Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1851-06-07
GAS FROM WOOD.

MESsns. GALES & SEAros / beg you will do me ii
favor to pubish the enclosed paragraph from the ssCh
tan Advocats" and accredited the New York Tribune
with these few accompanying remarks:
gas WeoD. This subject Or this object shout
properly say, has occupied the stanton Of chemists for lon
time past but not with, appears, beneficial public
suit For time past have had my attention drawn to ID
efforts Of gentleman Of this city who has been experiment
ing on this very thing first like the rest Of the communi
y doubted its pracicsbiliy but when the simpl
and cheap apparatus of DR.. McCosrEI surgeon dentist
this city, my doubts vanished His apparatus for which h
entered cavea and has since applied for patent,
Of simple retort and furnace in which he makes biz
gas, COAL and TAR from pine WOOD He is having con-
structed in Baltimore apparatus large enough to test bs
ast useful scale Should he be perfectly successful
Of which have doubt gas coad be made from pine wood
and city supplied with better and purer article than can
now be made from bitumnous coax 0iL rosi and at hall
the price and the company manufacturing make sniff
Gent tar to pay ali expenses, and profit besides.
In these few remarks do not wish to- rob the Munich
professor Of his invention II is not crcun-
stance that two inventors in distant parts Of the
try at the same time, have invented the thing and APP
Piled for patent at about the time This fact is
easily accounted for subject generally brought TO the
notice Of the scientific world accidental cause, and
attracts their attention throughout the world and it is not,
therefore, surprising that two persons should arrive
at the result particularly in chemical discoveries The
Munich professor dese all the credit which he may claim
for this invention, although made subsequent TO that Of Dr.
McCosSEL but the latter merits all the praise Of orgi-
nal inventors and should reap the full reward Of fame such,
even his discovery should be quite pesos that Of
the professor at Munich but have every to believe
it is as good would give pleasure to furnish full
If
now before the Patent Office for the issuing patentrght to
Dr. Mcconnell now feel at liberty to do so but are
sure that that gentleman would willingly show and explain his
apparatus to the scientific. AN EYE WITNESS.
Gas FROM Woman eminent chemist Of Munich has
recently discovered method of obtaining gas from the bres
Of plants especially of wood which may be made use Of
for practical purposes with great economy and advantage
The railroad depot Munich has been for time
cessfuy lighted with this gas So much confidence felt
BY the discoveeri in It's praccaby that In connexion with
four other scientific men, he undertook prepare the appa
atus at the depot bis own expense. The first attempt
met with many obstacles but the final result confirmed the
hopes OF the projectors II is stated by competent judges
who have inspected the operation, that doubt remains in
their minds Of its speedy introduction general use.
The apparatus at Munich is provided with only single
reto but of such dimensions adapt il the largest gas
establishment and enable it to deliver amuch larger quantity
than needed at the depot contains hundred weight Of
split wood, and renders in hour at least $50 cubic feet Of
gas in the gasomeer In hour and hall; two hours
lot Of wood used up producing from $50 700 cubic
feet according to the quality Of the wood. The is
heated with turf at expense of about kreuzers hour
but II two or three reorts used with the furnace
the expense of fuel for each would be materially diminished
The charcoal made in the etor is about 30 per of the
weight OF the wood this raked out while yet hot and
placed in closely covered tin boxes cool in the open
The coal, which is at present from fir wood is thoroughly
burnt and being more compact than pit coal is in demand
among the dealers The gas is conducted from the reort
through the tar vess the condenser and the ene into the
gasomete The establishment obtains from to per cent
OF tar OF the best quality The amount of light rendered by
this gas according to any official measurement by the directors
Of the railroad, equals fifteen and half candles from one
burner, consuming four and half feet in hour This
greater than the power Of the Augsburg coal gas which
equals from II to ID Candles Give to the pound)
In Munich, those who have compared this gas with the
common coal give decided preference for that vcni
y The prominent advantage the facility with which
produced. While reort gives at most $50 cubic feet
of coal gas in hour, it will give $50 feet Of wood gas
Only half the number Of retors accordingly would be required
for lighting city The quantity Of gas morsova delivered
by WOOD in comparison with the cost, is Of importance.
hundred weight OF coal it is prepared at Augsburg and
Munich, gives only 500 feet of gas in the favorable
and costs form and six kreutzers while the
amount Of fir wood gives roo feet Of gas at the cost Of less
than 20 kreuzers when wood is forms cord The adj
vantage is less the side of the wood gas respect
the secondary products coke and tar. t9f. y 1e.s's
The wood gas not Objectionable in sanitary point of
view the coal gas, either in its preparation its 1t
has unpleasant smell in its crude state il contains
ammoniac phuraed hydrogen, carburetted sui
phur in burning does produce Of sulphurc acid
When the dscoveler announced his project Of obtaining
gas from wood every engineer and chemist declared it i'm
possible since all previous attempts had produced only gas
very inferior quality. They accordingly to the
cuson that the fbres Of wood incapable Of generating
gas But this idea is efecuay aside by the Munich
experiment aat
In economical point of view this discovery considered
Of great importance in Germany 1t has already attracted the
attention of practical men, and the in which find
spoken Of by intelligent judges shows that may be well
coined Of the benefcen contributions Of science in the
nineteenth century to the Of leNeO York Tribune
THE BATHS OF POMPEII