Refuse Destructors

ThegreatincreaseinthepopulationofthelargertownsinEnglandnecessitatesimproved
methodsofrefusedisposal.

TheancientBriton'smethodwasthesimpleoneofremainingsolonginoneplaceashe
couldnearthenuisancecausedbyhispileofhouseholdrefuse.

Then,whenthestenchbecametoooverpowering,hepackedhislimitedstockofhousehold
necessities,shoulderedhisstoneaxe,andremovedhisresidencetofreshfieldsand
pasturesnew.

Thegreatsecretofthehealthofthepopulationsofourlargetownswillbefoundinthe
regularremovalandsatisfactorydisposalofallformsofthehouseholdandotherrefuse.This
removalanddisposalincludes:

Thescavengingandcleansingofthestreets
Thecollectionofhouseandtraderefuse
Theremovalanddisposalofexcreta,whichisinmanycasesdealtwithbyaseparate
sewagesystem.

Theaccumulationofrefuseisnaturalandunavoidablethetemporarystorageattheplace
ofaccumulationisaquestionofarrangementthecollectionatregularperiodsisamere
matteroforganisationbutthesuccessfuldisposalisanundertakingcallingfortheexercise
ofthehighestsanitaryscienceandskill.

Whatisnowgenerallyacknowledgedtobethemostsanitary,efficient,and,insomecases,
theonlysatisfactorymethodofrefusedisposal,isbymeansofaRefuseDestructor,inwhich
therubbishiscremated.

TheancientRomansandGreeksaresaidtohavedestroyedtheirrefusebymeansoffire,
anditisalsointerestingtoreadthat"amongtheantiquitiesofancientRomeisapillar
bearingtheinscription:'Takeyourrefusefurther,oryou'llbefined.'"

RefuseDestructorsareamoderninvention.Ordinaryfurnaceswereusedsomefiftyyears
ago,butwerenotconsideredsatisfactory.

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ThepresentdayDestructoristhesubjectofcontinuesattemptsatimprovement.Itis
essentialthattheheatofthe"cells"shouldbesufficientlyhighinorderthattherubbishmay
betotallydestroyed.Allvapourescapingfromrefuseshouldbesufficientlyheated,andthere
shouldbenopossibilityofundecomposedvapourescaping.

Themodernprinciplesofconstructionarevaried,eachmakerclaimingspecialadvantages.
Inclinedroadsarefavoured,sothatrefusemaybetippeddirectintohopper.

Amovabledryingfloorisoftenprovidedsothatthe"charge"isthoroughlydried,whenthe
floorisallowedtodropthechargeonthegrate."Forwardingbars"areused,andforced
draughtenablesahighertemperaturetobeemployed.

Thisgreatheat,whichissonecessaryinorderthattherubbishmaybeutterlydestroyed,
suggestsatoncethequestionastohowitmaybestbeutilized.Modernpracticecouplesthe
destructionofrefusewithgenerationofelectricpower.Inthisconnectionthewordsof
ProfessorForbesareworthquoting:

"Nowitwillstrikeyou,asithasstruckme,asaverywiseprovisionofNature,whenItellyou
thatifthatrefuse(atPaddington)wereproperlyburned,andifitwereusedinthemost
economicalway,itwouldbefoundthattheamountofrefuseprovidedbyanypopulationis
almostexactlyasmuchasisrequiredtosupplytoilluminationbymeansoftheelectriclight
tothatsamepopulation."

TheProfessor'samountofilluminationwas"one8candlepowerlampperheadfortwo
hoursforeverynightoftheyear."

Thistheory,ofcourse,isnotfullyborneoutinpractice.Still,however,averyconsiderable
amountofsteammayberaisedinconnectionwithRefuseDestructors,andalarge
proportionofthecontractsforDestructorsareplacessoastoutilizethepowerforelectrical
works.

Thefineashandclinker,takenfromthefurnaces,arenowusedinbrickmaking,
mortarmaking,roadmaking,andthemakingifconcretepavingslabs.

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TwentyfiveyearsagothereweretwotownswithDestructors,nowtherearenearlytwo
hundred.Thefollowingfiguresareaveragescompiledfromthestatisticsof35towns:

Averagecostofconstruction,525percell.*
Costofchimneytoerect,63s,4d.perfootofheight.
Averageheightofchimney,163feet.
Numberoftonsofrefuseconsumedperdaypercell,6tons.
Numberofmenemployed,7menforevery6cells.
Costofdestructionofrefuse,111/2d.perton.
Annualcostpercell,96.

Textfromthe1904StalybridgeTownHandbook

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