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timber, although it will not bear nearly so much load as a 

 dry beam, will nevertheless not fail so suddenly. 



Since it has been shown that wet timber is not nearly 

 so strong as the same timber when dry, the question arises 

 as to how treating timber with creosote or other anti- 

 septics affects its strength. From a few tests made by 

 Mr. Tiemann on loblolly pine the comparisons are as 

 follows : 



showing that creosoting only diminishes the strength of 

 timber to about half the extent to which soaking it in 

 water does. Similar tests were made on timber soaked in 

 turpentine and kerosene, and the results showed the same 

 tendency ; in each case the strength of the wood was 

 much less decreased than by soaking in water. In the case 

 of kerosene -soaked wood there was no significant weakening 

 effect over that of dry wood. These tests were compression 

 tests made on very small pieces of timber, and not upon a 

 large number even of these, and must be received with 

 caution. 1 



Long time tests were made at the Chalmers Institute, 

 Goteborg, Sweden, by M. Theodore Wijkander, on pine, 



1 Although, more recent experiments rather tend to confirm the 

 decrease in strength of timber immediately after being creosoted, 

 compared with seasoned wood, any decrease is only temporary ; the 

 presence of creosote does not weaken w r ood in itself, but only retards 

 the seasoning, and after a time it will become ap strong as the original 

 seasoned wood. 



