewer horses pass over
the street, but because lubricating oil
cropped by the motor vehicles becomes
mixed with the sweepings and has an
undesirable effect on soil fertility The
chief use of the sweepings, it was
round, Is for filling where it is desired
to have vegetation grow.
Dead animals, the bureau of soils
mas, should always be rendered" SO
as to preserve the grease and fertilizer
elements. Products valued at $40 may
pe secured from the rendering of each
morse morse OF average size, it is estimated.
The annual value of such products il
all dead animals of the 1919 cities were
rendered would be 100000, it is COM
puted
OF all classes of city waste, garbage.
the study shows. gives greatest PROM
Use or yielding profit when properly
treated The government experts ad-
wise strongly against the primitive and
insanitary methods of disposal such as
and even against burning: and recon-
mends rendering. They point to sys-
TENS now In profitable use whereby
the garbage is cooked In steam, press
ed. DRIED, washed with gasolene to re-
cover grease, and finally ground. The
grease finds it's way into hundreds of
thousands of candles and cakes of soap.
ana the ground residue makes a valu-
able base for fertilizers. Already
S975.0O0 worth of products are recover
ed annually from garbage, and It is es-
| timated that the 199 cities would Weld
products valued at $2.5O0,O0O. Follow
ing the study the government is work
ing out improved methods that it is
hoped will make garbage rendering
even more profitable.
Ihough this is known popularity as
an age of iron. metallurgists realize
more keenly than
Seeking Fuel others that it is just
for Sm.l+;n as truly an age of
1of omeltlng. coal. Iron industries
mat have sprung up over the world
10 satlsfy the ever-increasing demand
Tor what modern civilization has found
10 De the most useful of metals have
oeeh dependent not only on iron ore.
put also on the availability of chea %
coal. Inc requirements have been even
more restricted: the coal must he ~ a
parIicular sort-a kind that will
1t happens. howevsr, that tbera =.
tremendous beds Of iron ore on The D.
h oo coast with no cokinK coal avail
aoie. and the condition has set jnven-
vise ,se hl,nus TO work in the effort to de-
wise other than the usual smeItin,
methods for turning iron ore into nc,
ron. ron Ihe government, through the b,,.
.eau OF mines. is greatly interested IN
~ e possloliit1es. 1t has made a studv
sme1tina ~ mas been accomplished in
ny means of crude oil. and is now n,aEu ahu
same lines aiohg the
me use of oil for smelling has hoo,
IN particular. There is seeminei,. mans
aoundant ,h supply of the LIQUID fns, an IN
me state. and within 900 miles ~ ~
angeies Al alone there are 100000 ooo LOS nos
temnts hu o,e hlgh-grade iron ore. At.
tlme by private interests to ,,sa eim9 s, 70
sei.lng 81 under various plans hut n -.
NJ tnese mas met with much snonN none
butacnrsisss obstac1nss s feel. however that tIs the
the experts de n not IN h,ansuIrmountable.a and
aave aa taken the problem IN viii hanes M
solved, IT will be
me particular method unon
the thy nc, LOOK as the most promisino is Zen
iv az :, y. rs sne on or oil products mere.
~ oiic smeltlng furnaces. If sucb eiec-
ur nroatah, an 1e worked out it might be rnrna
pu,anie, pau,n even where hydro-e1aotam.ul u
~" "eI IS NOT available, to produca e1d
~ ea1rent i, IN generating pIants h, eiec-
,ns ,nt,. OH or OIL residue, and 70 roS oarn-
otha ,n .nis current the ore mired ,,,iee
road o,, ns or OIL constituents. The VII w,Ih
! pace so much faith In the Sasn1ornia
OF th such system that for sehi1hg sevara1g out
;rnn nave been investing beau;iy,s Years
n,ot;o deposits. accordine ~ i.~ IN
mines the bureau OF
The bureau finds from r.o...
smeltfne me a, smelling situation that SUI. th.
tricity has alra.9 pn ore by means of cleo
, Paying commercial basis in sona on
9i tne world: This method dn parts
dlspose of the need for ~. ooes not
Wnlcn is furnished by coke n,Sa oon.
ainary smelling methods. II doe. or
yer, make possible. smeltinp noW .,.t
furnaces .inn nira the coke used In bIa st
only for chemical combina tions .nS neeaed
Tor fuel 1t is also possibie ana tn not not
charcoal insteal of coke. and ~ use
neen done successfully first in Sn, mas
ana other parts of Europe. and r' uen
recently on small scale in northo
California. 4" northern
While experiments in electrica, owl
Oil smelling are being carried oa and and
view to employment of those n"tL ~tsn
ons IN development of the Erea. Pa-
cine coast oil fields, operators ne "a
plaSt furnace smelters have NOT e;yau