The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1878-05-23
Gas From Water.

minating gas from water has been under
discussion, some practical men have erect
ed works, and for year past have sup
piled gas in this city made from Croton
water. Among the establishments in
which this gas is burned are the Stan
dard, Fifth Avenue, Wallack's, Union
Square, and Park theatres, and belmont
cos, Windsor, st. james, Fifth Avenue,
Buckingham, Metropolitan, st. Nicholas,
Parker, and Prescott hotels. The works
are at Forty fourth, Forty fifth, and For
ty sixth streets and the North river, and
Mr.. Francklyn, the manager OF the Gu
nard line of steamships, is the capitalist
who has supplied money for carrying on
the enterprise. 1t is said that 100000
is invested. The concern, called the Mu-
nicipal Gaslight company, has been in
active operation for more than year. A
Sun reporter on Saturday met one of the
directors of the company, and asked him
to describe the method of making the
gas, and the prospects of the enterprise.
He said that the company had carefully
avoided publicity, and did not desire pub
lie attention. They had a cheap mode of
making gas, which nobody else had yet
adopted, and which, therefore, gave them
an advantage. They were unable to sup
ply the demand, having now over 1000
applications on the books to which they
could not respond.
"The foundation of the discovery that
water is convertible into burning gas"
this gentleman said, sis the explosion of
the old idea that water is an original ele
ment. Water is a composition of oxygen
and hydrogen, and by subsection to in
tense heat the water is resolved into its
original constituents, yielding one volume
of oxygen gas and two volumes of hydro
gen. The process is complicated one,
but inexpensive, and the water gas does
not cost nearly so much as the gas made
from coal and kerosene. The first opera
ton in the manufacture of this gas is to
heat the water, and next to superheat it
to about one thousand degrees Fahren-
heit. The water is then passed into gen
orators filled with anthracite coal, by
means of which it is decomposed into its
original elements. The oxygen here
untes with the carbon from the coal, and
the product is carbonic oxide and
hydrogen. At this stage IL crude burn
ing gas is had, containing sulphur
and carbonic acid. To remove these
the gas is passed through purifying
boxes, which are immense sleeves contain
ing layers of lime. The sulphur is de-
posted in the lime, and a carbonate is
made by the acid. These impurities re-
moved, the gas next passes into carbu-
rettes-iron cylinders incased in water
jackets, on the glue pot principle. These
cylinders are half full of naphtha. The
naphtha is vaporized by the heat, and the
gas takes up this vapor and carries it into
the retorts. In the retorts the naphtha va
por is decomposed and combined with
the water gas, and the latter is then
burning gas, but not ready for the mar
ket. 1t is next passed through con-
densers and washers to remove any con-
densible vapors. The result is clear
white burning gas, entirely free from odor
or smoke, and far more brilliant than or
binary coal gas. Its illuminating power
is 30 per cent. greater than that Of coal
gas"
"How much Gas do you make every
dayl' asked the reporter.
about 100000 feet"
"Isn't there about rs much of other
kinds of gas in this mixture as of what
you get out of the Croton water.'
mo- the gas comes from the water.
We treat it with naphtha vapor simply to
give it Illuminating power. You go and
try this gas. You can place sheet OF
white porcelain within three inches of the
flame, and there will not be particle
of smoke in three months"
"Are you selling it any cheaper than
the other companies?'
"No; why should WEI We cant sup
ply the demand for it. If We sought Gus
TONERS that would be different thing.
We can makea big profit from it now, and
we intend to do it."
The gas, it is said, costs the company
only fifty cents per thousand feet, and
they sell it for $2-Ne,o York Sun.