The Ontario Argus. (Ontario, Or.) 1???-1947, 1917-03-29

ihc city OF AuStln, lcN,, ms tOunu
way to turn its garbage iuto fucl-a
fuel which burns as long aud gives or
almost ns much heat ns the best btu.
mlnOus lump coal-and, what l. equal.
ly important, It Is said TO have solved
the problem OF sanitary system Of
garbage collection aud disposal. While
all this may sound like a fairy tale, Il
~ perfectly true. aud all doubters are'
invited 10 visit the Texas city, where
they may witness any day the remark.
nblc spectacle of old shoes. hats, paper,
rags, straw, manure, house garbage
and variety of other waste products
being thrown into one machine and
emerging from another In the shape OF
n fuel brick without odor and bearing
no resemblance whatever to the orlgi.
nal materials. Austin, In fact, has
taken the lead In n movement which
seems likely to work new epoch In
solving the garbage problems OF the
country.
The inventor OF this novel fuel
Is u. l.. Culver OF Chicago. Five years
ago Mr.. Culver began investigating the
possibilities aud practicability OF com.
mcrcializing municipal garbage, being
moved 10 do 80 by the belief that the
high cost Of disposlng OF such refuse
was u serious obstacle to the better.
mcnt OF city's health conditions. Az
result OF long series of expert.
mcnts he proved the practlcablllty OF a
method OF making fuel bricks out OF
garbage, aud nn experimental plant
was erected nt Austin. This proved so
successful that a plant capable Of tax.
Ing care OF the entire waste Of the city
was ordered built, aud IL ls now run.
ming 90 full capacity each day. turning
ont fuel bricks which sell on the Aus.
tin market nc $3.50 ton. Austin.
therefore. instead OF paying big price
g have It's garbage destroyed, rs was
The case IN The past. h actually max
Ing money from II, to say nothing of
being cleaner and healthier. CONNER.
callzlng u clty's waste ls. of course, n
more substantial reason than those
generally existing for the collection of
the last bit OF II. There n no reason,
either why the method should not be
turned 10 advantage In lcsscnlng the
taxpayers burden.
Three main ingredients form the new
fuel bricks municipal garbage. n ear.
bOnaceous material and n material for
dlslnfecting and waterproollng Al
OF the combustible matter Of municipal
waste or any part Of II can be- used In
the manufacture OF the fuel garbage.
trash, rubbish. oifal, sewage, street
debris, trade wastes nnd manure. u
Il this organic or decaying matter TINT
is such danger TO the public health
aud the radiance OF which has been
such a problem 10 the cities. The see
Ond ingredient may he coke, Ignite,
or coal dust. the latter being best
adapted TO the purpose. The function
OF this part II Ia retard the otherwise
too rapid combustion Of the raw refuse
I'm cases where the fuel IN made for
domestic purposes. For steam pur-
poses. where rapid combustion Is re-
qulred. II does not need the addition OF
these materials.
The coal dust waste from mines that
produce nOnculing coal has been found
10 be an ideal substance for this pur-
pose. IL has n higher heat value than
the coal from the same mine, and this
heat value Is further increased by It's
mixture with city refuse. II is now a
total waste, as efforts To find a binder
or devise "A CRATE 10 utilize II are said
10 have failed, and It's disposal Is a
problem TO the mine owner, The fuel
bricks utilize "A portion of this waste
substance.
The third ingredient used in the
manufacture of the bricks, AN agent
Tor deodorizlng and waterproohng, is
furnished by liquids having an as
phaltic base. Tar, water tar (the resi-
due from gas manufacturing plants),
the residue from oil rellneries and as
phalt are used In this way, Thus every
ingredient OF the new fuel is now con
sldered a waste and one which Tor rea-
sons OF health has been serious ques-
tlOn, owing in part to the expense con
nected with It's disposal The combus-
tible nature OF each is well known, as
is also It's heat value, but until the fuel
bricks were introduced nothing was
done to utilize these wastes in the prac-
tlcal way OF converting them into a
commercial fuel.
IL may be that Austin's success in
converting its garbage into fuel Will
be followed by other cities, perhaps
even by some that now dispose Of their
waste by mcineration. While inclnera-
tion possesses many advantages, II
totally DESTROYS valuable product. by
the new process however municipal
plant for manufacturing the fuel bricks
may not only Ice made self supporting,
but in Austin, at least, a source Of con-
siderable revenue.