52 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the peat stacked in the upper chamber and the opening from 

 this chamber to the chimney permitted the escape of these gases 

 and the moisture which was driven from the peat.i 



Ehman^s peat Uln.^ This kiln was a model of SchlagePs and 

 consisted briefly of a chamber of rectangular cross-section carry- 

 ing a horizontal trellis work on which the peats were placed. The 

 kiln was heated by the waste gas of an iron finery using charcoal 

 as fuel, the blast from which first passed through a spark chamber 

 and then was admitted into the kiln through an opening near the 

 top. The dried peat was withdrawn through doors at the bottom. 

 The flow of the heated gases was induced by an exhaust fan com- 

 municating with the bottom of the kiln. 



Wencner's peat Mln.^ An apparatus for drying wood, lignite, 

 brown coal and peat by the application "of hot blasts, was invented 

 by Carl Welkner. ^^ The apparatus is under cover and supported 

 by four brackets inserted in brick pillars. When the hot blast 

 is let on, the bottom being closed, it descends through openings, 

 and then rises through the mass of overlying peat. The drying 

 goes on interruptedly, fresh peat being put in at the top as 

 fast as dried peat is taken out at the bottom, where it is obvious 

 the peat must be driest." 



Desiccation of peat "by centrifugal action.^ Many experiments 

 have been made to dry the peat by centrifugal action, the theory 

 being that the water would be thrown off and the peat retained 

 in the machine. In practice it has been found, that, except in 

 very coarse, fibrous peat, the loss of peat was too great, as the 

 fine material passes through the holes i^tended for the escape 

 of the water. 



5 Peat charcoal or coke^ 



Charcoal prepared from peat in the same manner as is em- 

 ployed in manufacturing wood charcoal is so friable and porous 



^ Percy, John. Metallurgy, p. 255. 



2 Percy, John. Metallurgy, p. 258-61. 



"Percy, John. Metallurgy, p. 262. 



* Percy, John. Metallurgy, p. 263. 



''Percy, John. Metallurgy, p. 498-501, 



