The New York herald., 1869-02-21
THE Gas PURIFYING NUISANCE.


Tho Relative Merits Of Dry Lime nnd Oxide
OF Iron as a PuriHcr-The Gas Company's
Position Condemned by Its Own Witnesses.
A case that is attracting some attention. growing
out OF the obstinacy Of the Metropolitan Gas Com
pany IN refusing to comply with order NO. 40 OF to
Board OF Health, is now under investigation Tho
order IS as folows:-
That the business gas Conducted BY the
Metropolitan Gas Company a The foot q West Forty
process viii NOT allow any delcterous
gases odors detrimental to health to into the
This order was issued last fall, and the company at
once asked for and obtained permission to show
cause why the order should not be enforced. The
case was referred to 8. G. Hawley. Clerk OF the
Board OF Police Commissioners, before whom evi-
dence has been taken from time TO tlme-Mr. Hast
ngs appearing for the Board and Hooper Q. Van
Worst for the gas company.
The question turns upon the best mode OF purify
ing gas, as TO reduce the amount Of noxous vapor
ana unhealthy acids thrown out into the air. The
Board contend that the present purifier tdry limel
ILLS the air with carbOnc acid gas and other pois0n
Gus aiiluyia whereas the use OF oxiae q lron' s
employed In European countries, would 0oviate the
nuisance.
The gas company in their opposition to the pro-
posed change In the system OF publication, are
backed up by the lime burners who derive an I'M
mense profit from the consumption OF oyster shells IN
making lime. Their business would be ruined were
the Metropolitan Company compelled to adopt the
iron process. as employed BY the others.
DR.. Chandler, chemist to the Board gave some
time ago vouminOus testimony, clearly showing
from his own experiments ana quotations from ex-
pert chemists OF Europe, hat the oxide OF iron pro-
cess reduces very materially sne e. danger 20 tt oal
by the lime process.
Professor slLiman, OF Hartford director Of a gas
company, and one who is OF course interested, was
on Thursday examined at length Tor the Metropolitan
Company, but even his testimony was mainly against
A further hearing was had yesterday, when Pro-
fessor Henry Wprtz, OF this CITY, and attache Of
journal published In the interest Of the gas COM
panies of the country, called by the counsel for
the Metropolitan Company. He gave very lengthy
analysis OF the subject and labOred hard to show
that the lime process was not Injurious 20 the san
tary condition OF the city The Professor put IN ~
evidence report made to the president OF the Man
haitian Gas Company last fall, upon the relative
OF lime improperly designated as the" dry lime pro-
cess and that OF oxide OF iron. The report says:
Those ingredients OF the gas which call Tor removal
las causing II left therein. Inconvenience or dctri-
Inent to property or health or aS injurious TO tne
Illuminating valuel, are very many In number. and
may be cassed follows about In the order OF their
Carbonjc acid, chieny free, but partly, no doubt a.
carbonates OF ammonia and other volatile bases.
Hydrosulphuric acid and hydrosulphates, Of am
Bsulphide or carbon, with other sulphur COM
WIN probably be found the m0nosulphlde OF carbon
Of Persoz, and the recently discovered oxysulphilc
Suiphocyanide and cyanide OF ammonium, &c.
SuIphuretted substitution products; including pro-
babIy compound ammonias,r or suphuretted vcta-
tile bases, as yet not studied.
Carbolic and cresylc alcohos.
Butyrc and other volatile acids
Some OF the heavier Hydrocarbons; such as amye,
carbon apparently Objectionable on some accounts.
A host OF volatile nitrogenous bases. mostly rs
picone, pyridine. lopidlne chinone. quinoline.
&c. &C.. most OF which doubtless Objectionable,
as being offensive in odor or poisonous.
Crystalline solids; naptnaline anthracene, paraf-
nne, pittacal, &c. &c.
Of publication employed by two OF the city COM
panles:-
j. The iron-process OF the New York Gas Company.
s 10 JoSn an9 oc anS N the
use OF an admixture OF native hydrated ir0n-Oxde
"a common limonite orel turnngs. or borings Of
this mixture IL susceptible OF usage without sieves
or grangs; doubtless owing to the coarseness OF tic
granulation Of the material. Any advantage gained
hereby however, musifbe necessarily at the expense
OF efficiency regards extent OF absorbent surface
Indeed, the general statement y made with regard
TO the iron process that "a much larger surface ~
requisite than with lime under equal veocities OF
current" tCLEGG, page 1901
q The lime process or the Manhattan Gas Com
pany-Undcr this head | have TO describe what
cannot but view az the most valuable practica ii-
provement In gas purncation thai has been made IN
more recent times. This Improvement may be set
forth "a follows:-After the purificaton OF the gas
In the ordinary ..dry lime apparatus, the foul lime,
therein by Inc method OF ..ventiiation," known rs
that OF Palmer lspecled In his patent OF April II,
ls47, as "the using OF atmospheric ar TO De blown
through the lime purifiers before they are openel
for the renewal OF the refuse lime'1. As practced
by the Manhattan Company the ventilation s effected
by drawing air from above downwards through the
foucd purIflers; but the special and novel improve
ment I refer to resides IN q supplementary device.
which IL simply the passage Of the foul ciuvia from
the reyivincstion through secondary dry lime puri
ner. THIS latter company. n Is understood, now
use the iron process.
There Is no dIsputing the fact, OF which the ev'-
dence IL rapidly accuuiulating that the tendency OF
progress founded upon the teachings or experience
among gas managers. Is In the direction OF return
to the use lime for purI6cation: unless some great
and ndispuat!e Improvement snail be introduced,
increasing greatly the efficiency OF the iron process
At the conclusion OF Professor Wurtz's testimony
the attorney for the Board OF Health announced that
he was willing TO close tho case, the expert chemists
called by the Manhattan Company having esiao-
lished the position assumed by the Board. that the
lime process was rapidly failing into disrepuic IN
Europe. and giving place TO the oxide Of rcs
process.
Mr. Van Wort stated that he might call one or two
more witnesses. but he would close the case on
Wednesday next, TO which day the hearing was all
Journed.
the VACANT PcLCt CApTANCY
TO the EDITOR OF THE HEaALD:--