Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1852-04-22
+. INDIANAPOLIS, THURSDAY. APRIL %, 1852.

which the coal is distilled There are six retorts places
in "benches' three in each bench, two crate
in the form Of triangle thus -. the fire being placed
center Of each below the whole These beRches' ar
arched bu of brick eight feet high,
or eight feet wide and many deep. These reeesses arr
built form furnaces in which the fuel
burnt CRATES the bottom The retorts arc large
Oblong, iron vessels about feet long, two feet wide
and IS inches high the bottom is fat aud the top round
ing, something in this shape -. They are placed
horizontally the fire, that the heat may play
around them and make them intensely hot. The outer
ends of the have each iron door accurately
fitted, by of which they charged" with coal
and the coke drawn off Each retort will contain from
80 to 200 pounds Of COAL though seharge" IS usually
100 pounds which is sufficient for five six hours.
I THE HYDRAULIC MAIN.-The empty retorts are
brought red heat the 'eharge Of Goals" introduced,
the door screwed the end and made air tight
by of clay and lime, and the manufacture ol
the gas commences From each retor the gaseous and
vaporzable matters OF the coal ascend By of a
pipe into the 'hydraulic main" This is large pipe.
nearly feet in damater placed three or four
feet above the furnace, and running parallel with the
front of the furnace, nearly its whole length In the
main" the separation Of the gas from us impurities
commences tar and ammoniacal waterbeing carredrom
the ''main' to the star WELL by means of pipe for
that purpose while another pipe carries the gas into
the "Condens ses." umo
THE CoNoENsERs are situated ng
House," This is "a feet by pr c6htsihs, be-
sides the "Condensers," the purifying apparatus which
we will to presently. The "Condensers" are
series of ten pipes inches in diameter about 30 feet
long, placed perpendcuarly beside each other, and
connected at the top and bottom that the gas having
other outlet, passs through them up and down each
alternate one These "Condensersv operate merely by
cooling the gas
THE REFRrGERAroR.-From the "CondensersD the
gas passes the 'Rsfri9erator become still
cooled, and in which the purifying" process commen-
ees. The Refrigerator" is large cast iron cylinder,
six feet long, and half in dameteS, filled with
coke which separates from the gas passes through
another portion of tar which is carried to the tar well"
by means OF pipe for that Pupose Through the Re
lrigeraor' &. stream OF water is constantly running
which washes the coke clean from all particles Of tar
which would otherwise adhere to il.
The WAsHER.-From the Refrigerator" the gas
passes to the "WasheTp in the same room This is
large cast roc basin, four feet in diameter and two
feet deep with air tight lid About inches be-
low the surface, the inside, plate containing
number Of small pps through which the gas passes
the water in the basin beneath. Below the plate the
basin nearly filled with water through which the gas
IS Obliged TO pass before finding an outlet by which
it is thoroughly washed The water in the basin
IS kept fresh by passing constant stream through it,
After passing through the water the gas escapes by
means OF large pipe opening the bottom OF the in
side plate, near the surface OF the water, into
THE ''CENTER VALVE which is few feet distant in
the same room This acynder about four feet high and
and naf feet in diameter, containing eight pipes
Through one OF these pipes the gas comes from the
Washer; three ''Outet pipes carry the gas 10
the "purIIyers| y three nlet PIPES bring il from
the puryers back again; and one is to carry the gas
alter 1t is purified from the eenter valve to the sta
fon MEIER in another room. The pipes in the center
valve fixed that by turning them partly round a
common centre the gas he carried into either of the
''purilyers.r
THE PURIFYERs.-These 'Parjfy~s," of which there
are three, large perpendicular cylinders, with an
air tight Each contains four cast iron per.
forated plates placed above the other, about
inches apart These plates covered TO about the
depth Of two inches with slaked lime Through this
lime the gas passes, after being introduced into
the purifyer" from the center valve After
passing through the lime the gas the center
valve" when passes to another puryer," undergoes
the same process and returns agaln the 'scenter
valve" whence lt passes TO the "station meter"
The STATION METER-This ''SiatiOn Meter diff
fers in nowse from the ordinary in the shops and
stores except in sze being, of course, great deal
larger as has TO measure all the gas manufactured
THE Dry WELL.-From the {" Meter the gas passes
to the " Dry Wsh," Round House" This is circu.
lar building about eight feet diameter the foor of
which is abont twelve leet below the surface of the
ground. Ii contains the " lnlet and '' Outlet valves
Through the - Inlet Vaver the gas passes from the
works into the Gasomcter," the receptacle for it.
Through the % Outlet Valve" the gas passes from the
" Gasometer" to the city after going first to the Gov.
ernor' to be regulated.
The GAsoMETER.-From the "Dry IVellV the gas
passes Immediately into the = Gasometer" This is
large circular vessel the final receptacle Of the gas be-
fore is passed consumers twelve feet high and for
y-seven feet in diameter IL is placed in large tank
cisern, fifty feet diameter, and twelve feet deep
nlled With water In the - CraSOmeterN like
a tGmbler bottom up In basin Of water The gas en-
ters from beneath by pipe from the % Dry Well"
the mouth oil the pipe being placed high inside OF
the q Gasometer" to be above the water. The !
u.s. OF the water IS to prevent the gas from escap-
ing from beneath the tGasometer" As the gas en- I
ters, It forces the Gasometer to rise, the weight
of which furnishes the pressure necessary force the
gas through the city and the burners Inside of
the Gasometer another pipe the mouth of which
also placed the surface Of the water by which the
gas let to the city by of the outlet valve
in the Round House.
THE GovERNoR.-Beiore it finally leaves the works 4
however, the gas passes through the GoUerhors This
is apparatus in the main pipe to regulate the pressure
gar-oaf shaped plug inserted in the main pipe which
by being pushed in pulled out, regulates perfectly the
pressure required, even to stopping it entirely.
STATISTICS
TIE number OF feet Of pipe laid in this city at present
is as follows:
Six inch pipe. .............1s $50 feet 3 inches
-Four inch pipe q, ,44l feet 10 inches
Three inch pipe ..........-..-. 2, ,667 feet.
Two inch pipe e.................. 279 feet ) inches
Making, altogether, ,73s feet inches Of street pipe.
The precise OF service pipe in is not known
IL is in contemplation put down several Thousand feet
more Of pipe the present There are Il6 con-
sumers and about 675 burners
About 30 bushels Of coal for gas and about 10 bushels
for fuel, used daily. In addition the coal about
twenty bushels Of coke used for lnel The whole
of M urqd oh dav