Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1854-10-02
Improvement In the Manufactme Of Gas
Wood Gas

II is stated by the National Iuielhgencer, that
Dr. WM. p. Mcconnell Of Washington CITY,
has. after protracted contention with mterier-
ing parties from Europe, obtained a patent for
making gas from wood. The right of DIR. Nee,
lefore the American Patent Office. has been con-
tested some two years. BY two distinguished Ger
man Chemists Pref. Breisach and Pref. Petten-
kofei,of Bavaria. the latter colaborer of the Gel
ebrated Liebg. and this fact Is instaneed by the
National fntelligencer. as indicative OF TN 'ia-
portanoe eff the invention. Il i. admitted nv
them, and hy all, that gas from wood cannot be
made available without using the process which
Is now patented TO Mr.. Mcconnell.
W. find in the New York Express the follow
ing account of this important invention winch
must soon very generally supersede the use "i
coal,in the manufacturing of ga, aud thereby re
duce, perhaps, one half the cost of gas oonsump-
iion-
The method Of producing gas from wood is very
different from the modus operundi with which 1t
is produced from coal 1t requires less fuel loss
time and hu, one fifth of the manual labor re-
auisitc in the old process. The Mount made
with the new apparatus IN II hours ai-o efceeds
the quantity pro luced by the present mode OF
manufacture, three to.1.
The difference principally consists m the
double decomposition and regeneration oil Inc
gas obtained frum wood. which pnr'hHsft from an
acids and tar. causing II Ia emit more steady
md agreeable light, while burn ~. The gen.
.eratnr. have n number of IN. ;aiilc corrugated
chan beers. where the gas undcrgoes gradual
increase of temperature ard Is then washed with
clear water after which it passes by hydraulic
pressure Ia the purifier
As much gas can he procured from the cord
of ordinary wood, as from ton ct coal, which
fact proves most conclu,ivrly, that IN our west-
ern cities where wood may be procuredn aband
enee, the price of gas must nnavoldaby he
reduced 10 at least one-third Of ITS present cost.
The gas made from wood by Prot rs process
has an extremely pleasant oe"r, instead the
,obnoxious offensive smell arising from the escape
of sulphuric ether from common coal gas
There are now in operation thee specimens of
the new invention OF the United States, two ia
Philadelphia, aud one in this city, at the Man
haitian works. and have in both places given
most entire satisfaction.
fhe Retort now being treated here Is nov
making nine hundred cubic feet OF gus per day,
while those of the company are making three
hundred or three hundred and fifty icei, and re-
curing greater amount of labor and fuel
Another great advantage which the new lnyen
ton possesses consists in the fact that the char
,eoal made is worth nearly as much a. the wood
in lis original state. We were shown several
specimens and have never seen any which could
compare with them. The coal Is large, very
light and with a surface which shines like ebo-
ny,
We are told that the two kinds of gns unto
readily together and that what Is now being
made from wood ut the Manhattan works Is car
ried into the common receiver and thence dis
tribated over the city