New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-05-19
NETWORK TRIBUNE.
tias from Wood.

tas from Weed.
An eminent chemist Of Munich hss recently
Uncovered 4 method Of obtaining gas from the
fbres Of plants. especially OF wood, which nay be
made Csc or To- practical Purposes Ei.h great
economy sni s3vsrtsee. Ire Railroad Dep5s At
Munich has been for some time successfully
lighted wish mi, gas GO much confidence vat
felt by the diicove-er in is prscticabity that in
con,ec-icn win 'ou- other scientific men, ne IN.
deftook to prepare the apparatus a. the depot st
rs own expense. Ire list attempt met WITH
many obstacles, bat the final result confirmed the
hopes Of the projsc, Il is stated by competent
judses, who have Inspected the operation, that no
doubt remains ia their minds OF IS speedy intro
ducsion TO general use.
The apparatus st Munich is provided with only
single retort, bat Of such dimensions as sdaPti'
70 the largest gas establishment. and cradle it TO
deliver much larger quantity than is needed at
the depot. Il contains hundred weight Of split
wood and renders in an hour at least $50 cubic
feet OF gas in the gsSometer. In an hour and
halt, or two hours, one lot OF wood is used up,
producing from ESQ to zoo cubic feet according TO
the quality OF the wood. The retort is heated
with turf At az expense of about 10 kreutzers an
hour bat if two or three retorts were used With
the same furnace, the expense Of fuel for each
would be materially diminished. The charcoal
made IN the retort is about 20 per cent OF the
weight Of the wood this is rsked out while ye
bot, and placed in closely covered Tin boxes 70
cool in the open air The coal, which is at pre-
sent from FIR wood, is thoroughly burned and
being more compact than pit coal, is in demRnd
among the dealers. The gas is conducted from
the retort through the tar vessel the condenser
and the re6ner into the gssometer. The estsb.
lishment obtains from to per cent. Of tar O.
the best quality. The amount OF light rendered
by this gas according TO al official Measurement
by the Directors of the Railroad, equals 10 wax
candles from one burner, consuming il feet IN al
hour. This is greater than the power Of the
Augsburgh coslgas, which equals from II to ID
wax candles, five TO the pound.D
In Munich, those who have compared this gas
with common coal gas, give it decided prefer
euce for that vicinity The most prominent ad-
vantage is the facility with which it 10 produced.
While retort gives at most $50 cubic feet oil
coal gas in an hour, it will give 800 feet OF wood
gas. Only half the number OF retorts, according
", would be required for lighting city. The
quantity of gas, moreover, delivered by wood in
comparison with the cost, is OF importance.
hundred weight of coal, &c it is prepared at Augs
burg and Munich gives only 800 feet Of gas, in
the most favorable cases, aud costs l lorR and
kreutzers, while the same amount of 6r-wood
gives zoo feet Of gas at the cost OF less than 20
kreutzers, when wood is forms a cord. The
advantage is no less on the side OF the wood-gas
in respect TO the secondary products coke and tar
The wood gas is not so Objectionable in SAM
tary point Of view as the coal gas, either in its
preparation or its use Ithas no unpleasant smell
even in its crude state it contains no ammonia,
nor Gulphuretted hydrogen, nor carburetted sol.
phur nor in burning does it produce trace o.
sulphuric acid.
When the discoverer announced his project OF
obtaining gas from wood, every engineer and chem
list declared it impossible, since sll previous at
tempts had produced only gas OF very inferior
quality. They according came to the conclusion
that the 6bers Of wood are incapable Of gener.
stng gas But .his idea is efectually set aside by
he Munich experiment.
In an economical point of view, this discovery
Is considered Of great inheritance ID Uermany. IL
has already attracted the attention OF practical
men. and the manner in which we find il spoken
of by intelligent judges, shows that it may be
welcomed 81 one of the benefcient contributions
of science in the Nineteenth Century to the uses
IF life