The daily gazette., 1881-07-06
From the N. z. sun:
The Future OF Gas.

A4S = SeeAAV Va Wes1s
Since the electric light has come to
be regarded as serious rival Of gas.
light, the praotioability Of using gas
on large scale for heating purposes
has been discussed, and renewed atten-
tion has been given to the devising Of
stoves In which 1t may be burned
One Of the inventors of such stoves 10
DIR. @. w. 5iemens Of England, Q gen
tleman who 10 also known as o promi
nent promoter of electric illumination.
He burns gas In combination with coke,
and has succeeded in making o heat
ing apparatus which has been re-
ceIved with much favor in England.
DR.. l6iemens, therefore, spoke Of
himself in recent address at Hir-
mingham before the gas managers OF
England as both q rival and friend Of
the interest represented at the meet
ing. He was doing what he could to
develop the possibilities Of the electric
light, but for twenty years he has ad-I
vocated the use of gas for heating
purposes, apd that nse, he believed,
would in time far more than cOmpen-
sate for any loss 1t might suffer by
reason of the success Of its rival as q
means Of illumination. As long ago
~ 1858 he proposed to the town coun-
oil Of Birmingham the establishment
Of works for the distribution of heating
gas throughout the city, having be-
como convinced by previous expert.
ments iof the advantages Of gaseous
over solid fuel. The project fell
through, however, owing to the oppo-
siti0n Of tho gas companies, which
pledged themselves to do the same
thing whenever 1t should be proved to
be feasible. s.
The circumstances are different
now. The gas companies find them.
selves confronted by possibly danger
Gus rival, and DR.. Siemens thinks 1t
ct time to again bring forward his pro-
jsct, which In the mean time he has
essentially modified. It seems that
the gas coming from the distillation OF
coal as practised In England varies
greatly In its character duriug pro-
grsssive periods OF the charge. That
frst and last given off IL Of low Illus
minating but high heating power,
while that produced during the inter.
mediate time 10 rich in carbon and
gives q. strong light. Experiments
have shown that about two-thirds of
the gas u Of the better quality, and
about ons-third Of the poorer.
Dr. Siemens, therefore, proposes
that tho first aud last results OF DIS
tillation Of the GOAL should be allowed
to hoW into heating gas mains, while
the rest should be supplied for illu>
mination solely. The one-third sep
aratsd ~ heating gas would be better
adapted for that purpose than il it
was mixed with the richer product,
and tho two-thirds Of illuminating gas
would be Of higher Illuminating pow-
or. The heating gas would deposit
less soot and the illuminating gas
would have moro luminous flame. i
OF course, In order TO distribute the
two kinds Of gas double sci of mains
would be required !; but these exist
already In many towns, and DIR. Sie-
mems thinks 1t would not be difficult
TO utilize them for the separate sup
ply Of Illuminating and heating gas.
That, however, In practical question
which the engineers Of the gas compa-
nies can best settle. What he says il,
however, encouraging to those who
are interested In gas manufacture.