VOL. XVIII. (3) EXCURSION— FOREST OF DEAN 203 



being run off continuously from the still into a tank below, and while still 

 hot, pumped into the evaporating pan. It is there boiled down to a strength 

 of about 10 degrees Baume, and when this point is reached, is run into the 

 pan of the rotary dryer. 



This is a large wrought-iron horizontally-arranged drum, heated in- 

 ternally with live steam, which, slowly revolving in a shallow tank, picks 

 up a coating of the liquid. The water is driven off, and about 70 per cent, 

 of the original liquid remains in the form of dry grey acetate of lime. This 

 is removed by a series of scrapers. 



The acetate, which is now in a pasty condition, is then spread upon the 

 floor, under which pass the gases from the retort to the chimney stack. After 

 being dried for several hours, it is filled into sacks. It now contains about 

 from 84 to 85 per cent, of true acetate of lime. 



The naphtha, which runs from the top of the iron still and column, 

 after being freed from the acetate of lime liquor as previously described, and 

 also from some of the heavy oils, is passed through a copper wash column, 

 into which a weak solution of sulphuric acid trickles, and is here further 

 purified. From thence it goes into a second column, where it is treated with 

 a weak solution of caustic soda, and more oils are separated here. After 

 passing through a small condenser the purified methyl alcohol is run into a 

 storage-tank below, and from thence into drums for dispatch. 



Power is provided by a 27' x 7' 6" boiler (made by Messrs. E. Danks & 

 Co. Ltd., of Oldbury), which supplies steam to the 35-H.P. single-cylinder 

 non-condensing engine (made by Messrs. Marshall, Sons & Co. Ltd., of Gains- 

 borough), the Worthington steam-pump for the cooling water, the fan engine, 

 the condenser engine, the evaporating pan, the heating of the rotary dryer, the 

 continuous apparatus, the tar still, the tar condenser and the boiler feed- 

 pump. 



The main engine drives, by shafting, the dynamo which, in addition to 

 lighting the Works, provides power for the motors for charging and dis- 

 charging ; also the acid pump, the neutralized liquor pump, the clear liquor 

 pump, the evaporator pump, the lime stirrer and the rotary dryer. 



[T. Newcomen.] 



AT SPEECH HOUSE 



The Members were now ready for tea, and on arrival at the Speech 

 , House the provision made for their entertainment was taken full advantage of. 



A. J. Lumbcrt, photo.} The Speech House. 



(Block kittdly lent by the publishers 0/ " A Week's Holiday in the Forest of Dean.") 



