The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-11-30
NAPHTHALENE.
The Beautiful Snow White Flakes Which
Form in Gas-Pipes When the Weather

The Beautiful Snow White Flakes Which
Form in Gas-Pipes When the Weather
Changes.
Pittsburg Chronicle.
''What the blankety blank blank is the mat
ter with my gas, it won't burnt" was what the
writer heard man say in the Office of the Pitts
burg Gas Company as he entered in search Of
the same information.
Guess it's naphthaline," said one of the en-
ployes, and the man went out saying he didn't
care cuss what it was he wanted it fixed, and
right away, he'd start gas company OF his
own. Men do get that way sometimes, but the
number of gas companies remains about the
same.
tribution of gasF' asked the writer of Mr. Nc
Elroy, the engineer of the company, whose stud
les on this particular subject have won him the
sobriquet of ''Old Naphthaline."
"Yes, that is the only important thing we have
to fight against Naphthaline is very peculiar
substance. change IN the temperature, either
from heat to cold, or cold TO heat, produces it
Ii is one Of the prettiest nusances in the world
1t collects i'll crystalline flakes of all shapes and
Sizes like snow, and it is Just as pure. 1t Is
very rich in carbon, has specific gravity of %
and melts at 1852 1t is condensed from the gas
by The atmospheric change. 1t weahens the gas
very much, and at the same time clogs up the
small supply pipes. We are not much troubled
with our large pipes, although in Toronto, Can
ada they had to break their mains and scrape
them three times in one year. You can't
keep track of the stuff. Sometimes we
will pass through the spring and
fan, and not be bothered with it at
all, and then again it will come un-
expectedly. We are to-day feeling the result of
the napthaline which collected night before last.
1t does not seem to make any difference what
kind of coal is used 1 have tried all the Yough-
iogheny Goals, and they produce about the same
results. Sometimes when only small amount
of gas is taken from given amount of coal, we
can avoid napthaline and at other times we are
troubled with it when we use just the same pro
cess. Cold, damp ground will produce it, and
we have more trouble from customers around
the Point than from any other part of the city.
In the same places we have to clean the pipes
two or three time week, as the naphthaline
will form in twenty-four hours. 1t collects
around brass fittings and brass service cocks
more than anywhere else, as brass is a better
conductor of heat than iron. 1t remains in the
pipe until dissolved by benzne or hot water. On
was right beside the sewer drop, we found a de-
posite of napthaline of half the diameter Of the
pipe and eight or ten feet long. There was no
napthaline above below that place, and it
showed the effect of the atmosphere at the sewer
drop Sometimes water condenses from the gas
in the pipe. You can tell whether it is napth-
! aline or water which affects the gas by the way
it acts. If it is water the flame will go up and
down in waves as the gas passes over the water
and causes ripples. Finally high ripple will sc
to the top Of the pipe and shut off the gas and it
will slowly go out Napthaline stops the flow in
one or two places and the gas goes out with one
or two quick jerky movements