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One of the Retorts for Burning the Turf into Charcoal, 1850. Creator: Smyth
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One of the Retorts for Burning the Turf into Charcoal, 1850. Creator: Smyth
One of the Retorts for Burning the Turf into Charcoal, 1850. Drying peat to make charcoal at Derrymullen, Kildare, Ireland....in the centre or main building are the furnaces, thirty-six in number, arranged in rows six in each, and are composed of strong sheet-iron, of pyramidal form, with iron framework and hood to protect the upper portion of the building from the flume and vast amount of heat generated from the fiery mass within the furnaces. Here, again, the turf is still further dried upon a framework so arranged over the furnaces and across the building, when it is thrown up from below...by men or women; whilst others turn it about, so that all the heat from below passes through it. By this simple process, and despite the weather, the dampest turf that can be sent into the furnace-house becomes, in the course of six or eight days, ready for the furnaces. From "Illustrated London News", 1850
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Charcoal Drying Employment Fuel Furnace Furnaces Heat Heating Industrial Revolution Ireland Irish Ladder Machine Machinery Manufacture Manufacturing Peat Rogers Smyth Society Wheelbarrow Working Man Workman Workmen
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EDITORS COMMENTS
This image, titled 'One of the Retorts for Burning the Turf into Charcoal' by Smyth, offers a glimpse into the industrial process of charcoal production at Derrymullen, County Kildare, Ireland during the 19th century. The photograph, published in the Illustrated London News in 1850, showcases the intricacies of this labor-intensive and time-consuming process. At the heart of the operation are the furnaces, arranged in rows of six, each composed of strong sheet-iron, pyramidal in shape, with protective iron framework and hoods. The dampest turf, sent into the furnace-house, is further dried upon frameworks placed over the furnaces and across the building. Men and women work in unison, throwing the turf up from below and turning it around to ensure even heating. The damp turf, despite the weather, transforms into charcoal in the course of six to eight days. The interior of the building is filled with a vast amount of heat, generated from the fiery mass within the furnaces. The simplicity of the process, which involves minimal machinery, is a testament to the industrious spirit of the people involved. This photograph, a window into the past, offers a unique insight into the employment opportunities during the Victorian era, particularly in rural areas of Ireland. The Irish Amelioration Society, an organization dedicated to improving living conditions, recognized the importance of such industries and the role they played in providing jobs and sustaining local communities.
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