Daily Los Angeles herald., 1878-04-19
GAS FROM WATER.
Quietly Making 1t for Fifty Cents Thousand
and Selling 1t for 81.


|
While the possibility of making
illuminating gas from water has
been under discussion, some prac-
tical men have erected works and
for year past have supplied gas
in this city from Croton water.
Among the establishments in
which this gas is burned, are the
Standard, Fifth Avenue, Wallack's,
Union Square, and Park Theaters,
and Delmonico's, Windsor, st.
James, Fifth Avenue, Bucking-
ham, Metropolitan, st. Nicholas,
Parker, and Prescott Hotels. The
works are at Forty-fourth, Forty
fifth and Forty-sixth streets and
the North River, and Mr.. Franklin,
the manager of the Cunard line of
steamships, is the capitalist who
has supplied water for carrying on
the enterprise. 1t is said $500, 900
is invested. The concern, called
the Municipal Gas Light Company,
has been in active operation for
hboiC bIan u Jeuis "a cNH icpOitei
on Saturday met one of the Di-
rectors of the company and asked
him to describe the method of maxi
ing the gas, and the prospects of
the enterprise. He said that the
company had carefully avoided
publicity, and did not desire public
attention. They had cheap mode
of making the gas, which nobody
else had yet adopted, and which,
therefore, gave them all advantage.
They were unable to supply
the demand, having now over
two thousand applications on the
books, to which they could not re-
spond.
"rhe foundation of the discovery
that water is convertible into
burning gas" this gentleman said,
'is the explosion of the old idea
that water is an original element.
| Water is a composition OF oxygen
and hydrogen, and by subsection
to intense heat the water is re-
solved into its original constitu-
ents, yielding one volume of oxy-
| gen gas aud two volumes of hydro
gen. The process is n complicated
one, but inexpensive, and the
water gas does not cost nearly so
much as the gas made from coal
and kerosene. The first operation
in the manufacture of this gas is to
heat the water, and next to super
heat it to about 1000 degrees Fab
renheit. The water is then passed
into generators filled with anthra-
cite coal, by means of which it is
decomposed into its original ele-
ments. The oxygen here unites
with the carbon from the coal, and
the product is carbonic oxide and
hydrogen. AT this stage crude
burning gas is had, containing
sulphur and carbonic acid. To re-
move these the gas is passed
through purifying boxes, which
are immense sleeves containing
layers of lime. The sulphur is de-
posted in the lime, and carbo-
nate is made by the acid. The i'm
purities removed, the gas next
passes into administration cylin-
ders encased in water,jackets, on
the glue.pot principle. These cylin.
ders are half full of naptha. The
naptha is vaporized by the heat,
and the gas takes up this vapor
and carries it into the retorts. In
the retorts the naptha is decom-
posed and combined with the water
gas, and the latter is then burning
gas, but not ready for the market.
ers and washers to remove any
condensable vapors. The result is
a clear white burning gas, entirely
free from odor or smoke, and far
more brilliant than ordinary coal
gas. Its illuminating power is 80
per cent. greater than coal gas
GLOW much gas do you make
every day?n asked the reporter.
"About 100000 feet"
"Isn't there about as much of
other kinds Of gas in this mixture
as of what you get out of the Gro
ton water?"
mo; the gas comes from the
water. We treat it with naptha
vapor simply to give it illuminate
ing power. You go and try this
gas. You can place sheet of white
porcelain within three inches Ct
the flame, and there will not he Il
particle of smoke in three MONTHS"
"Are you selling it any cheaper
than the other companiesW
mo; why should We? We can't
supply the demand for it. If we
sought customers that would be a
different thing. We can make a
u big profit from it now, and we
intend to do it.n
The gas, it is said, costs the com
pany only 90 cents per thousand
feet, and they sell it for $2.-Nea0