The daily gazette., 1876-04-15
A New Rival tor Gas Companies.

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The unjust exactlons of the gas com.
panies throughout this country has
aroused the ingenious mind to invent
a new method of making gas. These
efforts, according to the New York
Herald, are about to be crowned with
the most brilliant success. The Herald
says:
The most serious and formidable
rival the gas companies are called
upon to compete with, however, is a
comparatively new process Of making
gas from oil, whereby better Illumi-
mating agent than the ordinary gas
furnished by the city companies is
produced at less than one-ffth the ex-
pense. At No. Al Versey street one of
these gas machines for factories is now
in operation and has been thoroughly
examined and tested by hundreds of
interested parties, and thus far, has
given the most complete satisfaction.
Marvellous things are claimed for this
machine, and if it does all it is said to
do. there will ere long be very radi-
cal change in the matter of gas bills in
New York.
In the basement of the establishment
above mentioned, is manufactured all
the gas used in the building, and GER
tainly nothing could be more simple
than the method of its production
On a shelf in the back area is placed a
two gallon can of ordinary Kerosene
oil. From this can runs a half inch
iron pipe to a cast iron retort placed
inside of what appears to be an ordi-
nary bugled stove. The oil runs
through this pipe, and is converted
into gas the moment it enters the re.
tort, which is constantly kept at a red
heat. From this retort the gas passes
through pipe leading to a small tank
of water. (about ten gallons) where it
is filtered and then goes off into the
receiver and is ready for use. In max
ing gas from coal it is necessary to FL
ter it through lime and water for the
purpose of cleansing it of the sulphur,
ammonia and carbonic acid with which
it is impregnated. None of these in
gradients are found in gas made from
kerosene oil, and therefore pure cold
water is ,the only cleansing medium
necessary. The retert in which the
gas is generated is a novel but perfect
| ly simple piece of mechanicism. It
consists of two iron castings, is about
twenty inches in diameter and has
holding capacity Of five gallons. Th
lower casting is somewhat larger than
the upper, which fits on, and it is a
grooved joint which is filled with lead.
This lead is, of course, in molten
state during the process of manufac.
turing the gas, and thus forms per-
fectly air tight joint. By this method
| I IA inv Il fax .aJ.
cast iron is subject when affected by
heat or cold is provided for and aIl
danger of having had cracking or
breaking removed.
The gasholder or storage tank at this
place has capacity of 200 cnbic feet,
which amount of gas is made from
two gallons of oil. 1t is claimed that
200 feet OF this gas is equal to 1000 fit.
coal gas. The oil costs twelve and q
half cents gallon and ten cents worth
OF coal makes sufficient heat to convert
it into gas. The gas produced is pr-e
carburetted hydrogen and consequent.
ly 1t is only necessary to use burners
consuming one cubic foot per hour to
obtain light quite as powerful as that
made by five foot burner through
which flows the ordinary coal gas. In
the establishment in question there arc
sevently-tive burners of one foot ca
pacity each, and the expense of light
ing the place is now reduced to be-
tween 81 and $40 per month. THE
last gas bill rendered by the gas COM
pany to this store was for the month
of December last, sal. The first
month (January) that this new gas
was used it cost the proprietor S9.60.
1t is claimed for this gas that il is per-
fectly safe and will not explode; that
the entire works can be taken apart
and be put together again in five min
utes, and it is SO simple that any man
or woman can run it after ten miHutes'
instruction.
AT this place in Vesey street the gas
is made twice a week-Saturday anG
Wednesday - the holder or reservoir
not being of sufficient capacity TO hold
enough for longer period than three
or four days.
Of course, any such invention as
this meets with persistent opposition
from the gas companies, who see
clearly that unless they reduce very
materially the price of the gas furnish
ed by them, they must sooner or later
lose all their best customers, such as
hotels, public buildings, railroad sta
tions, factories, mills and large stores.
A movement is even now on foot for
the furnishing of whole blocks of pri-
vate residences and stores up town
with this gas, the method being to
place one of the machines in the cen
tire OF the block and connect it with
the pipes already in use in the sur
rounding buildings. in this way con-
sumers will be enabled to save at least
fifty per cent. on their gas bills, and
will be supplied with a much purer
and better gas than they now get.