PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, September 21, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 980, 21 September 1881, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, September 21, 1881.

Correspondende of a most interesting description, has been presented, by command of the Governor, to both Houses of Parliament, respecting the “ process for preserving timber.” The bulk of the correspondence comes from Mr. W. W. Evans of New York, explaining the process known as the “ Thilmany ” process, and the “ Boucherie ” process. Mr. Evans also treats of other processes, or patents — such as Bethell’s, Hayford, Kyan, Margary, Burnett, and. Payne, but it is to the Boucherie patent that he awards the palm. It is amusing, however, to find how scientists —and those who adopt the use of any given article —are prejudiced, or differ in their opinion. Thus Mr. Evans, in reply to the Government’s enquiry on the Thilmany process,...says : “I will by the next mail write you full particulars in reference to the Thilmany process, and also bring to your notice and explain the Boucherie process—a Frendh process—and, in my estimation, the most simple, the least expensive as to apparatus, the most scientific, and by all means the best ever invented." While upon the same subject, Sir Julius Vogel writes at even date, from London, stating that Messrs. Connor and Co., of Queen Victoriastreet, has addressed him, desiring to bring to his notipe “ Blythe’s ” system which “ is acknowledged by every one who has seen it to be the most scientific and perfect method! of preserving tim-

ber.” Both these opinions are expressed in the superlative degree, so that there is little doubt that.each has, as compared with other processed, some chief merit of its own. We have not room to transfer even a synopsis of these processes to our columns, but the papers are at the service of any of our readers who wish for a further investigation of this interesting and scientific subject. However, as Mr. Evans has written so exhaustively, and, at the same time so intelligibly, on a matter of such vital importance to the building world, we propose to extract the salient points of his re-

marks in relation to the Boucherie process of preserving timber.

Mr. Evans, at some length, describes,what he terms “ the philosophy ” of preserving timber. All timber is cpmposed of fibre, and albumen or sap. The fibre, separated from the sap, is nearly pure carbon, and consisting of small tubes or capillaries, as may be seen by the subjection of woods of different density to microscopic investigation. The sap, or albumen, consists of acidulous, resinous, glutinous, and saccharine liquid matter, besides these, timber contains oxygen, hydrogen, and nitrogen. The juices, at the time a tree is cut, are in solution. They are the elements, combined with oxygen, on which trees live, but they are also the elements of future decay. Consequently the strength and value of

timber used (or. constructive purposes belongs to the librous, or carbonaceous part —pure carbon being indestructible —the juice portions being rejected. This being so the.chief point to be gained is to get rid of the juices and retain the fibre intact. Blit, asks Mr. EvaNs, how is this to be done ? He replies, not by allowing the sun or other heat to extract the hydrogen and oxygen, the watery parts 4hat held these elements of decay in solution, and leave them in a dry state to resume their functions connected with decay, as soon as they absorb, from rain, or moisture in the air, the elements that had been driven out by heat. Mr. Evans also ridicules the idea of getting rid of deleterious matter from timber by mere pressure, as is usual in most ihodern inventions, on account of the difficulty of getting any liquid containing an antiseptic to reach the centre. Nearly all the patent processes are based bn so treating seasoned timber, or timber artificially dessicated by a costly and slow process, which vaporizes the Water, and leaves all the deleterious matter t adhering tenaciously to. the walls <££ the capillary tubes of fibre, and-also leaving some minute spaces into which chemicals, in liquid form, can be made to penetrate by great force ; and then the only hope is that the chemicals will dissolve the deleterious elements, combine with, or coagulate them, and act as an antiseptic. Mr. Evans says that all other processes but Dr. Boucherie’s act as above described; and pertinently asks: If the tubes in which the strength lies are * of carbon (carbon being.; indestructible) iff it not best first to clear them of albumen or sap, or juice containing the elements of decay ? We will now see what the merits of the Boucherie process are.