Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1885-09-25

lied the natural gas supply. Now it
IS piped to distant towns and is used
for both lighting and heating. The
discovery of the large veins of ga.
around Plttsburg has already revolu-
tlonized the steel, iron, and glass in
dustries, many establishments depend
ing on it entirely IS fuel. Bradford
is lighted and heated at less expense
than any other city in the world. All
that it costs the city Government for
gas for the streets and for the City
Hall, both for heating and lighting,
is two cents month. The Bradford
Gaslght and Heating Company, 10
shut out a pretentieus rival, offered
these unparalleled terms 10 the city.
The City fathers clinched the bargain
instantly.
Ever since its utilization for fuel in
veators have puzzled their brains in
trying to learn how to make > forge
for welding iron, steel, and glass with
1t. Until recently all attempts were
failures. 1t remained for an inven>
tor OF thus city TO solve TIE problem.
After experimenting in secret for
months he took out patent for gas
oxygenizer. Recently he gave an ex,
hibition of his new process st Wilson
& Blacks sucker rod factory in Tar
port
The two most interested spectators
were E. f. Seamans of Parks Bros.
Black Diamond steel works at Pitts
burg, and John FL. Taylor, superln.
tenaent of Oliver Bros. s Phillips
iron works at Beaver Fall, both ex~
perts in the manufacture of iron and
steel. The experimental forge is bull
of fire brick, and was about SO inches
square at the base and about 50 inches
in height. The fire pot is located at
the central point, and near the top of
the forge. 1t is oven shaped, with a
convex roof, and has half
shaped apertures at each end, 10x14
inches large. Inch air pipes coming
from its fan or blower are connected
with three quarter inch gas pipes just
outside, and on opposite side of the
forge. AT the I the gas and air are
mixed, and then pass into the forge
through the same pipe. Tue two
pipes from opposite sides are in hori-
zontal 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
I An air Pipe rising in vertical posi-
ton from the bottom of the forge has
its open end about eighteen inches
below the horiz ,ntal line between the
pipes containing gas and air. The
proportion of air to gas is about IS to
1. The intense heat is obtained near
the intersection point of the air cur
rent with tho currents of mixed air
and gas. The top of the forge is near
~ closed with the exception of an
aperature 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 has
ben forced into the air pipes and
mingled With the gas, the flame
changes from yellow TO a lambent
blue color, growing deeper as it sinks
into the frebox in the forge. By the
process iron and steel are suickly
raised to white heat in we!l-con
trol.ed flame, and are easily and
thoroughly welded
Several OF the FORCES are 9lready in
use in Bradford, and have given coed
satisfaction. Twice as much work is
done as was possible with the coal
forge. while there is saving of one>
third of the cost in fuel.