Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1850-07-18
MISCELLANY.
Committees Report on Paime's
Light.

OOIH hklIttcc RCROGS OAA talne'S
Light.
We find in the Transcript, Of Saturday
evening, the report of the committee selected
to examine into the late discovery of Mr..
Paine and pass their opinion thereon. 1t
seems from the following that the committee
were not fully satisfied as TO the real value Of
the invention. We can do no better than
give their report:
WORCESTER, Mass, Tuesday, June 25. lS-
50. We, the undersigned, met at the Wor
ces,er Hotel this day by appoin,meut,-Mr.
Green, the agent of Mr.. Pedrick, having Civ
en- to Mr.. Roome the assurance that Mr..
Paine would this day be present and prove
to his satisfaction and the satisfaction Of such
scientific gentlemen as he (Mr. Roome) might
invite, that his discovery of new method of
decomposlng water and generating iliumin-
aiine gas was genuine and valuable.
Having been introduced to Mr.. Pedrick,
the partner of MIR. Paine, by Mr.. Green, the
laler stated that he was sorry Mr.. Paine
could not be present, having been called
from the city by a previous engagement
Mr.. Pedrick invited us to visit the machinery
of Mr.. Paine, at his room in the Worcester
Exchange building. We accordingly pro
ceeded TO do so and were there introduced to
a younger brother Of Mr.. Paine.
In the centre of the room we saw a dis
joinred piece of machinery, said BY Mr. Ped
rick to be the machine with which Mr.. Paine
deconposed wafer. Mr.. Pedrick and Mr..
Paine, Jr., explained as far, they said, as they
could do so, the action of this machine but
from its disjointed and imperfect state we
could form no definite idea its mode of op-
eralion.
From thence we accompanied Messrs.
Pedrick and Green TO the dwelling of Mr..
Paine, the brother of Mr.. Paine having pre-
ceeded us. On arriving at the house we
were ushered into front parlor. two
light gas bracket stood on The mantel. Mr..
Paine, Jr., lighted one of the burners, which
gave very bright light. On smelling the
gas, as it passed through these burners when
not lighted, it had the odor of oil or rosin gas.
We were then shown into basement room
in the rear of the house. In this room, sup
ported on four bricks, was box about two
feet square and ten inches high, said by Mr..
Paine, Jr. TO contain the magnets, two strips
of copper, said to be the electrodes, extended
from the box TO circular tin vessel about two
resting on the top of the box, and this tin
vessel Mr.. Paine, Jr., calling the decompos-
ing vessel. From this vessel pipe passed
through the wall, aud we were told connect
ed with Il gas holder placed on The outside
ofthe building. From this pipe was branch
leading to a small tin cy Under of tue capaci-
ty OF quart measure.
In this cylinder, Mr.. Paine Jr. said the gas
used in The house was carbonlZed. A small
plugged opening attached to this cylinder
leaked, DR.. Tory tasted the liquid which
dropped and asrertsined it to be Dater.-
Another branch pipe leading from the one
competing the gas holder with the decom-
posing vessel, turned off in another direction
and bending downwards, passed through the
cork of WIDE necked bottle and dipped into
spirits of flurpentine-this bottle was of glass
Another tube was inserted i'll the cork, with
burner attached TO its upper end. Mr.
Paine having lighted the gas, it burned VI ill
bright light, proving it 10 be carburret,el
hydrogen.
Mr.. Paine and Mr.. Pedrick both assured
US that the gas was hydrogen, produced from
water by the machine before us, and that il
was carbonized by being passed through the
turpenlne alone.
Mr. Roome then asked Mr.. Paine, Jr., tc
disconnect the pipe from the bottle of tur.en
tine and prove the gas to be free hydrogen by
| burning It. This MIR. Paine refused to do
saying that his brother had forbidden his dis
connecting any pipe.
| Mr. Blake then asked Mr.. Pedrck if he
would permit the pipe that dipped into the
spirits of turpentine, 10 be drawn through the
cork far enough 10 raise it above the surface
Of the turpentne.
After some conversation between MIR. Ped
rick and young Mr.. Paine, during which ht
| latter left the room and returned, Mr.. Pedricl
consented, and the pipe was raised as request
ed, on applying a match, the gas burned will
very feeble light, showing the presence o
free hydrogen. MIR. Roome then asket
that the pipe be again immersed in the tur
peutine and the burner lighted as before. Mr.
Paine, Jr., objected, but as we all insisted
upon the experiment being made, it was done
and the fame from the gas after passing
through turpentine, was proved beyond al
doubt in our minds 10 be hydrogen only, anc
not carburetted hydrogen as at first, and It
he totally unfit for illumination. MIR. Paine
Jr., on Witnessing the result OF this last ex
pertinent, appeared confused and declared
that the light burned as well as before, 5u
Drs. Tory and Chiffon told him that th'
| light did not burn as well as before, but wa:
much paler, to which we all assened. Mr.
Paine then shut off the gas and positively re
fused 10 permit further examination.
(Signed,)
JOHN ToRREY, NJ d., Prof Chemistry il
Col Of Physicians and Surgeons, N
York.
jas. R. Chiffon. NJ. D., Practica
Chemist, New York.
CHARLES RooME, Engineer Manhattan
Gas Works. New York.
GEORGE DARRACoTT, Agent Bosto
Gas Co.
J.H. BLAKE, Engineer and Chemis
| Boston.