The Nevada journal., 1859-10-21

r CoAL-O1L AND Coal OIL. LAMAPs
The discovery of coal oil and the
invention of coal oil lamps supply
wants which have long been felt in
the community; for an excellent light
in a cheap, safe, clean and conve-
nient form, has long been desidera-
tum. AS coal oil furnishes the sub :
stance and coal oil lamps the means Of
obtaining a light as bright as gas.
cheaper. in the long run, than any
other light. perfectly safe, as clean
as camphene, and as convenient as
candles, it may not be uninteresting
to the reader to know something about
the invention which has accomplished
so much. There is. indeed, something
in the history of it similar to that of
the safety lamp, invented by sir Hum
phrey Davy-an invention celebrated
throughout the enlightened world as
one, not of accident, but cf scientific
and logical deduction,
In the year 1854, the Breckenridge
Company of Cloverport, Kentucky,
made tho discovery of coal oil. fluid
extracted from bituminous GOAL. and
something like turpentine. 1t is
composed of the essence of the coal in
a fluid form, rs gas is the essence in
an aerial form, The discovery of
coal oil was supposed to be one of the
greatest of the age-and SO it truly
was; but an insuperable difficulty was
experienced in burning it None of
the lamps in use would burn it; and,
although many experiments were
made, no contrivance could be hit
upon to make it practicable. The
company had expended 100000 in
its manufacture, but it turned out to
be dead weight on their hands.
| Under these circumstances, appli-
cation was made by the Brecken-
ridge Company to the firm of Dietz
& Co., of New York, who were large
] ly in the lamp business, samples of
the oil were sent on; the difficulty
met with in getting it to burn were
represented. Upon the basis of these
facts, Michael A Dietz went to work
and, in the course of two years and a
half, made his invention Of the Dietz
burner, which is as important con-
trivance in the history of lights as
the Howe needle in that Of machine
sewing.
The insuperable difficulty which
had always been experienced was to
procure the proper kind of an air-draft
to consume the carbon of the coal
oil. Mr.. Dietz overcame this by in
Producing two sets of air drafts, one
below the light and the other above
constructing a small brass furnace, as
it were, which is perfect in complete
ness and simplicity. It's simplicity is
indeed one of its greatest virtues.
Like the Howe needle, with the eye
in the point. it is so very simple that
we have to wonder no body ever
thought of it before Mr.. Diets
Immediately patented his invention;
and we understand that all other coal
oil burners are mere copies, modifica-
tions, or perhaps, it might be more just
to say, piracies of the grand Dietz
idea of the double air drafts.
The air chamber and hange chimney
of the Dietz burner are peculiar, and
exhibit an invention in the manner OF
putting pieces of brass together
which is also in portant, ard will serve
many other purposes besides that OF
these lamps. For this, and also the
admirable character of the ,coal-oi'
lamps, las nothing can be more salts.
factory than ocular demonstration)
| we can only refer to the lamps them.
j selves. large importations of which
!, have been received in this city by
Messrs. Stanford & Brothers. The
; manufacture of coal oil, since the
, invention of the burner, has become
quite extensive. The Brec kenridge
! Company, of Cloverpolt, Kentucky
! have 100000 invested the Union
. Company at Union, Kentucky. $780,
: 600; the Quincy Co. at Pittsburg
, $1OO 1000 f; the Albert Company, in
New Brunswick. 100000; and it is
. now extensively manufactured in
, England; AS for lamps, Deitz & Co
E of New York, have nearly 100000
!. invested in the business. All these
however, seem to be but the com.
mencemen: Of a mighty business in
this line Of industry. which is destin.
ed to assume an Importance to be
counted by millions instead of thous-
anda of dollars.-Bulletin,
E How to Write for a Paper.-Be