The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1885-04-30
Fuel Gas.


} least, until the merits of the various sys
: TENS can be enquired into and their com.
parative advantages considered. Prof
Lowe, of Pa. a scientist who occupies
the same relation to gas inventions that
Edison does to electricity, has recently
perfected process for the manufacture
OF fuel gas, which threatens to revolutions
lie the whole business of illumination. A
large company has been organized in Bal
tlmore for the introduction of the new
system in that city, and q committee re-
Gently visited Norristown, Pa, for the.
purpose Of examining it's merits. The
result of the visit is given in the San as.
follows
The inventions i'll which the Baltimore
visitors were mainly interested are the in.
candescent loop burner and the fuel gas,
which is made cheaply. without any illu-
minatiDg properties. He uses it for heat
ing and cooking. and for lighting pur-
poses it is placed in contact with the in
caAdescent loop, which instantly CLOVIS
with an illumination that appeared about
equal to that Of an Edison incandescent
electric lamp. The test of these inven-
",
so far as it's furnishing goes, is a hand
some lecture hail. with platform, gallery,
&C. In the centre of the room an eigh-
teen burner chandelier was suspended.
every burner lighted. The fuel or incar-.
buretted gas gave a dull blue flame, al
most indistinguishable. The burners.
were only partially turned on at first, and
the fuel gas flame did not then touch the
metal loop or half-arch which was fas-
tened to each burner, with the loop an
inch or two above the ordinary pattern
burner. BY turning the burners on full.
which Prof. Lowe did by touching a.
simple contrlvance, the fuel gas flame
touched the loops, and in an instant there
was beautiful incandescent illumination.
1t would be difficult to conceive of any
thing short OF an eighteen-burner Edison
eectric-light chandelier that could have
surpassed this Lowe incandeScent display
for brilliant and steady illumination.
There was not a flicker to be detected
This chandelier hung over q dining table
on which q meal was served that was
cooked in fuel gas stove IN the same
room. The bill OF fare included planked
shaG, broiled steak, baked potatoes, chops,
steamed vegetables, etc. The cooks were
was admirably served in the room where
it was cooked, yet there was not the
slightest odor from it. Prof. Lowe ex-
planned That the combustion of this fuel
gas IS absolute, with no waste.
On the platform he had placed an orna-
mental stove for parlor, which answers,
for both lighting and heating. On top
there was circle OF nine tWo-feet lncan--
descent loop burners, covered by a glass
globe. When this circle was lighted the
illumination was brilliant beyond that OF.
7 1,a oil Ic ioA n
through a experimenting arrangement
down into the sheet metal stove, and a.
room can be warmed and lighted with the
same consumption Of gas. 1t was demon 4
strated that a small one-foot incandescent \
burner could not be eXtinguished by q
strong draft.
The Professor gave. an exhibition OF his /
street light, which is a candle made OF i
substance that is the inventors secret. |
This candle, placed inside of the ordinary |
street lamp, will burn eight nights before
it is consumed, when it can be replaced by |
another at small cost. He says he is still
further experimenting to make the candle
last much longer than eight days. He +
estimates the cost of the fuel gas con-
OF one of these lights at fourth
OF one cent an hour. His intention is to
make them with four burners to one street
lamp, which would illumine the darkness
a long distance i'll each direction. The
single light with which he experimental |
certainly made an illumination that sug
gested the briliancy OF the electric light
arc lamps, but 1t was immovaDle in its
steadiness. The effect Of four such lights
in d single street lamp could be conject-
ured. Then there are no electric wires |
required for its use +; nothing but the Prof
Lowe candle III conjunction With the nom
carburretted fuel gas.
At the close OF The tests, when the COM
pany were ready to take their leave, they |
were shown into an office room down |
stairs, where the professor exhibited an
other circle OF nine lncandescent burners. !
These, he said, were reserved to the last |
because they are the perfection OF this in /
yention, and on these he will rest his rep /
uCatlon. The circle was suspended from
the ceiling underneath d reflector, and the
ILLUMINATION it made would be sufficient
for the centre chandelier of theatre or
public hall.
He showed an open fireplace heater.
where q sheet metal stove, with asbestos
lining, was made by the fuel gas to glow
with all the beauty and warmth OF an open
CRATE fire. He is getting up another stove
III which the glow will be incandescently /
made to light the room too. Prof. Lowe
explained that the incandescent loop,
Which has four components, he is conf
dent is practically indestructlble. lie has
used the same loops for four months four
teen hours a day, and they are as perfect
as when first lighted. The little half-arch 1
loops, with a thread of filagree work run
ming Spirally around them, gloWed on |
Saturday for hours in the white heat in 4
full view Of the visitors. 1t is nearly Ger
tain That anything OF metal or composite
material which can stand that without
M 10
These loops while going through the eX-
perimental stages have been made by hand
III the mandatory. But Prof. Lowe
will at once have d machine for making 4
the loops that will turn out one minute. 4
He says that if one of these loops becomes 4
battered and misshapen from use it can be |
worked over again into a new one at the
cost of q few cents.
President Hall and the Consolidated di-
rectors are satisfied that the inventions of
Prof. Lowe are discoveries that are valu-
able, and that gas-making is on the verge |
OF complete revolution III the methods |
employed.
The introduction of the oil into the
present gas to carburet and give the illu-
properties is the most costly
item. This fuel gas is made without the
use OF OIL and is d hydrogen gas that does
not have Illuminating power, hence it's
cost is small. 1t is said that 200 feet
OF the gas can be made from the use of
one ton of anthracite coal. The CONSOLE
dated people, not having yet settled the
details as to the price of the new gas to
consumers, say it can be made and fur
nished at about 81 a thousand at the start,
and as the use OF the gas for fuel and heat
increases, the cost to the consumer will
decrease. Prof. Lowe
Will come To RnltirnOra and rOrcoDo11u
superintend the introduction of the fuel
gas. He is at present furnishing Lynn,
Mass, with the gas for power and heat,
having secured the plant OF steam heat
ing company. He says that for two years
he has heated houses in that city at less
than the coal would have cost the occu-
pants, and that the same can be done in
Bal fillmore.
The Hog Law
Az the election for (ioDot1y oa,oo,o |