Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-02-13

NO. 80.


its subsequent employment as means of il
Elimination, the question was raised as to the
practicahility Of its being used in the manu-
factufe Of illanisating gas. Numerous ex-
perimenfs were made with view Of testing
Il 10 this matter; but most of them failed.
By subsequent invention, however. il was
found that not only could an Illuminating
Gas be produced from petroleum, but that Il
eoqld be produced much cheaper than coal
~ while at the same time the illuminating
Eef Increased in . ratio equally remark
The discovery at once attracted much
=5<<o1 in New York, where lis advan-
vere Inst exhiailed, and this led to
f hxm<<ion OF an association known as the
mekl<4n Petroleum Gas Company.
4h4 49oek of the company was taken by
s<1<zeI OF the most prominent citizens Of
New York, and large numbers OF people
discarding the use Of coal gas. by which they
have been wroaged just as the people Of
Chicago now are, adopted ID as a substitute,
and at the same time as saving and an inn
provement A large proportion Of the public
Of New York manufactured their own gas
by this apparatus, and very many Of the
largest establishments in that city have their
own gas works
THE MANUFACTURE OF PETROLEUM GAS.
There is now in this city an agent Of the
American Petroleum Company, of New
York, who presents for the consideration Of
our citizens the advantages Of petroleum over
coal in the manufacture of gas
- THE SUPERIORITY.
BY an exceedingly simple apparatus, con-
sisting Of a common retort which can easily
be inserted in any heating apparatus, range,
or even stove, gas il manufactured from pc
troleaim oil (crude) at a cost Of about one
fourth that now paid by cur citizens for coal
gas. Actual experiment shows that BY this
apparatus as many cubic feet Of gas can be
procured for 81 81 as produced fkom coal gas
for So 75. The Illuminating power Of this
gas is also far superior in brilliancy and
steadiness to that Of coal gas. For instance,
FIVE feet Of coal gas through an Argand
burner produces the light Of 16commor can
dies, and the Illuminating power ofthe same
quantity Of petroleum gas, as addueed by
actual experiment is equal TO the combined
light of 80 candles. This apparatus, from a
single quart Of crude pctroleumoil, produced
90 cubic feet of gas, which will supply a
common six foot burner for eight hours and
twenty minutes. The specific gravity Of pc
troleum gas is also much greater than that
of coal gas, and consequential muehsmalier
pressure would be required than is now used
in the distribution Of coal gas.
'iss A COMPANY IN CHICAGO.
A number of prominent citizens were pres
emf, few evenings since, at the exhibition
OF this gas in the rooms Of the agent, No. 81
Dearborn street, where the eaboveexperiments
were made. So convinced were they Of its
great excellence as a means Of illumination,
that the ground work Of a company for its
Introduction into this city was formed the
same evening, and $4,000 worth Of stock
subscribed among those present. g
1a THE MONOPOLY NO HINDRANcE.
That the companies here have an entire
monopoly as far as the laying of pipe Is con-
ssyned, viii not hinder the introduction of
petroleum gas in the least ...
IT'S PRAcTICiBILITy.
As before stated, the apparatus for its man
uiacture can be put up in any heating range
adapted for introduction into hotels and
dwelling houses. The apparatus can be in
troduced into an ordinary dwelling house
at cost of $50 10 500, and when intro.
duced will have saved enough by the dim
mutton of the gas bill TO have paid for itself
in few months. In many large establish
ments in this city, contracts have been made
for the Introduction Of the new apparatus,
and when its merits come more clearly to be
seen, it viii doubtless be almost universally
adopted throughout the city, unless the gas
companies consent to furnish us with light
at a reasonable price. h
So universal has this evil become through
out the city that it has already become a
matter of serious consideration, and il is
probable that the gas companies viii soon
have to reform their system Of abuses; or
else the public viii take the remedy in their
own hands, and themselves make common
Gauge against the monopolies that oppress
hem.