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The Wood Charcoal Industry in the State of Missouri

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The Wood Charcoal Industry in the State of Missouri DZ O, .5 --1---; I lop 4 "- 0 4 0 E!\ v THE WOOD CHA IN THE STATE J. Pitts Jarvis, Jr., P.E. ., . tNGINEERING SERIES BULLETIN NO. 48 tNGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION COLUMBIA, MISSOURI THE UNIVERSIT COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING THE ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION The Engineering Experiment Station ,ms organized in 1909 as a part of the Coll ege of Engineering. The staff of t he Stat ion includes all members of the Faculty of the College of Engi- neering, toge ther wi t h Research Assistants supported by the Station Funds. The Station is primarily an engineering research institution engaged in the investigation of fundamental engin eering problems of general interest , in t he improvement of engineering design, and in the development of new industrial processes. The Station desires part icularly to co-operate wi t h industries of Missouri in the solution of such problems. For this purpose, there is avail a ble not onl y the special equipment belonging to the Station but all of t he equipment and fa cilities of the College of Engineering not in immediate use for class instruction. Inquiries regarding these matters should be addressed to : The Direc tor Engineering Experiment Station Uni versity of Missouri Columbia, :\1issouri UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI BULLETIN VOL. 61 . NO. 21 ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT STATION SERIES NO. 48 by tba of at the OUica of Columbia, Entered aa matter, January 2, 1914, at post 011104' •I Columbia, Mluourt, uDder Act of CoDqreu of Auquot 24, 1912. luued f;.,. limH moDlhly. 1,500 May 2, 1960 THE WOOD CHARCOAL INDUSTRY IN TH~ STAT~ OF MISSOURI J . PITTS JARVIS, JR., P.E. Associate Director, Engineering Experiment Sta tion Assista nt Professor of Industria l Engineering ACKNOWL~DGM~NTS This publication was made possible by the Engineering Experi- ment Station and the close cooperation of its director. Dean Huber 0. Croft . whose assistance is gratefully acknowledged. 2 PREFACE This publication is written fo r the purpose of encouraging further de- velopment of the natural resour'ces of the State of Missouri . The State has an abundance of scrub oak and hickory which is idea l fo r manufac turing hardwood charcoal and which has little or no value at the present time The further development of the charcoal industry in the State of Mis- so uri is a unique opportunity to turn a li ability into an asset. Scrub oak and hickory are a lia bility in the sense that land containing them usuall y has little value, their growth normall y bein g so dense as to prevent the growth of merchantable timbers. For other than fi re wood and charcoa l there has been little use fo r our large quantities of scrub hardwoods. The demand fo r these va ri eties as fire wood is small. Conversion to charcoa l wo uld produce des irable income by providing part or full time employ- ment. Any corrections, suggesti ons or comments by the readers of thi s pub- li cation made to the author will be apprec iated. J. Pi tts J arvi s, Jr. Columbia, Missouri January 15 , 1959 3 CONTENTS Page Acknowledgments 2 Preface .. .. 3 PART ONE-THE PAST 7 PART TWO-THE PRESENT 9 Location of Natural Resources for Charcoal Production in Missouri-Forest Resources of Missouri . .. 9 Effect of Saw Logs and Pulpwood on Charcoal Wood . 9 Missouri's Charcoal Production Position in the United States 9 The Emergence of the Missouri Charcoal Kiln 12 The Missouri Charcoal Kiln 12 Description of Construction of the Missouri Charcoal Kiln 14 Characteristics . 20 Ocher Types of Charcoal Kilns 20 How Charcoal is made .. .... ... .. .. .. ... ... 22 Wood Chemicals . .. .. ..... .. 22 Kiln Operation ... ... .. 22 Safety Precautions ... ... .. 22 Properties of Charcoal .. ... .. .. .. ... 23 Charcoal Quality .. ... .. ... ... ...... .. .... ... 24 Quality Control . ... ... ..... .... .. 24 Markets . .. .. ... 24 Charcoal Marketing in the United Scares 24 Markee Quotations .... ......... .. 25 PART THREE-THE FUTURE 27 A W ord of Caution .... 27 Utilization of Modern Techniques in Charcoal Production .. 27 PART FOUR-CONCLUSIONS 29 BIBLIOGRAPHY ............. .. ... .. ..... 30 4 ILLUSTRATIONS Page Figure 1. Forest Cover of Missouri ... .. .. ... .. 8 Figure 2. Missouri Native Vegetation ....... ... 8 Figure 3. Capacities of Charcoal Kilns in Missouri 10 Figure 4. Location of Charcoal Producers in Missouri, 1959 .. .. .. .. 10 Figure 5. Charcoal Producers in Missouri 11 Figure 6. Charcoal Briquetting Plants in Missouri .. .. ... .... 11 Figure 7. Missouri Ingenuity in Cutting Costs . .. .. 12 Figure 8. An Improvement of the Open Pie Kiln 12 Figure 9. Earthen Covered Pie Kiln . ....... ... .. .. ... .. ... .... .. 12 Figure 10. The Missouri Kiln Begins ... ... .. 13 Figure 11 . The Missouri Kiln 13 Figure 12. A Modern Installation of Missouri Kilns .. .. .. .. .. 