The Daily Missoulian., 1917-02-10
Garbage fo,. Fuel

Texas, won't care very much. For Austin has
| found way to turn It's garbage into fuel-a fuel
which burns as long and gives off M much heat as
the best bituminous lump coal-and what is equally
important Austin has at the same time solved the
problem of sanitary system Of garbage collection
and disposal. This may sound like a fairy tale,
but it is perfectly true. All doubters are invited to
| visit the Texas city, and see the remarkable spec
tacle Of old shoes, hats paper. rags straw. manure
house garbage, and variety Of other waste prod
ucts being thrown into one machine and emerging
from another in the shape Of perfect fuel brick,
odorless ard bearing no resemblance whatever to
the original materials Austin, in fact has taken
the lead in a movement which seems likely to work
a epoch in the garbage problems Of the country
The inventor Of the fuel which has been
named Oakoal because of it's similarity to oak wood
! in burning is e. L. Culver, Chicago man. Five
years ago Mr. Culver began investigating the possi-
| bilities and practicabty Of commercializing mu-
nicipal garbage, being moved thereto by the knowl-
edge that the high cost Of dsposing Of such refuse
serious obstacle to the betterment of city's
health conditions. As result Of a long series Of
experiments he proved the adaptability of a method
of making fuel bricks out Of garbage and an expert
mental Plant was erected at Austin. This proved
successful that plant capable Of taking care of
the entire waste of the city built and 1t is now
running to full capacity each day, turning out fuel
bricks which sell at $3.50 per ton Austin there:
fore. instead Of paying big price to have its gar
bage destroyed. is actually making money out of T..
to say nothing of being cleaner and healthier than
ever before.
The main ingredients of the fuel bricks are the
municipal waste, carbonaceous material and a
material for dsinfecting and waterproofine All
OF the combustibe matter of municipal waste or
any part of 1t can be used in the manufacture OF
the fuel-garbage, trash. rubbish, offal, sewage,
street debris trade wastes and manure. 1t is this
organic decaying matter that is such a danger to
the public health and whose radiance has been such
problem to the cities. The second ingredient
may be coke, Ignite, coal dust the latter being
best adapted to the purpose. The function of this
part is to retard the otherwise too rapid combustion
Of the r;.w refuse.
The third ingredient used in the manufacture of
the bricks agent for deodorzing and waterproof
ing is furnished by liquids having an asphatic base.
Tar. water tar (the residue from gas manufacture
ing plants), the residue from oil refneries, and
asphalt are used in this connection. Thus every
ingredient OF the fuel is now considered a
waste and one Of them for health reasons has been
a serious and expensive problem. go
The process through which the n,aikyials pass at
the Austin plant. while simple. is very interesting
The garbage and trash of the city s delivered at
one end of the building, and dumped into pit from
which II is lifted to tho second flood by an endless
chain. Such articles as boxes sticks and barrels
are dropped through chute to the boiler room
The remainder of the garbage and trash is delv-
cred upon sorting belt. each side of which
people are stationed to such articles as have
more value as they received than they would
have If manufactured into fuel. Non -combustiblc
matter is also removed. The by-products are
sterized and prepared for sale. The sorting belt
conveys the remainder to disintegrater which
breaks up the larger portions 1t is then passed
on to pulverizer where it is reduced to the re.
quired fineness
From the pulverizer the material is convened to
a puping machine. where hot water and live steam
are applied. together with certain percentage of
tar which acts In conjunction with the hot water
and steam as thorough disinfectan Of the product
and also as a deodorzer of the smoke Of the fuel
while being consumed as we'll a deodorizer of
the fuel itself From the pulppg machine the
mass is conveyed to a mixer. where coal dust is
added.
From the mixer the mass passes on to a brick
moding press which presses the material into two
pound bricks, at the rate Of forty minute The
fuel Is then placed on wooden pallets be set aside
to mature, and in few days it is ready for the
market.
According to n chemical analysis made by Dr.
William b. Philips. of the University of Texas at
Austin the fuel bricks contain over 10000 heat
units per pound, which is about the same as the
best bttumnous lump coal. Oak wood has 5000
heat units per pound that the garbage fuel is one
and one-half times as strong in heat as oak wood.
1t seems probable that Austins success in cons
vcrt'ng its garbage into fuel will be followed
by other American cities, some OF those which
now dispose of their waste by incineration, While
incineration possesses many advantages over dump
ing. it totally destroys very valuable product. BY
the now process, however, a municipal plant for
manufacturing the fuel bricks may not only be
made self-supportng. but a source OF considerable
revenue to the city operating it.