Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1859-10-10

WATER GAS AT WILMINGToN-On Satur-
day evening, the neighboring city Of Whining
ton was splendidly lighted with gas made
from water, under the patent of Prot. Sanders
of Cincinnati The charges were drawn from
the retorts the supply of coal gas was turned
of; the water gas run through the pipes; and
Wilmington had light thrice as brilliant,
thrice as pure, as any it had ever known be-
fore.
The operation was observable to the citizens
OF Wilmington i'll its results, while its practi-
cal working was witnessed by several Journal
lists, many inhabitants, and some parties who
were actually interested in the production of
coal gas. Among these last were the Supern-
tendent of the Philadelphia Northern Liberties
Gas Works, and the President of the Fnan-
cial Board of that company. All agreed it
was a decided success.
We are not going into long scientific details
OF the principle thus developed-our cotempo-
raries, who are less pressed with advertise
ments, may have space for such purpose.
But we may state, very briefly, that the theory
OF Sanders process is this Water, as steam
is decomposed by being passed over red-hot
charcoal, and the resulting gases hydrogen,
carbonic oxide, and light carburetted hydro
gem are chemically combined with heavy car
buretted hydrogen, or light-giving gas, by the
decomposition of rosin or coal vapor, stimuli
taneously with, and in the presence OF, the de-
composition OF the vapor OF water. AT Will
mlngton gas works are now three water gas
retorts, aggregatlng only I-27 of the cubical
area of their coal gas retorts, yet more produc-
tive than the whole of their present coal gas
apparatus, making 1900 to 1900 feet per hour.
The gas manufactured is superior in color and
strength of flame to that produced from coal
Rosin is used as the carbonzing element re-
quiring from % to 40 pounds for every 1000
feet of gas, which is free from sulphur or nj
trogen, and has an order rather agreeable than
otherwise
Will it pay! The price of coal gas in New
York is 81 so per 900 cubic feet. In Phila-
delphia it is 81 25 for the same quantity The
cost of making 900 feet of such water gas as
illumined-we might say as Illuminated
Wilmington on Saturday, ranges from 80 to
so cents per 1000 cubic feet Rosin alone
need not be the basis, for Sanders process
covers the use of bitumous coal, Ignite, or
any of the multtudious forms of hydrocarbons
acious material There need be no expensive
erecting OF large gas works, and the gas pro-
duced makes neither bad smell nor "backs"
The gas itself, by simple adaptation, actually
can make red hot the charcoal, which assists
in decomposing the water which supplies it
The Great Eastern, in point of fact, might be
lighted with water gas made on board, and
have the heat thus generated used in lieu of
coal for her engines
The quantity of coal gas annually used in
the city of Philadelphia is estimated at 6,000,-
600 cubic feet, for which the public pay 3d.
100000 per annum. Say that the water gas be
supplied at 81 per 1000 cubic feet, and our
public save S7,500,00O, for light alone every
year. New York, it is estimated, consumes
twice as much coal gas as Philadelphia there
fore, 100000 cubic feet now cost $30,OO0,-
600 a year. Should the water gas be subst-
tuted, the saving would be $l8O00,O00 year.
philadelphia Press.