The New York herald., 1870-01-25


works ss Manich ana sSisor q the Journal r Gas
isss iron Sa1acaoh ssSs PisS 5 now IN IN
A. Buhe, who was one Q, the sa,n cnems.s
employed BY the German Gas anssna,,on ASsqcaton'
says IN the above mentioned journal Tor 1868, page
327 II seQ,tit0, gas engineers have sought BY var
homie acid from gas; but these have been generally
abandoned on account OF the cost ana the numerous
disadvantages which attend tneir @ usen srosoo,
time.r Mr.. q. x. Hslop, engineer and manager oi
the Paisley Gas Works, anu President OF the North
British Association of Gas Managers, stated IN his
address at Glasgow, July rs. 1859, qualification by
lime IN London and elsewhere has now become in
admissible; IN sucn places oxide OF IRON is EMPLOYED
as the purifying agent" Journal OF Gas Lighting,
1869, p. da5.)
nL-coMrARATlvE ADVANTAGES OF THE DIFFERENT
METHODS
The lime methods enectuay remove the carb0nic
acid anu reduce the sulphur compounds 10 mlnl-
mum. Were there no objections to the use OF dry
lime on the score OF cost or onenslvenesS think
this agent would be generally preferred. Lime was
fst abandoned on account OF the nuisance which 10
occaSioncu, but the iron oxides are now actually
preferred by the European gas engineers on account
OF ltS greater economy Mr.. KING, the engineer Ol
iron purlication, which he had used exclusively for
the past seven or eight years cost less than half as
much as the dry lime process used previously.
TWO objections are urged against the iron methods
by those who are prejudiced IN favor OF iime FIRST
they do not remove carbonic acid; second, 1t IL
claimed that they DO not remove the sulphur COM
pounds completely as lime.
The rst is generally conceded to be true. But the
only objection TO carDonc acid Is that 10 reduces the
Illuminating power or the gas. One per cent OF car
bonic acid dimlnishes the Illuminating power nve
per cent. The average quantity 0l carb0nlc acld ls
say Two ana onelal @ per cent Inc tnen e III
and onehali per cent, or one-eighth.
There are two ways In which this difnculty can be
efrectuaily met, tirst, by using better Goals for
making the gas or adding few pounds OF rich can
mel other enriching material to the ordinary
gas Goals; or secondly by taxing less gas from the
inferior to that which comes OF first. Mr.. A. Buhe
already referred to- says:-"It has become more and
gas and to neutraize Its bad influence on the llu-
mnatlng power by taking less gas from the coal !,
tnus ReltinS Deiter sas. ~. ocilinx ,x SAYS CaI-
camel coal Is the remedy"
The second objection to the iron processes is the
alleged imperfect removal of the sulphur CON-
pounds. None OF the methods in use entirely re-
move the sulphur from the gas. The question
arises, therefore, how much sulphur can be safely
left IN the gas. The English Parliament has an
swcred this question by liking the limit ut twenty
grains OF sulphur to 100 cubic feet OF gas and TO
see that the companies come within this limit chem
lists are appointed, whose duty 1t IS to anayze the
aas ana TO report its quality. have before me the
February ana Marcn, is69 lie states the grams or
sulphur round IN 100 cubic feet 0f gas TO be rs fol-
loWs:--
City of London Gasllght and
The Ss1s 9ass1s SGPsns sns Coke CO.: ss @ iss isss
Great Central Gas C0nsumers'
From this it viii be seen that the gas OF London,
altnough purified by iron does not average twenty
grains OF sulphur IN 100 cubic feet. With regard to
tue Paris gas, which rs purified by Lnmlngis oxide
OF iron mixture Professor J. Lawrence Smith, one
OF the United States Commissioners TO the French
Exposition Of 1857, VINO is the president OF the
Louisville Gas Company, has gwen very
decided opinion. On page SS of his report
which was published by the United States govern
Thoroughly purified ana the dealers In silks and
other delicate fabrics, wno few years ago, always
suffered more less loss from the results OF the com
buston Of impure gas acting on their fabrics now
longer suffer from thus cause"
Dr. Letheby tJo,uadL or Gas Ltghttng 1869, page
83) has argued tnat twenty grains OF sulphur should
not ne left In gas, and PROPOSES therefore the
most effective method OF PURIFYING gas this treat
ment-first, with ammonlacai Liquor; second, wih
nydrated oxide OF iron; third with drv lime As the
iron WI have removed the suphuretted hydrogen the
refuse will not be offensive while II viii eiectu-
ally remove the carbonic acid This system OF puriica
ton wi ne thinks, reduce the quantity OF sulphur 10
ten or twelve grams per 100 cubic feet. Most gas
engineers and chemists differ from DIR. LetneDy on
this point, however DR.. Schllling says In his Jour-
nal rtir Gas BeLenc,ttu,a0 for 1859, page 484:-
..Twentv grains OF sulphur in 100 CUBIC feet oil gas
entirely unoOject0nable. Under the most favor
able circumstances, with no ventilation whatever 1t
would give the atmosphere OF q room only one part
OF sulpnurous acld IN 100000 parts OF air. Pro.
