The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-09-27
From the Propl,lsnes Joarnal.
Scientific Intelligence.

4 1t is well known to most of our readers, tina
Mr.. Paine, of Worcester, exhibited his mucl
talked-of " Atmospheric Light" at our recen
fair He did not arrive with il until the seconC
day of the show. He Immediately put up hi
apparatus, and on the evening of the same day
had it burning for a short time, though, as ht
told us, his apparatus was not IN good working
order, owing to some leakage. On the follow
ing evening, having repaired the defect, it was
again burning for an hour or more. The ligh
was unexceptionable as to its quantity anc
quality, though the flame was but small. On
the following day, Saturday he returned to
Worcester, leaving notice appended to the ap
paratus that it would be burning !an on Mon
| day evening bnt it was not on account Of the
{" sickness Of Mr. Pline," as we were informed
1 On the following morning the apparatus was
packed up and removed. So much for Mr. Paine
and his atmospheric Light" in this city. But
this is not ALL. On the first evening ofthe exhi-
bition of the light, very young man was seen
standing before it, and examining the apparatus
very closely, and Mr.. Paine too, If we may Judge
! from the questions which we heard him put, as
we happened to be standing by. But it was
enough He had it all He left the hall for the
laboratory of the franklin Society, and com.
menccd his experiments In very short time
they were crowned with entire success.
On Monday it was whispered about that an
" opposition Paine's Light" was to be shown at
the fair but the apparatus, hastily prepared, was
not sufficient for public exhibition, and it was
postponed The following day one was made
of sufficient power, and on the last evening OF
the exhibition, though Mr.. Paines light had
ceased TO burn in Providence, one was shown
and explained, not only fully equaling il in bril-.
liancy, but produced by the same means and by
similar apparatus, and upon principles kno,on
and published several years since in scientific
works.
The exhibition and explanation was made by
Mr.. Robert A. Fisher, of this city, who is still
young mere boy, but of great promise. After
having set the light to burning, he commenced
the explanation by reading from the Annual
of Scientific Discovery for 1850, the follow
ing extract, commencing on the l9lst page,
| The article is headed '.New mode Of Illumina-
| ton"
SAT the meeting Of the Institute Of Civil En-
gneers in London, on April II, lS49, Mr.. c. B..
Mansfield read paper on an application of
certain Liquid Hydro Cartons to artificial illu-
mination' The system proposed consists in
conducting stream of almost any gas, or even
of atm ospheric air, through reservoir charged
with benzole Cor liquid hydro carbon produced
from coal or tar,) or some other equally volatile
hydrocarbon: The gas or air being thus con-
Quoted like common gas to the burners. 1t was
stated that this system is applicable on any
scale, from the dimensions of town gas works,
to the compass Of table lamp. la an appara
tus exhibited small gas-holder filled by pair
Of bellows, supplied common air through pipes.
The gases formed by passing steam over red
| hot coke, would answer well for this purpose,
and it would depend on local circumstances,
whether this mode of generating the current
would be preferable to the expenditure of the
mechanical force necessary for driving atmos
pheric air through the pipes. BY decomposing
water with the voltaic battery, nap halizing the
hydrogen with benzoe and burning it with the
acid of the equivalently freed oxygen, simple
| light Of intense power may be obtained. y
Though this liquid does not require to be
heated above the average temperature Of the
air. vet it is liable to be cooled by its own evap-
oration, so as to require an artificial supply of
warmth which is obtained by causing small jet
of the flame Of the gas itself to play upon the
reservoir and by simple contrivance the tenn
perature is made self-regulating, so that it never
rises above or falls below proper degree. If
atmospheric air is used as the vehicle for the
vapor the let holes in the burner must be
| slightly larger than those tor coal. A
gallon of benzoe Of the requi-ite purity will
cost IS cents and to this must be added the
expense Of the air current and the interest on
the original outlay, which at the most would
raise the cost to about 80 cents for the con-
sumption of g:llon Of benzoe. One ounce OF
the liquid will give light equal TO four wax
candles for an hour; or one gallon for about
l29 hours Ii is inferred tina, a gallon Of this
material is equivalent TO about 1000 feet OF coal
gas"
From another article from the Chemical Ga.
zett," reprinted on the same page, we have the
following in relation to Beuzole and its uses :
The facility with which the vapor Of benzole
is taken up and retained by the air at its ordi.
nary ter peraturc, has been taken advantage OF
in an apparatus for illumination with great snc
cess In this stream Of Il is made 10 pass
through q reservoir Of volatile hydro-carbon
and afterwards conducted TO burners at which,
being ignited like coal gas, il yields light Of
extreme brilliancy and whiteness. The proper.
ty possessed by alcohol Of burning with an
almost lightless iime, so opposite to that Of the
highly carbonized benzoe, renders IL easy, BY
properly adjusting n mixture Of the volatile oil
with the spirit, to obtain fluid which sha u be
I readily vaporised, and shall yield flame Of any
required degree Of whiteness."
Mr.. III her then went on to explain his APP
paratus, which was in every respect similar to
i Mr.. Paine's and which consisted Of n small
gasometer filled with atmospheric air, and kept
constantly supplied by conducting pump.
From the gasometer the air was conducted 10 a
series Of six tin canisters, Of the capacity Of q
pint arranged around central one a little lsrget
than the others. In the first six canisters was
bent ole alcolol and raier. sufficient to I'LL them
about one quarter full The mixture was made
without reference to the quantity Of each ingre.
dent, but In such proportion as by experiment
was found TO afford the best light Il was found
that sbont one part benzole, one part alcohol
and half part of water formed the most suita
BILE mixture. The air was then made 10 pass
continuously through each Of these cani tiers
and by the arrangement OF the connecting Tubes
in very minnie bubbles through the contained
mixture. From the last Of the series il PISSED
To the cent al one which was empty, and served
ms nm air chamber, by which a more STEADY
light could be obtained, and any PARTICLES Of The
, mixture passing over were arrested. From thi'
/, chamber a tube arose a couple OF feet IL
height, at the top Of which we're the burners.
Thus the whole operation consisted In pass