The Lancaster gazette. (Lancaster, Ohio) 1846-1852, 1850-08-23
THu ELEorRlo Lronr.-Mr, Painc's

Discovery COryobOrated6y Erperiment.-
MEssRs. EDIToRs--I have passed by
dr0gen through turpentins aud found It
10 acquire high Illuminating proPeriies
You know there is an old experiment at
the philosophical candle" made by gen .
Grating hydrogen under stratum "flur
pentine; but thinking the newly general
ed or nascent hydrogen might have the
puwer of accomplishing ar absorbing the
turpentine. led the hydrogen from the
gener aiiug bollle by bent tube dipping
under the turpentine in sepeIate bottle
The light was very brilliant. in Intensity,
| thought, between the Drummond light
aud the SoIa, lamp, spirit gas ligh, look.
ed dingy alongside ofit-ss ordiuary
lights appear by the lime light. The tax.
ing Of dagnereotype by it would have
been very easy.
next directed my attention to ascer.
tnin the quantity ofrurpeutiue used along
with known quantity Of hydrogen. |
first accurately measured a portion oftur-
pentine. aud then passed the gas from 33
ounces of zinc through il, burning the gas
at the Jet all The time. | then again mea
ured the turpentine. aud found it not per-
ceptibly less than before. Now, in this
case the hydrogen could not have been
changed into carburetted hydrogen, for
coal gas contains from four TO five times
as much carbon as hydrogen. aud pure
carburel,ed hydrogen has 6 times as much
carbon as hydrogen; and as 33 ounces of
zinc, by solution, liberate l ounce or l2
tubic feet of hydrogen, therefore from 4
tn ounces Of tuI pehtine should have
been used up, supposing il TO be all car
hon. but turpentine is composed Of 20
! atoms of carbon To Is atoms Of hydrogen
, and consequently only one seventh Of its
carbon can be taken up by the bydrogeni
. or in other words, AZ ounces of turpen-
tine will be required to carburet one
! ounce Hydrogen. Yet still thinking
: that some portion ofthe turpentine might
e he evaporated, cooled the bottle with
9 the turpentine, and placed the whole ap
o paraus in a cold bath, aud tried the ex
9 pertinent over again. but the light was the
8 same. then heated the lurpentiue Il
st i20 degrees, and then passed the hydro
! gen through it, butthe light was the same
e then took half gallon tinclure hottie
} and put in nearly three pints of cold wa
! ter and quarters ofa pint ofturpen
d tine, and let the pipe from the hydrogel
k generator run quite to the bottom Of th'
= water-the light appearing the same, o
n a little better. have used the sans lot u
+ turpenline in all these experiments, hav
k ing had brilliant light E,r about three
n hours; aud the turpentiue. though fire.
" queutly poured from me bottle To anoth
y or. is not a teasponniull less than befor
ht | began the FIRST experiment.
have now announced to you the sin
n pie facts OF the matter. The rationale
;. cave To the scientific world The nos
step, after aseertaining that hydrogen ca
j be used for illumination, is. whether tn
~, ligh, is according to it's weight or il
;; bulk. as compared With coal gas-that i
=, whether 200cubc feet ofthis catalyzed h
n n drngen viii go as fr for light as 200 fe,
;, Of coal gas. or whether it will require 90
as feet-l pound oflhe hydrogen tn do III
i work Of 26 ftet-l pound ofcoal gas. Vel
= truly yours, &c. GEoRaE MATHIoT.
=, Washington, July 9th. 1850.
. All the certificates and letters pu'
As lished by Mr,Paine's friends have M va
10 ne at all in comparison with this of NJ
~ Maihint. Now. Mr.. Paine, let us ha,
.d the whole discovery, aud lay it open
the public, aud illumine all cavilers I
the subject. You can maintain your clai
VS. VS. to gas produced by passing it throus
~ y, turpenine.
W. Mr.. Maibiot is Electro Metdurgist a
q" tached to the u. ). Coast Survey; he po
!" sesses vast amount ofpractica scienlii
" knowledge. The light was seen by ii
NO scientific gentleman attached To the su
-, vey,-Sciea'!fc american.