28 JOURNAL OF THE 



of $500,000. There is a factory working under the same patents 

 in Fernandina, Florida, and one about to be erected in Seattle 

 W. T. 



The site of the factory at Wilniingtt)n is about IJ miles from 

 Market street, on the south-western suburb, desirably located on 

 the river. This plant has gradually increased from a valuation 

 of §30,000, with a capacity of 3,000 feet of lumber per day, to 

 the present valuation of §425,000, with a capacity of 40,000 

 feet per day. It consists of two parallel sheds f tr the protection 

 of distilling retorts and a one-story building for reservoirs, 

 pumps, boilers, creosoting cylinders, etc. 



The most important prelin)inary step is the economic produc- 

 tion of wood-creosote oil. For this purpose there are sixteen 

 (16) retorts, arranged in batteries of two each for economy and 

 convenience in firing, with a capacity of about 19,000 gallons 

 creosote oil and the same amount of pyroligneous a(;id waste per 

 month. These retorts are all similarly constructed, and hence a 

 description of one will suffice for all. 



A furnace substantially built of masonry, 26 feet long, 13 feet 

 igh and 10 feet wide, supports in its beds two retorts. It is 

 divided in the centre by a thin, fire-clay partition, so there are 

 actually four different and complete furnaces. Each fire-place has 

 its roof, in the inner ends of which are flues for the escape of 

 the heat into the retort space. The retort rests horizontally in its 

 bed and fits snugly into masonry, resting on loosely-fitting iron 

 bands, allowing an air space entirely around the retort to the 

 partition in the centre of the furnace, only interrupted by verti- 

 cal semi-circular divisions, alternating from top to bottom, for the 

 purpose of securing a uniform distribution of heat, and serving 

 also in ra})idly cooling the retort. This retort is a cast-iron, or, 

 preferably, steel cylinder, 26 feet long by 6 feet in diameter, 

 having a capacity of 4J cords. Its ends are oi)en, and may be 

 closed by a perfectly-fitting cap with clamps, and by using 

 asbestos or clay packing can be rendered air-tight. At the end 

 of the retort a pipe 6 inches in diaujeter enters, and, gradually 

 narrowing, conveys the gases to a copper worm through the con- 



