The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-07-30
WASTAGE UTILIZED.
ILLUMINATING GAS FROM GARBAGE.
How Great Cities May Yet BE Lighted
From Their Ash-Barrel-An In
teresting and Promising
Experiment.
IN. Y. Herald.1

day evening in the presence of number
of experts and newspaper reporters which
seemed to demonstrate the feasibility of
scheme on which the inventor has been
working hard for a long time. This is
nothing less than utilizing the garbage Of
the city for the manufacture of illuminat-
ing gas. He proposes at once to proceed
with experiments on large scale, by
means Of which to demonstrate more fully
the fact that in the city garbage there is
sufficient gas to supply the entire city with
light.
Nothing could be simpler or more salts.
factory than the demonstration which was
made of the correctness Of the theory.
The apparatus was crude and simple. Al
one end was a retort over furnace. At
the other end were two gas-pipes, one with
an open end and the other with an ordi-
nary gas-burner affixed, and at each Of
these pipes was jet Of burning gas, which
at glance could not be told from the or
dinary Illuminating gas Of commerce.
Between the. two ends were half dozen
jars and a small tin box Theoretically
sealed, but communicating with one an.
other by means Of short gas-pipes. In
these jars and in the box were simply the
cleansing agents employed to take up the
impurities of the gas.
Other links in the chain Of communica-
tion between the retort and the two jets OF
flame and light were a small receiving
tank and an ordinary gas meter. The
tank was constructed in miniature similar
ly to the great iron tanks which render
the yards Of the gas companies of the city
so unpicturesque. A tall tin kettle with
three uprights around its top was partial.
ly filed with water. A smaller tin kettle
was inverted and set inside. To the bot
tom (which was now the top) of this
smaller kettle was attached three cords
with weights appended. These cords were
passed over the uprights and served to bal
ance the toy gas-holder while the water in
the outer vessel served as an impossible
barrier to the imprisoned gas.
In five Of the six jars mentioned were
water and slaked lime. In the sixth one
was charcoal, and in the sealed box was
a small quantity Of dry unslaked lime q.
These completed the channel through
which the gas, liberated from the garbage
by the heat in the retort, was TO pass to
the two burners, the connection being
made by open cocks and small rubber tub
ing.
When the company had gathered, and
all was ready, the garbage, which had
been picked up at random from casual
barrel on the sidewalk, was weighed and
put into the retort. 1t weighed just sew.
enteen ounces, and was as choice an as.
sortment Of waste as could be desired.
There was bit of leather and rubber torn
from an old gaiter, some crusts of bread,
piece of fat meat and one Of lean corned
beef, a beet, cigar stump, some egg
shells, rag, banana stump, q potato, a
fragment OF pineapple peel, leaf OF cab.
bage and some mint. All was rapidly ap.
preaching putrefaction.
This being put into the retort, the retort
was sealed and put into jewelers. blast
smelling furnace. The fire was started at
exactly $3.50 p. M, and for ten minutes the
steam and gases from the garbage were
allowed to escape. Previous experiments
had indicated that these products were
practically useless. Then at twenty min.
utes to p. m. the attachment was made
with the jars, ETC., described above, and
almost Immediately the top OF the gas
holder began 10 rise. II was suffered to
rise few inches, and then a weight was
put on 1t, and at seventeen minutes to six
the gas waN lighted at the burner.
At first the presence Of atmospheric all
in the pipes made the flames flicker, but
this vas only for few moments. 1t was
not long before the blaze was similar tc
to that from the average gas burner in any
city house. The gas gave good, clear
light, apparently of the same quality as
that commonly used in New York houses
That which was lighted at the burner had
the same blue centre and yellowish white
flower which Is ordinarily seen, while that
which was lighted at the open pipe had
less of the blue and more Of the white thar
is noticed when ordinary coal gas is lighted
at similar aperture.
One peculiarity was noticed which the in
ventor explained by saying that his cleans
ing processes were very imperfect anC
that therefore the gas had considerabl,
amount OF impurity about II. Above th,
yellow or white fame there was narrow
rim Of pea-green flame. IL was eviden
enough that this was made by some par
Of the gas which was not perfectly com
busted and the explanation was accepted
as being satisfactory.
Two further experiments were made
with view to seeing whether IL would b.
practicable TO enrich the garbage gas II
the same ways that coal gas is ordinarily
enriched. First, a connection was mad
with a second retort in which had beei
placed half an ounce Of chlorate OF potasl
and half an ounce OF oxide Of manganese
Fire was started under this retort, and al
most Immediately very perceptible in
crease was noticed In the white light a
the two burners. This lasted only a shor
time, and the second connection was dis
continued. The next experiment consist
ed OF directing the current between the re
tort and the two flames through scale
tin box, In which was about quart Of ben
zine. This was to see II the gas emanat
ing from the benzine would amalgamat
readily with the gas that was burning
| IL did so amalgamate, and the same II
crease IN the white light was noticed a
had been when the oxygen from the secon
retort had been blended with the garbag
gas.
The burning Of the gas from the sever
teen ounces of garbage described continue