bth December^ 1898. 



Mr. Thomas Workman, J.P., President in the Chair. 



REFUSE DISPOSAL AND SEWAGE PURIFICATION, 

 By W. Chambers. 



{Abstract:) 



From an economic standpoint, much of the rubbish of to-day 

 is quite unessential and due to habits of wastefulness, which 

 will doubtless be corrected as education advances and science 

 works out her destiny. It may be considered under four 

 divisions : — 



1. Road scrapings, which are comparatively harmless 



2. Stable manure, abattoir and fish offal, all containing good 

 manurial properties. 



3. Refuse from household operations, constituting legitimate 

 sewer matters. 



4. Dustbin and market refuse, of which our urban population 

 contributes, it is estimated, about six million tons per annum ; 

 that can only be disposed of in one way to satisfy the require- 

 ments of public health, viz. : destruction by burning. A 

 destructor furnace reduces all organic matter to its component 

 gases, and by a system (illustrated on the diagram) they are 

 rendered odourless and innoxious. The resultant heat is 

 utilised in boilers of large size, having supplementary fire grates 

 to augment the power, and so make it available for generating 

 current for tramway traction, at a cost of less than one penny 



