PHOSPHORUS  AND  MATCH  MANUFACTURES. 
57 
few  impurities,  and  is  used  in  the  composition  of  manures,  the 
phosphorus  in  it  being  of  too  difficult  or  too  unprofitable  extrac- 
tion. From  the  penetrating  and  destructive  character  of  phos- 
phorus, the  retorts  require  frequent  renewing,  some  manufac- 
turers, when  the  best  fire-clay  is  not  employed,  not  using  them 
for  more  than  one  operation. 
The  appearance  of  a  phosphorus  distillery  containing  between 
200  and  300  retorts,  which  we  have  frequently  visited  when  in 
full  operation,  and  the  furnaces  at  their  maximum  heat,  is  some- 
what fearful: — The  long,  yellow  flames  of  phosphuretted  hydro- 
gen, and  carbonic  oxide  shooting  forth  from  the  escape  pipes  ; 
bits  of  burning  phosphorus  spitting  forth  in  fiery  balls  from 
little  crevices  or  leaks  at  the  mouths  of  the  retorts  ;  the  inces- 
sant bubbling  of  the  vapor  of  phosphorus  and  escaping  gases  in 
the  basins  of  hot  water  ;  the  almost  unbearable  heat  from  the 
furnaces  on  each  side,  and  from  the  red-hot  flues  under  foot ; 
the  intolerable  stench  of  phosphuretted  hydrogen  and  burning 
phosphorus  ;  together  with  the  acid  fumes,  and  filthy,  grim 
aspect  of  the  place,  combined  to  produce  an  impression  on  our 
senses  which  we  cannot  fail  to  remember. 
The  small  cakes  of  crude  phosphorus,  each  weighing  several 
pounds,  are  collected  from  the  iron  receiving  basins  when  cold, 
and  melted  together  under  water.  The  impurities  which  were 
carried  over  from  the  retorts  into  the  basins  by  the  current  of 
gases  and  phosphorus  vapor,  now  settle  to  the  bottom  of  the 
fluid  mass,  and  the  supernatant  phosphorus  is  drawn  over  into 
shallow  copper  pans,  containing  a  small  quantity  of  hot-water 
to  prevent  contact  of  air,  by  means  of  leaden  syphons  previous- 
ly filled  with  hot  water,  and  allowed  to  solidify. 
The  large  cakes  or  cheeses  of  phosphorus  thus  obtained  still 
contain  impurities,  and  are  of  a  dirty  red  color,  chiefly  arising 
from  the  mechanical  admixture  of  a  red  variety  of  phosphorus  in 
small  particles.  They  are  broken  to  pieces  under  cold  water, 
and  the  fragments  placed  in  hot  water  contained  in  a  leaden 
vessel  (heated  by  steam),  together  with  a  bleaching  agent.  The 
phosphorus  is  stirred  with  the  heated  mixture  until  it  is  bleached, 
or  its  brownish  color  is  removed,  which  generally  occupies  two 
or  three  hours. 
The  liquid  phosphorus  is  again  drawn  by  means  of  syphons  into 
