Series 4 > Scottish industrial history

BEGINING AND END OF LEWIS CHEMICAL WORKS 209
Tons ioo By Manual labour from Bog to Engene
Tons ioo By Manual labour from Engine to drying ground
Tons ioo For Firing steam Boiler and Mashing Machenery etc.
attendance and Fewal
300 Tons of Raw Peat operated on resulting in only 30 Tons of
Peat Coal.
If by Blunden Process now advocated the Manual labour is Mini-
fyed, There can be no dought but the Peat Problum is solved.
Experiments on Peat Bog for Improved Peat Fewal or Coal at
the Lewis Chemical Works Creed, Summer of 1866/7-8.
A soft Fibrey Part of the Bog was first selected, a strip 20 yards
or ther[b]y and 2^ feet Broad was lined off. The Sod removed. A
strong deal door 7 feet X 3 feet, Frames nailed to sides 3 inches high,
and Two Wooden Beaters or Rammers was prepared. The Door
set as a Platform beside the strip of Bog prepared to be operated on,
one man standing on the Raw Peat Flung out a spaidfull on to the
Platform alternate to the two Men, who with two Blows of their
Beaters Mashed it up and so on till the Platform was full to top of
Frames, a few claps with back of their spaids made the Mashed
Peat uniform thickness with the Frame. Then a Man stood at each
end of Platform (the two men mashing) quickly scored the soft
Mashed Peat across the platform. Then with their spaids Flung the
Peat on the surface of the Bog to dry. This was continued till the
spreading ground was covered. Then the Platform removed along.
In four to six days Peat so treated is fit to be Built in Dykes (Pigen
hole like), and dry in a surprisingly short time as compared to
Peat Cut in the usual way, and will contract in to a Hard Clean
Fewal Free from dust, Hard like wood and when Chared retain its
shape. Its fracture having a Metalic Lusture. The extra Cost of
Mashing is more then recompensed by the quickness in Drying,
The superiority and cleaness of the Fewal and lesser Bulk to be
operated on by the surprising Contraction, as Compared to Peat
cut in the usual Manner (as hard and clean as Wood). In this
Manner what is now Claimed by Blunden’s Process has been an
can be atained without Expencive Machenery. An ordinary Man
will in a few hours practice without removing from the platform,