New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-12-13
THE DIFFERENT KINDS OF GAS.

Professor Charles +. Chandler, of Columbia
College and president of the Board of Health, was
asked by a TRIBUNE reporter recently his opinion re-
garding the claims forth by the new Equitable Gas
Lighting COMPANY which has proposed 10 furnish
pure hydrogen gas the city. IL has been promised
that this Will furnish much better light at less Cost
than can purchased from any OF the present copa
Mes operating here. Professor Chandler SAID that ne
was not fully informed regarding the new company;
that he did not know anything about its alleged new
process for making gas but that he did not regard IL as
at all Improbable that process had been dscov
cred by which gas could be made much better ana
cheaper than by the methods already IN use.
Z" OF course" he continued, 1.-THE gas which the new
company proposes 10 supply cannot be pure hydrogen
that would not burn at ALL The term hydrogen gas Is
aDped to all of the illuminating gas now IN use, ana IL
is fact that the nearer it approaches pure hydrogen
the brighter and better All Of the illuminating gas
in use consists mainly of nonlluminating vehicles
composed of three gases hydrogen, caroonc oHue anu
marsh gas A very small percentage OF other gases
called the lumnants, give the light. All OF the ium
nants are rich in hydrocarbOn The best gas we nave
now is the water gas which is mixture OF hycrogen
carbonc oxide and carboncaeid gases and is produced
by the contact of water at the temperature OF
neandescence or higher III the application OF this sys
tenn by the Municipal Gas Company superheated steam
is passed anthracite coal IN Inc hea'ea
retorts This produces a mixed gas, contain
ing carbonie oxide and some carbUnlc acld Inc car
Donic acid, which IL detrimental eltlnenl, Is enlH
gwen by the addition OF petroleum naphtha' Whicl
passed borough the hot fetOIts when tbl7 gas IN nu
isLed il has "A very high Illuminating power now, a
gas could be manufactured without the carDonc Oxide
ana carbOuic nc ii. consisting entirely OF hydrogen
pas enriched with naphha, II would probably DC uch
more valuable Illuminating agent IMAM any luIh-
we have now / imagine, although am not lainliidI
with the process that II Is something III ts iec
tlOn." 49, =. 49, o,o,r
the different companies heref 80, so
The Municipal ana New-lOrk companies maDuidc-
fure the water-gas. believe lie MUTUAL company nae
about the same method only instead VI Using anthracite
cosl in the retorts charcoal 10 used portion OF te
gas ia obtained from tie wood IA It's conversion Ho
Charcoal The oldfashIOned process OF making Gas IOn
btuminOus cOa IS still, believe, used by the Manhattan
Company BY the way, u might be interesting 70 hlo"
the iiuinang power If the gas furnished ny Tue va
rious New companies. THIS report FURNISHED
by Mr. Love. the examiner, for the week ending NoVem
Der a. of tins year. and fairly represents the average
conn aratlve power:
Candle powerl Candle power
New.York Company -. % g. Mutual Company. 56kl
Manhattan Com, any 1912 Municipal OInpany- ZcSl
Metropolitan Company. Zl1vlarem Company lSAu
Very few coLhumers of gas realize the diherence DC
tween high and low illuminating power but IL ls g
more important matter tDan they may Imagine. fOf
instance 600 leet candle power Is equal 10
tue light produced by 54S5 pounds OF speInacet can
dies Considering the consumption OF LOU ieet vl gas
As COMPARED with spernaccl candles, We have
% cande-power gas equals GO. 80 pounos; 20 S0.IO
and 30 lU2 81 pounds THIS SHOWS mat 80 caude.
power gas IA worth nearly twice much as mat OF
eande-pOwer The cost OF the gas Finished ny Ce al
ferent companies is about the same. You can buTn
however the better gas and gel tue same igi al nan
the cost the INTERIOR nave twice as go0d lght al