Omaha daily bee., 1918-06-09


Il The fortunes OF war have locate,
| q new industry, and yet one OF til,
Oldest of industries cxtant, within TIL,
environs of Omaha.
/ II is that of charcoal burning.
| There Is a big demand for char
coal in the mechanical arts and il
medical and other sciences. Previou,
to the war the principal source o.
supply for the county was in the
i south.
| War demand has caused the price
| Of charcoal to advance from Sill pei
ton to SIS per ton.
1 The native, woods oil, this section
are admirably adapted to the pro-
duction Of charcoal for fuel and scien.
/ tific uses, and the charcoal industry
here, lcatcd on the farm OF Roy
Brown, short distance north OF
| Florence, is of considerable inn
portance.
Most Of the charcoal produced from
the Florence kilns is purchased by a
| local manufacturing concern as raw
material from which is produced
medical preparations OF absorptve
values. Wood tar, derivatiye OF
species of wood which grow in
abundance along the bluffs OF the
Missouri rfver close to Omaha and
Florence, is used for the manufacture
of rare chemicals through process
Of combustion and distillation. From
liz Is produced pyroligneous acids.
wood tar, methyi alcohol, acetate OF
lime, acetone, furfural and ereosote.
BOX wood charcoal is prolific OF
these products.
Used For Gun Powder.
Freshly made dog wood charcoal
is used in making the best grades OF
gunpowder.
The trip to the Omaha charcoal
fields is made along picturesque
river road with the yerdure clad
bluffs, cayed into many fantastic
shapes by the effects OF ages OF
erosion, forming rampant on one
side. The bluffs are clad with timber
of many species and is refuge for
birds of brilliant plumage, graceful
fight and sweet song.
Near the park-likc woodlands which
are as yet unchanged, small army
of woodchoppers are denuding the
hills of their growth Of trees in feed
| ing the Unsuitable fires of the kilns
which burn for days and produce
their wealth by the destruction OF
timber.
The wood, principally of willow, is
strippedsof It's bark and cut into cord
lengths. This " placed in kilns To-
Gated between two low hills to pro-
tect them from the brisk winds OF the
different seasons. The kilns are
conical shaped and are made Of piles
Of wood billets and are-approximately
Is feet high and $50 feet in circun,-
ference. When completed they look
like gigantic Indian tcpees. After the
wood is piled up layer Of hay or
manure is spread completely over the
mound for the purpose of excluding
| too great draft into the retort
where the wood must shoulder for
ldays. Sand is then sptcad over the
whole TO thickness OF six inches and
this covering absorbs supernuous
moisture and adds to the strength of
the structure.
There are air "intakss' at the
base OF the mound to regulate the
draft and the combustion which
must be watched every hour during
the day and might.
Combustion Downward.
Fire is kindied at the top Of the
mound and the combustion is down
ward. the opening at the top being
covered with ground mixture and
hay to seal it up.
If there is any poetry in the soul
of the charcoal burner who watches
the kilns at night, he must uncon-
sciousiy become an atavistic Worship
er OF fire and a Druidicai devotec of
the woods. There is beauty in the
slender, spiral streamcrs of steam that
flow from the miniature volcanoes
under his charge and if he is dream-
er he can see in them many a fairy
castle, or one in Spain or some other
land Of romance. The deep shadows
of the woods, the silvery CLEAN of the
waters of the mighty Missouri as
they CLINT and simmer N the mystic
moonlight, the whispering plants of
vagrant brcezes, the sleepy call of
night birds, and sthe signing Of un-
known things in the dead watches Of
witching hours all must evoke in him
the subconscious spiritual sloneings OF
his primal estate.
Clouds Of Gases.
Later, in the process of combus-
ton, his eye is delighted by the play
of a myriad of ethereal clouds OF
gases, sometimes of nauve, again OF
heliotrope, Of the most fascinating
pinks and puppies, of cerulean blue,
flashing to angry bronzes. and livid
reds. Their play is like that of the
emotions of beautiful Gree Of the
woods with all the allurement of
dancing coquetry and consuming pas
sion.
The eolors are indicators Of the