91 



This tank was connected with a monte jus of 50 liters capacity. This 

 apparatus was connected with the compressed-air service used in oper- 

 ating the battery. It was so arranged that the master of diffusion, or 

 his assistant, could operate it directly from the central column of the 

 battery. 



After each cell was filled with chips, 50 liters of the scums were run 

 into thsmontejus from the storage tank, and, by means of compressed 

 air, poured into the full cell. The process of diffusion was then con- 

 tinued in the usual way. The quantity of liquid drawn from each cell 

 was increased by the amount of scums added. For instance, if 900 

 liters were the amount regularly drawn, 950 would be taken from a cell 

 to which the scums had been added, as above indicated. 



No deterioration of the diffusion juice could be detected in using this 

 method. 



This procedure was also used during the progress of the work con- 

 ducted by the Department at Fort Scott during the season of 1887. I 

 have been told that a patent has been applied for to cover this process, 

 and have therefore placed on record the experiments made at Lawrence 

 for the public benefit. 



THE USE OF LIGNITE. 



In order to get lignite of the best possible variety and in the best 

 form for use, a few tons of the ground article were purchased from the 

 inventor of the process of filtering with brown coal, Mr. Fritz Kleeman, 

 of Schonigen, Germany. 



I have already alluded to the successful use of lignite in conjunction 

 with lime and 'carbonic acid. 



This experiment, however, did not show that any beneficial effects 

 were produced by the introduction of the lignite. 



Afterwards experiments were made by Mr. Kleeman himself, using 

 lignite alone. Mr. Kleeman said the arrangement of the clarifying tanks 

 was not suitable to the process. The filter cloths were soon clogged and 

 the attempt at filtration had to be abandoned. 



Later in the season I received a letter from Mr. W. J. Thompson, of 

 Calumet Plantation, in which he said that he would make a trial of the 

 process under more favorable conditions than obtained at Magnolia, and 

 requesting me to send him enough of the Kleeman lignite for that pur- 

 pose. This I gladly did. Mr. Thompson made a run of nineteen clari- 

 fiers with lignite, but found so many difficulties attending the work that 

 its further progress was abandoned.* On the other hand, Professor 

 Stubbs, at Kenner, working with a small press, secured results that 

 were highly satisfactory. 



The results of the work with lignite show 



(1) That on a large scale the filtration takes place with great diffi- 

 culty, unless a very great quantity of the lignite be used and the juice 

 be neutral or slightly alkaline. 



Appendix H, p. . 