Chemical Society," has spoken very clearly Oh this
subject In his lecture to the British Association o
Journal or Gas Lighting for 1862 page 81, and
nave found that his views those generally enter
tanned by chemists and gas engineers. lie sald:-
that sspsur % sas b Is
Of vo that the amount of sulphur ordinarily contained
alton VIII think satisfy Of tho soandness q this pos.
"q viii : that 1S1 3 ss, not q sny
greatly exceeding the reality Now making another exirav
sulphur would completely burned and reality They
would be burned very ncomplstey would furnish BY
quantity ot the produced sulphuros acid would occupy
een,h OF cubic foot OF saphroa,s acid Soo cubic feet
acid even the extrayagAn assumptions we have pur,
would produce somshng besides sphnrous acid Il Would
prodnce least 1000 cubic feet Of carbonc acid and in ad
nss 81 1a @ Il.
s n No. %s se s the ss, g
naes w :; ga. % and m take ns par, OF e. that
amount OF suphurous acid present: Yoa win remember
@ s Of TO fH S ss
burners and that the maximum amount of carbonic acit
cent Now, i in addition 10 our previous unreasonable sup
positions we further suppose that an atmosphere contains
YOU win see that the whole matter becomes rde 10 a>lb
t,iBthsi might actually have onehaf millionth par
Of suphuous acid present in the air OF gasshed
think that the facts and opinions here quo.ec
elcctually dispose Of the second objection to pXd'
OF iron publication 1t may seem that have sait
more ihan was necessary on the comparative merits
OF the lime and iron processes OF purlication, but
pcrusai OF The testimony gwen during the hearing
before the Board viii recall the TACT that the evi
dence OF the experts, called by The metropolitan Gas
light Company, was almost entirely confined To tin,
question. In fact the only defence offered was tht
alleged tofai failure of tue iron processes and the
consequent unavoidable use OF lime.
lN.--HSTGRY or TIE GAS NUISANCE.
For years the citizens OF New York n,Ve com
planned OF a peculiarly offensive smell winch was
perceived throughout the city to greater or les
degree. according to the weather. Tins smell wa,
noticed ut particular hours of.lhe day ana pcryaet
large districts, making 1t impossible to open th
windows during its prevalence. Gy MANY this sinel
was attributed 10 The gases from the sewers, bul
was easily demonstrated that the sewers did not. a
they do not now send out offensive gases. IN
enormous quantities OF LrotOn water used through
out the city make II impossible for the sewers eve
to become specially offensive. The smell was Deci
liar ana was recognized at once by every chemist
and by every one familiar win the manufacture o
gas. as the smell or the foul lime which had beef
used Tor purifying gas.
The irsL special complaint against Il gas company
that lind record, IL tnat OF Dr. h. II. Jones 10 IN
Board of Health, against the Manhattan Company
dated April "a, 1866, and printed IN the annual repor
OF tho Board for that year, Tie subject was at tina
time referred TO the Sanitary Committee On tht
3oth of April following co:nrnlttee OF the Citizens
Association conferred with the sanitary Commute,
the subject Professor X. .. Doremus and PRO
lessor Samuel Sc Joan appearing rs members OF tn
citizens committee. ana she gas companies ben,