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6
cerning the abominable stenches arising occasionally on the prem???
the Surrey Consumers' Gas Company. The wind having, in the???
part of the month of June frequently blown from an easterly q???
the upper part of Rotherhithe has much suffered from these ste???
In consequence, several special visits have been made by mo to tb
Works, to investigate, as far as possible, the cause of the nuisnn???
have always chosen for my visits a time when the effluvia could ???
tinctly smelt, and the following conclusions are the result of m???
observations.
1st. That a very disagreeable sulphury smell is often produced???
slaking of the coke, and that such smell may be borne by the win???
considerable distance.
2nd. That the worst stenches are given off from the opening???
Purifiers.
Purifying is the last operation which gas undergoes before it i???
vered to the public for consumption. The purifiers are large iron???.
filled with some substance having a strong affinity for sulphur, the???
cipal object being to rid the gas of any sulphuretted hydrogen wh???
may contain.
Formerly wet lime was universally employed for that purpose, b???
sanitary reasons of late years, salts or oxides of iron (generally ???
the sulphate or the peroxide) mixed with sawdust, have been substi???
for it.
After a time, these substances, from the decomposition of the???
phuretted hydrogen in the gas passing through them, become satu???
with sulphur, or, more correctly speaking, become converted into ???
sulphuret of iron, and thereby powerless to decompose the sulphur???
hydrogen. It is then necessary to open the purifiers.
Black sulphuret of iron, by being exposed to the air, becomes grad???
decomposed, and by absorption of oxygen from the atmosphere the???
is again converted into peroxide of iron and free sulphur. Thus ???
vated, it may again be put into the purifier, and used afresh. The???
processes may be repeated several times on the mass.
This process of renovation is effected in many gas works by si???
casting the black sulphuret out of the purifier on to the ground???
occasionally turning it; but at the Surrey Consumers' Gas Wor???
is never taken out of the purifiers at all. The lid of the box being I???
the hot sulphury contents are moistened with water, and turned ???
with shovels, currents of air are then quickly sent through it, so ???
obtain in a short space of time, say an hour or two, that oxidation 0???
iron which is the result of a much slower process when the black???
phuret is exposed to the air on the ground.
This mode of proceeding, by rapid oxidation, is the cause of the???
sance so much complained of, all the stinking gases contained i???
purifier being let off at once into the atmosphere.
The remedy would be to erect a building round the purifiers, a???
carry the gases either into water or a high chimney. I am assure???