13 Figure 13. Foundation Plan and Details 15 Figure 14. Wall Construction Details .... .. 16 Figure 15. Roof Plans and Details .. ..... ... 17 Figure 16. Steel Details . .. .. .. 18 Figure 17. Finished Kiln 19 Figure 18. Lise of Material for the Missouri Charcoal Kiln 20 Figure 19. Modified Beehive Kilns ... 21 Figure 20. New Hampshire Kilns .. 21 Figure 21. Connecticut Kilns ....... .. .. 21 Figure 22. Gas Fired Kiln 21 Figure 23 . Results of an Explosion During Charcoaling 22 Figure 24. A Missouri Kiln Loaded . 23 Figure 25 . Charcoal in a Missouri Kiln . 23 Figure 26. Type of Retail Ouclecs . -- .. .. .. .. 25 Figure 27. Charcoal Sold by Population of Marketing Area . 25 Figure 28. Markee Quotations . 25 Figure 29. Railroad Freight Races .. .. .... .. ........... ... ..... ... .. 26 Figure 30. Thermocouple Junction Head .. .... .. .. .. ... ..... .. ...... 27 Figure 31. An Instrument Panel . ...... .. .. ....... .. ..... .. .. ... .. .. 28 5 The Mi sso uri Charcoal Kiln 6 The Wood Charcoal Industry in the State of Missouri J. PITTS JARVIS, JR. * PART ON~ The Past Charcoal-making became significant in Missouri with cord. Charcoal in turn sold for about $34.00 per ton in the advent of the iron industry. 51 ' 52 The first iron-smelt- bulk, truck load lots. ing furnace was established near Ironton in 1815 or 1816, In 1857 the Meramec Iron Works were improved to about four or five years prior to Missouri statehood. reduce the charcoal consumption rate to 110 bushels per Iron-making in these early days required large quantities ton of pig i.ron produced. This compares with the 215 of charcoal to provide adequate heat to smelt the ore. bushels required in the cold blast furnaces at Hanging After smelting, it was necessary to transport the iron. Rock. Meramec was then producing 4,000 tons of iron Roads, and later railroads, were built in the iron-pro- per year. ducing areas in Missouri, and the route influences are The following quotation illustrates how charcoal still apparent. Some of the roads are still being used and was utilized in early Missouri iron-making. 5 1. 52 continually improved. "The furnace was stocked from the top in the fol- Farmers sold their produce to the iron workers' com- lowing proportions: 640 pounds of ore, 18 bushels of munities and provided off-season labor in wood-cutting, charcoal, 40 pounds of limestone and one bushel of charcoal burning and other related tasks. Thirty-four iron charred red cedar stumps. Casting took place several times furnaces and forges were to be found in Missouri between daily and in busy seasons extended through the night as 1815 and 1940. Almost all of them depended on char- the plants operated on a 24-hour schedule." coal for fuel needs. With the discovery in 1921 of a new Charcoal has been known to man since the early process for coking Illinois coal, iron-making shifted to days of civilization. In the Bible, references to charcoal Granite City, Illinois, thus establishing the industry in are found in several places: the St. Louis, Missouri area. OLD TESTAMENT In about 1840, Springfield area labor received from Proverbs 26: 21-"As charcoal to hot embers and 50 cents to $1 per day, with some laborers making as wood to fire ... " much as $2. A similar rate prevailed during a period just NEW TESTAMENT prior to 1939. The minimum wage now set by Federal John 18:18-"Now the servants and officers had law is $1 per hour. made a charcoal fire because it was cold, and they were In 1840, wood was purchased for 37 ½ cents per cord standing and warming themselves ... " and charcoal for 2 'Vs cents per bushel. In 1959, the price John 21:09-"When they got out on land, they saw paid for cordwood in Missouri was from $5 to $9 per a charcoal fire there, with fish lying on it, and bread." *J. Pitts Jarvis, Jr., P.E., Associate Director of the Engi- neering Experiment Station and Assistant Professor of In- dustrial Engineering, College of Engineering, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri. Note. Upper placed numbers in the text refer to references which are listed in the numbered bibliography at the end of this publication. 7 FORESTo, COYER MISSOURI CONSERVATION COMMISSION f[l)[RAL AID TO WILDUIT PROGllAM HOn- BU,OlJ..11A$ua:AJ1: WOOOUJDIS · N-"' CCM'll.D FION AtaAL ftl0T0CaA1HI C:lnrt: AAA~LUlWAP'Cl'TlU STATI KICHWAT CDll.ltMDIT AIO t1tf: IUlt..w Of l'\IIUC 10AM FIGURE !-Two-thirds of the commercial forest in Missouri is south of the Missouri River. MISSOURI NATIVE VEGETATION ·KEY· ~OAK-PINE ~ B<~;j,.i~~~ FIGURE 2- Missouri fores ts are predominantly oak and hickory. 8 PART TWO The Present Location of Natural Resources for Charcoal Effect of Saw Logs and Pulpwood on Charcoal Production in Missouri-Forest Resources of Wood Missouri Charcoaling is a desirable technique for good forestry programs. For example, a forest undergrown with scrub The forest area of Missouri in 1956 was 15.2 million timber was cleared co permit the good pine and saw logs acres or 39 percent of total land area. 29 Practically all of to develop.
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