10), at
Pottsville, Pa., upon timber which he endeavored to impregnate with
pyrolignite of iron by means of capillary action. Similar experiments
had previously been thoroughly tried in France by Dr. Boucherie, but the
result has not been found satisfactory.
In 1858 the Erie Railway purchased the right of using the Nichols
patent, and erected machinery at its Owego Bridge shop for boring a 2
inch hole longitudinally through the center of bridge timbers. This
continued till 1870, when the works were burned, and in rebuilding them
the boring machinery was not replaced. The longitudinal hole allowed a
portion of the sap to evaporate without checking the outside of the
timber, and undoubtedly lengthened its life. It is believed there are
yet (1885) some sticks of timber in the bridges of the road that were so
prepared in 1868 or 1869.
In 1867 Mr. W.H. Smith patented a method of preserving timber, by
incasing it in vitrified earthenware pipes, and filling the space
between the timber and the pipe with a grouting of hydraulic cement.
This was applied to the railroad bridge connecting the mainland with
Galveston Island (experiment No. 12), and so well did it seem to succeed
at first that it was proposed to extend the process to railroad
trestlework, to fencing, to supports for houses, and to telegraph poles.
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