HARDWOOD DISTILLATION 213 



from the oven house to decrease the danger from fire. It is also well 

 protected by means of hose, water pails, fire extinguishers, etc., to min- 

 imize the fire hazard. 



Cost of Plant and Equipment. 



As outlined before, the initial cost of a modern complete wood dis- 

 tillation plant is very large. It is estimated that, under present market 

 conditions, an investment of $2500 should be provided for each cord of 

 capacity. That is, if a plant is so designed to be of 50 cords capacity, 

 the initial investment required would probably be about $125,000. 



Before the great European War, it was generally estimated that a 

 complete plant would cost about $2000 per cord of capacity. The dif- 

 ference in the above estimates is due to the fact that the cost of iron, steel, 

 copper and other materials used in the manufacture of wood distillates 

 has risen tremendously as a result of the competition to better condi- 

 tions in this country, together with a demand for supplies from European 

 countries. 



The old-fashioned cylindrical retort plant is much less expensive for 

 the initial expense, but the heavy charges due to labor result in excessive 

 operating charges. A 24-round retort plant, that is, one containing a 

 battery of 12 pairs with each pair of retorts holding about if cords, costs 

 $75,000 for the entire plant. 



When it is figured that the modern plant costs $2500 per cord of capa- 

 city, it is estimated that one-third of this charge is for building, while the 

 apparatus costs about two-thirds. 



PLANT OPERATION 



The following are the principal features of plant operation. Each is 

 briefly described, giving the principal commercial features involved, 

 such as costs, per cord charges, and other commercial features involved 

 in the operation of a wood distillation plant. 



Altogether there are six forms of fuel commonly used in the hardwood 

 distillation industry. They are as follows: Coal, natural gas, charcoal, 

 wood, wood tar and wood gas. Altogether coal is most commonly used. 

 In the district centering around Olean, New York, many of the plants 

 use natural gas. Most of the plants in the Olean district, however, are 

 just over the New York line in Pennsylvania. Both hard and soft coal 

 are commonly used for the purposes of direct heating and the production 

 of steam. Practically all plants use the wood tar and wood gas, which 



