The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1880-01-29
Gathering Lamp Dlaok.
About q year ago, in boring for OF

About year ago, in boring for oil al
Murraysville, near Pittsburg, Pa,
the boring tools tapped an extraordin-
ary vein Of natural gas. Tho flow was
estimated at about so, 900 cubic feet per
hour. Recent measurements show that
instead of decreasing, tho present flow
is fully 10000 feet per hour greater
than the first estimate, while the pres
sure at the mouth Of the well is ninety
pounds per square inch. The appll-
ances for collecting the SCOT from the
Murraysville gas arc the following :
Near the well Is erected frame build
Ing, 900 by 175 feet, and into it the gas
is led In four parallel lengths OF 400
feet each, of two-inch gas pipe. Along
the sides Of these are fitted short
branches Of ono-sighth gas pipe, term
mating in slight upward curve and
tipped with ordinary gas burners of
six foot per hour capacity. Above
these burners, Il a distance Of ten
inches, are placed series of cast iron
plates, contiguous and forming 4 smooth
surface Whereon the carbon black is
deposited. A small car travelling on
rails laid between burners and plates,
and furnished with scraping device,
plies forward and back every ton min
utes during the twenty-four hours.
This c'rriage is propelled by steam
power, operating through wire rope
and suitable gearing, drums, etc. The
smoke or carbon black IL suraped into
m nd -
dumped at each end Of the route into
receptaclcs, which are in turn emptied
ana deposited in the purifying and
packing house. After simply removing
einders, etc., by passing through sieves
the soot Is ready for the market. The
daily product OF this plant will be half
pound carbon black per burner, i. g.,
1000 pounds, there being 4 900 burners.
The owners Of the Murraysvillo gas
well refused $4,000 for it from the
Edgar Thomson steel works, OF Pitts
burg, who wanted to connect the well
with their works by a gas-main, about
nfteon miles In length. The phcnomen-
on Of an invisible gaseous substance Is
suing from the earth made visible, COLI
densed into solid form, and packed up
for market, is striklngly illustrated III
this establishment. Tho gus as it issues
from tho ground Is unseen, but given
volume Of 1t is found by chemical ana
ysis to consist stapproximatcly of twenty
four parts by weight Of carbon and four
parts Of hydrogen; In other words, q
quantity Of the gas that weighs wenty-
eight pounds OF carbon and tourpounds
Of hydrogen.-This hydrogen seems to
have the power Of imprisoning and
concealing tho carbon from human
view. Bnt carbon IS carbon, whether
IN this gas or existing in tho carbonic
aeid that gives pungency and etfer-
Vescenoe to tho soda water we drink
or III the lamp hamc imparting its
brilliancy. or in tho sparkling diamond,
the hardest Of substances and tho pur-
est form Of carbon. The carbon that
comes up in the gas well Is rendered
visible by separating tho hydrogen
from 1t, which is done by the heat of
tho flame. Tho hydrogen contained In
the gas is burned up by uniting with
tho oxygen of the air, but only u Dor
uon OF the carbon is burned; tho un-
consumed portic' If the carbon, liber-
ated by tho burning OF its hydrogen,
rises up against the plates, where #
sticks fast until scrapcd off as described.