The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1856-01-24

wHAr Is Gass AND HOW : IT MaDE9
There are three elementary substance.
which enter into the composition Of Amos
all animal aud vegetable bodies, namely, car
bon. oxygen and hydrogen.
Carbon. in It's pure state, is the material o
which diamond is composed SCOT. lamp
black and charcoal are impure carbon. A.
though carbon in It's separate state Is visible,
yet when it is combined with oxygen. Or with
hydrogen it becomes an invisible gas. Gas
i is only another name for air
4 Oxygen is gas, and is ths vital principle
in the atmosphere which We breathe. With
out oxygen IN the air. every living animal
would Immediately perish; hence oxygen has
been called fitql ar. Without oxygen. all
our fires would 60 out; hence it is called a
supporter of combustion.
Hydrogen is also gas, and is the liahtest
substance known, being nearly sixteen times
lighter than tie air We breathe On account
Of its levity. it is used for filing balloons.
Animals canno! live III i; and lighted can
de would be extinguished By it. 1e; in the
presence Of oxygen il is very intianmaFle.
These three elements carbon, oxygen and
hydrogen have remarkable tendency to-
combine with each other. Oxygen uni.ed to
hydrogen forms water; the two invisible qas
es making visible fluid. Oxygen in comb
nation with carbon. forms carbonic acid. =
highly poisonous gas when inhaled into the
lungs Carbon and hydrogen combine and
make carburetted hydrogen, and this Is the
gas that Is manufactured at the gas works for
burning in our houses. This is the gas " hich
is formed in our domestic fires, and which
when ignited, produces the flame of our can
dies. our tire-places, dc. Almost any animal
substance, when properly heated, will make
carburetted hydrogen gas. But Of al! sub
stances, stone coal is found to be the best for
this purpose, in an economical point of view.
The coal IS first heated in iron vessels. until
1t Is measurably decomposed, and variety
of gases are formed by the intermixture of
the carbon, oxygen, hydrogen. sulphur. de.
IN the coal, All these gases are made 10 pass
through water in which much impurity is de
posted, They then pass through other pines
and enter vessel where they are more effect
ually washed Thence they pass into series
of tall. perpendicular tubes, in which the gas is
cooled, the waiery vapor in the gases is con
denset, as well as the tar from the coal. AZ
ter this the gases are passed through prepared
lime, IN order 10 divest them still further Of
useless ingredients, but especially of sulphur
and Its combinations. 1t is now cARBC SET
TED HYDROGEN GAS, and is ready 10 be meas ,
uFed IN an ingeniously constructed apparatus,
with revolving machinery inside, and then
to be passed on into the gas holder, large !
sheet iron vessel, floating in cistern of wa
ter, win It's mouth downward. From this
II IS pressed into the pipes leading from the
works TO our houses
Now, gong back again 10 the red hot YES
sells into which the coal is thrown 10 form this
gas, we shall find nothing left in them but
kind of charcoal called coke, which is drawn :
put of the vessels. and fresh coal thrown in :
to continue the gas making process. :
COST OF GAS
We are informed that the price of gas to
consumers in this city is fixed at 81 Der 1000
cubic feet, which may be regarded as quite ;,
-easonable. 1t is furnished to the city for the :
street lamps at Cincinnati prices We sub :
DIN the following article from the Scientific !
American showing the price of gas in differ :,
snt cities in the United States: =
Boston, 3 per 1000 cubic feet, Hartford, !,
3, SO; New Haven. 81; Providence, So, 50; :
New York, So; Brooklyn, "a, 80: Albany, ST; =
Troy. 81; Rochester. 50, 30; Buffalo, -. 81; :;
Auburn (rosin) 81; Schenectady, 81; SYRIA :,
use, 81; Newark, 50, 50; Paterson, 81: Phila-
lelphla City Works. % 25; Northern Lib ;,
rites, -, 30; Spring Garden. s. 50; Nova =
nensing, $3.50; Reading, IS, 30; Lancaster,
4; Baltimore, $; Charleston, Il; Savannah, :,
81; New Orleans, 5; Galveston. 5; Mobile, :; :,
Nashville, 1; Memphis 81. Louisville. s.. 50;
Sincinnati. IS 90; indianapolis. 1915: Chi :;
ago. $3.50; Milwaukee. s., 80; St Louis, !,
8 so; Lexington, Ky. 81; Cleveland, S.. 50;
IS; Dayton. 81; Columbus. s.. 50;
heelins. ), 3d. san Francisco, Slo-beiarf
Il average of 1897, or II cents per 1000 n
lore than the cost Of gas to private consul az
'ers IN Washington city, which s s.. SO aud o.
cents more thanis paid BY tie government, &C
lie city hotels. De" u d
A gallon OF pure sperm oil produces light "
quail to 2i7 cubic feet Of coal gas: gallon Of in
hale oil produces light equal % l75 cubic as
ct q coal gas. Therefore gas at 81 per OF
COG cubic feet gives 255 feet for dollar, and s
therefore much cheaper than whale or sperm in
l. The apparatus used for making Gas. and an
&c labor attending tie production Of i; low e
yer, involves an expense lit IS considered !. ~
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