The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1885-09-23
REVOLUTION IN LIGHT.
GAS MAKING WONDERFUL STRIDES IN
THE OH REGIONS.
Many Factories aud whole Villages Depend
ON II Entirely . Fuel and Light
Bradford,s Chap Gas Bili-A Gas
Forge Its Many Uses-Notes

BRADFoRp, Sept 1e-Until an ingenious
oil producer utilized natural gas as substi-
tute for coal and wood IN making steam for
his engine its commercial yalus as a cheap
and desirable fuel was apparently unknown.
But since then Bradford, Oil City and other
oil-region towns have profited by the oil
mans discovery, and gas has been intro
duced generally. Natural gas, fresh from
natures reservoir now heats our stores, no
tells, dwellings, manufactures and churches;
cooks our fool, lights our streets and runs
mulatudes of engines In all parts of the
region
Families who use gas for heating and
lighting do not quarrel as to who shall get
up IN the chilly morning and build the fire.
Generally in cold weather the gas Is nsarly
all tured off when bedtime comes In the
morning the husband or wife hops out of
bed, gives the valve turn or two and re-
turns TO bed. Instantly the gas jumps into
blaze and the room is warmed in jiffy.
II the fire is allowed to go out at night the
process of starting 1t up in the morning or
at any hour is simple. A piece of blazing
paper is thrust into the stove, the valve is
turned, and in few moments the stove is
throwing out a glowing and cheerful
warmth. IL the pressure is turned on full
head, and there are not too many consumers
on the line, the heat in the room will soon
be intolerable When New Workers visit
Bradford they express surprise at our won
derful and economical fuel They cannot
understand how the gas is Gagged
Passengers who ride over and around the
derrickstudded hills and valleys through
which the broad and narrow guage railroads
Of oildom wind their crooked and pictures
que way, will be surprised, if the Journey
is made after dusk, to see myriads of
the cool night air, and casting weird and
shadowy pictures on the hillsides and val
leys. If the train passes close by one of the
lights, the passenger will observe that the
country for some distance around the huge
wave of flame is almost as well lighted as it
would be at midday. TIE gas comes from
the oil wells, and is so abundant that, after
using it all day to run his engine, the oil
man turns it loose to tighten up the gloom
in the country around. In the Bradford
field alone there are hundreds of these ban
like lights The spectacle on dark
night is beautiful
For some years Bradford monopolized the
natural gas supply. Now it is piped to dis
tant towns and used for both lighting and
heating. The discovery of the large veins
of gas around Pittsburg has already par
TALLY revolutioned the steel, iron and glass
industries, many establishments depending
ON it entirely as fuel Bradford is lighted
and heated at less expense than other city
in the world All that it costs the city gov
eminent for gas for the streets and for the
City Hall, both for heating and lighting, is
two cents a month The Bradford Gaslight
g. Heating company, to shut out a preten-
tious rival, offered these unparalleled terms
to the city. The city fathers clinched the
bargain instantar
Ever since its utilization for fuel inventors
have puzzled their brains in trying to learn
how to make a forge for yelling iron, steel
and glass with it Until recently all at
tempts we're failures 1t remained for an
inventor of this city TO solve the problem
After experimenting in secret for months he
took our patent for a gas oxygenizer, Re-
Gently ne gave exhibition Of his nsw pro-
cess at Wilson s. Blacks sucker rod factory
in Tarport.
The two most interested spectators were E.
F. Seamans, of Parks Bros Black Diamond
steel works at Pittsburg, and John Fl. lay
lay, superintendent of Oliver Bros. & Phil
lips iron works at Beaver Falls, both ex-
pertS in the manufacture of iron and steel
The experimental forge is built of fra brick,
and was thirty three inches square at the
base and about thirty inches in hight. The
frepot is located at the central point,
and near the top of the forge. 1t is
oveD-shaped, with q convex roof, and has
half-moon shaped apertures at each end, 10x
IA inches large. Inch air pipes coming from
its fan or blower are connected with three
quarter-inch gas pipes just outside, and on
opposite sides of the forge. At the L the gas
and air are mixed, and then pass into the
forge through the same pipe. The two pipes
from opposite sides are in horizontal plane
with one another, and have their open ends
in the forge directly opposite, and sixteen
inches apart When the match is applied
the flames strike against each other. An air
pipe rising in a vertical position from the
bottom of the forge has its open end about
eighteen inches below the horizontal line be-
tween the pipes containing gas and air. The
proportion of air to gas is about IS to 1.
The intense heat is obtained near the inter
section point Of the air current with the
currents of mixed air and gas The top of
the forge is nearly closed with the exception
of an aperture large enough to admit the
piece of iron or steel to be welded.
When the two gas jets are first lighted the
fame rises above the top of the forge to a
height proportionate to the flow of gas.
After the air mas been forcel into the air
pipes and l..ingIed with the gas, the flame
changes from a yellow to a lambent blue
color, growing deeper as it sinks into the
firebox in the forge. By the pr ocess iron
and steel are quickly raised to white heat
in well-controlled fame, and are easily
and thoroughly welded.
Several of the FORCES are already in use in
Bradford, AMI have given good satisfaction
Twice as ma..h work is done as was possible
with the Goa forge, while thsrs is q saving
of one-third 81 the cost of fuel