492 TRANSACTIONS OF THE AMERICAN INSTITUTE. . 



changes in the works, or to remove them. There seemed but one 

 alternative, if the board insisted, and that was — stop the works, 

 shut down the gate, and, of course, stop the supply (of gas). 

 But that would be a greater evil than the odors. The health 

 "officers were getting firm and impatient, when Mr. Sabatton cir- 

 cumvented the whole procedure by a little practical strategy. 



Instead of opening the chest and exposing its contents to the 

 air, to set free a stench which some one might say could be cut 

 wath a dull knife, he forces through the chest a powerful current 

 of air, its exit being carried some distance away from, and to a 

 higher level than the works. The result is to so dilute the 

 ofiensive gases with air that the objectionable efiects are scarcely 

 noticed by former complainants; but it is questionable if the real 

 evil, if one of a sanitary type exists, is more than mitigated. An 

 advantage realized to the gas companies by this plan is, that the 

 lime may be used over and over, it is said, several times, before 

 removal, and, at least when taken out, is not offensive. 



I have no doubt that if difierently treated than it has hitherto 

 been, the waste lime from gas works may be vastly economized 

 and converted into a valuable fertilizer, particularly for certain 

 soils, and by the same means attain a quite as satisfactory sanitary 

 result as that I have described. 



I propose to pulverize or granulate dry peaty matter — which, 

 in that state, rapidly absorbs and fastens sulphuretted hydrogen 

 and other feted gases in great volume. Provide upon wheels 

 boxes of about one cubic yard content, and arranged to be easily 

 emptied; one of which boxes fill with the prepared peaty matter, 

 and place one or more of each alongside of the purifying chest. 

 The chest being opened, empty the contents seive by seive into 

 the empty box, an attendant standing by the peat and throwing 

 over the lime from each seive about an equal quantity of the peat, 

 until the box is full, when it is removed to the place of deposit, 

 and another substituted in its stead. 



The work of opening the chest and removing its contents should 

 be as expeditious as possible, for which reason it will be well if 

 the chest be so placed that it can be worked on each of its four 

 sides. 



To render this process complete and most efficient, a grinding 

 mill should be used convenient to the works, and to which mill 

 the mixture should be conveyed in the boxes and dumped over 

 the hopper. The mill is for the purpose of thoroughly and 



