The national Republican. [volume] (Washington City [D.C.]) 1866-1870, 1869-10-12


PKrRoLEuM-FuErs-LIgH Of the
most astonishing and useful discoveries and
inventions Of this age Is now In operation at
the machine shop ofMr. Eilis, foot Of Thir-
teenth street, near the canal, gotten up by
NessEs. whlpple and Dickinson, termed by
them "Pcsroleum Gas Gsnerator, /" but which
h vastly more Important snd valuable than
that simple term signifies, itbeIng an appa-
ratus for suddenly converting petroleum into
gas by steam heat, to be used either as fuel
for steam boilers or as gas for purposes OF
light; and all to DO furnished at one-tenth
the cost Of coal for the same purposes; while
II Is also much more Clearly, safe, and con-
venient, and will require but very small space,
comparatively, for It's operation or storage.
On Saturday last, In presence Of General
VIM, Mr.. Spears, and several other engi-
neers and inventors Of experience and know
ledge, (Mr. Spears having himself recently
taken out patent for an Important inven-
tion,) Mr.. Whipple removed all the FIRE from
the boiler Of Ellis engine, the steam pressure
being reduced TO forty pounds, he placed his
petroleum gas burner Into the nre-box,
touched match To the gas, and In six min
utes the pressure OF steam rose to seventy
pounds--risiug so rapidly that the Indicator
on the dial could be seen TO move upward,
90 suddenly was the steam generated In the
boiler by the Intense heat OF this gas flame;
and for hours with perfect uniformity, the
valve all the time blowing of steam, and
with no apparent consumption Of petroleum,
| while a much less quantity even Of water
than Is usual was vaporixed; and at the same
time the engine and all the machinery Of the
shop werc being driven In tho most steady
and lively manner, two long series Of Jet
burners were throwing out their streams Of
flame more than yard In length, making
light enough to have Illuminated several
squares Of the city. ...
The principal parts Of this remarkable In
ventlon IL vessel Of bollcr-iron, about tho
sixo of wine barrel, with numerous tubes
In II, through which heated steam passes
from tho boiler, affording a large heated
| surface. This vessel Is filed with petro-
leum, which Is quickly converted into gas
for either fuel or light, and Is then con-
| Quoted through pipes Into the are-box under
the boiler, where II is lighted, and almost
instantly heavy pressure Of steam Is pro-
duced, even In less time than Is required to
kindle fire In the ordinary way; or II may
DO conducted to any desired place for pur-
poses Of light, burning much moro brill
liantly than the ordinary gas now In use.
For the simple purposes Of heat or fuel this
vapor is generated by 400 TO 500 degrees OF
heat, and for light at 800 degrees and up
wards by being super-heated In m arrange
ment for that purpose, when, Of course, 1t
becomes fixed gas, and will not condense.
The simplicity, safety and convenience Of
these works, with the cheapncss and rapid.
ity by which heat and light are produced
and Its superior brilllaucy, are as surprising
as they are beautiful, and with Its utility
and economy must soon render the system
almost universal In use, both as fuel and
light.
Mr.. whipple shows and maintains that
with this apparatus he can get up as much
steam-power with two gallons Of petroleum AZ
Is usually gotten from a ton Of good coal; that
Is, he can run a locomotive or steamship Of
far aud fast with one barrel Of oil as with
fifteen tons OF coal, and with much more
convenience and safety and he guarantees
to furnish superior gas for light at 20 cents
per 1000 cubic feet as Is now afforded Al
s2.5O to q per 1000 cubic feet in our cities
and so easily eau 1t be utilized that almos
any hotel or house can be warmed ant
lighted with Il at from one fourth to on,
tenth tho cost OF the ordinary mode, Will,
everything Is safe and comfortable. II 4
admirably adapted to lighting and warming
printing Offices and running power presses
With vastly more pleasure and economy thai
ls now the case; the heat and power arc en-
tirely uniform, while the light ls most beau
and factories with utmost facility.
But particularly for long railroad route
and ocean steamships, destined for LON
voyages, Is this invention most valuable, a
few barrels of petroleum will answer
better purpose than hundreds OF tons Of coal
as none Of tho fuel or power.making mate
rial is lost or wasted In getting up steam o
cooling of when not needed, any more thai
In turning of the gas when light Ia no
! Nautat. n tuFnin0 when IL Ia wantph-
J while the power or heat may as easily b
. kept perfectly uniform as the light from
Jet burner In the room. These are fact
' which were clearly verified In tho exhibition
on Saturday. Our Capitol, Treasury Q
other Departmental buildings can be warme
: and lighted by this process for tenth pal
o. the present expense and much 5 NOR
=. cinders and SCOT OF wood and coal being CT
tlrely avoided.
Since the wonderful increase In the use
/ steam power throughout the world for coun
8 less purposes, during the past half contur.
a there has been o prevalent and growing fea
: that the country would speedily become c,
U hAustod Of Its solid fuels, wood and Goa
n and that some as yet unknown substitu
70 would be found or devised, and II IL clea
y enough that sooner or later, solid fuel mu
. give place to fluid fuel; and In Mr.. Will
pies Invention and discovery-for 1t truly
8 both-we have that desidsrdtun. He ha
: spent several years and many thousands {
: money In perfectlng his invention, and
4, was the opinion OF all the spectators that
: must result In great public benefaction, q
well as an ample fortune to Mr.. Whipple, q
! 1t surely ought to. He was an enterprisin
4 operator In the oil wells, and 1t was frol
tho natural gas found there that no mao
this great discovery, by devising the meal
to use and utilize 1t and remove the dang,
to which 1t subjected the operators, and
d doing all this he has dcsorvedly secure
n himself q place on the enduring roll
honor, with those whose names will live I,
l. the usefulness which they have conferred Q