The San Saba news. [volume] (San Saba, Tex.) 1873-1966, 1882-11-18

edge. the inventor has realized what he
SAYS has been the dream Of his life, aud
produced an apparatus capable of
manufacturing and storing IL gas, the
result of the decomposition OF the
aforementioned chimicals, 80 that now
he is prep red to supply gas which,
he says, is not only superior TO but
va,tly che per than any supplied by
any other persons or companies, in
any part of the globe.
Tie model works erected in the
% MINER ial.ioad, Liverpool, are tn
first IN co nTlete working order, aud
are capable of supplying gus for up
wards / 900 ordinary burners. The
estimate of the inventor is that, where
AZ 1000 men will produce given
quantity of cOal-gaF, three men under
his system will obtain a like quantity
OF metallic gas, and give II Superior
light Of at least six times the luminosity
In every conceivable way has the metal
lie gas BEEN tested, and in some in
stances 80 crucial wCre- the tests that
the gas has been stored for upwards Of
twelve months, AMI its virtues were
found to be unimpaired. Neither time
nor weather seems to affect it. 1t has
been found to travel any distance
through the ordinary mains and pipes,
and with the special advantage that
neither condensation nor water is per
ceptible. Through the courtesy of Mr.
Dixon we were given the opportunity
of witnessing the operation of the
works, aud tho test applied in our pres
nuyg, ,.tu 10 To- al,
room, one being the gas supplied by
the Liverpool Gas Company, and the
other the inventors new gas. The gas
company's burner was No. 3, while
Mr.. Dixon's was No. 0, and yet, when
tested by WIights photometer or
pressure gague, tho luminosity of the
latter over the former was us six to one,
afIording, too, II clear, brilliant, white
light, and not at all fatiguing to the
eyes. When the burners were reversed
the light given by the No. Q burner
was intense indeed, putting in the
shade altogether the gas company =
light.
An important feature, too, in the
consumption OF new metallic gas is is
purity, and tho entire absence of any
obnoxious sulphurous smell, vapor or
smoke. Tested with sheets of white
paper, and held over the flame OF zach
gus for short time. the coal gas tinted
the paper and left slight deposit of
SCOT, while none was percoptible in the
other. Its cleanliness is us apparent
Us it is devoid of smell while burning.
On applying tho nose to the naked
burner and the tap turned on, the new
gas is not so unpleasant AZ the old, but
its presence in case of leak might be
easily detected Mr.. Dixon ailitms
that if his gas was adopted ho would be
able to supply it almost anywhere ut
less. much less - than the lowest
rate charged by any gas company in
+, xinionce to-day In tho manuf lcture
OF the new metallic gas retorts ure
employed similar in every respect TO
those of the ordinary gas works. The
retorts and their contents arc then
heated to not less than n cherry" red
heat. After generation in the retorts,
the gas ia led through pipe, and the
q unlicensed vehicle is deposited in n
recoverer. The function of the re-
clverer is to extract, us far as possible,
The kero 0l3 us, d in the rotoit sup.
plier. The gas is subsequently taken
to tho purifier at the bottom and issuing
from the top, the gas is led to and
stored in a gatometer of any suitable
construction, from whence it is sup
piled through mains for general use.
The gas is of dry nature, and nearly
uncomfortable, and is not affected by
extreme cold. Not the least important
or surprising advantage of this gas is
the fact that Mr.. Dixon is actually able
to obtain or recover the vehicle, such
as kerosene, used in the generation OF
his illuminating gas, and, afterwards
distilling 1t, he refuses it to generate
more Of the gas for consumption. The
residuum when practically discarded
for gas purposes can bo turned into
good account, and aniline colors, ben.
zol, ammonia, carbon, and host OF
other valuable products obtainga by
further manufacture. After making
the gas, Mr.. Dixon drives his machin
cry with it, and at less cost than il he
used coal in the raising OF steam in his
boilers.