Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1886-11-12
TIPS ABOUT GAS TIPS.
Points for People Who Want Il
Know What Ais Their Burners.
From the Mem York Trjbuns.

From the Neao York Tribune.
People who think they know say that
there are 100000 gross of gas tips used
every year in the world, and as nobody
has taken the trouble to count them that
estimate must be taken for the present at
least.
In this country the estimates vary from
100000 gross a year to 1000 gross day.
OF these 100000 gross are imported lava
tips.
All lava tips are imported. They are
made of nearly everything but lava. The
greater number, however, are made in
Nuremberg, Germany, from fine clay,
which is ground up, moulded into
sticks, baked and then turned upon a
little lathe into the shape with which peo-
pie are familiar. Then the tips are glazed
or qi'rihed and are ready for use. The
material costs almost nothing, but the
work is delicate and requires skill. Still,
much of it is done by children and the
finished product can be bought at the
mandatory for two marks, or about As
cents. a gross. BY the time they get
to this country and have paid a duty of
20 per cent, they cost 80 cents per gross,
and are put on the market here for from
10 cents TO 81 10 d gross.
There are English tips made by grind
ing up a kind of stone and moulding 1T
| into the shape OF perforated button
which is set in q brass tube. Few OF them
are used in this country, as they are an
tlquated i'll style, and all English tips are
made with interior screw connections,
while the American tips have the thread
on the outside.
Lava tips have been made from clay
-, in II,
deposit near Cincinnati. The trouble en-
countered was the cracking, or, as a
chemist would express it. the decrepita-
tion of the material in the process OF bak-
ing and vitrifylng. With this draw
back home manufacturers could not
compete with the low prices of the Ger
man product.
A good lava tip in a private house,
burning good coal gas, should last ascore
of years. In the ordinary use, however,
their lite is not over year.
While the best lava tips are made in
Germany, the best metal tips are made in
America. The largest manufacturer is a
clear-headed Scotchman, who came to
this country in 1S49.
At the close of the war the German lava
tip was introduced and nearly drove the
brass and iron out Of the market. The
importers had TO pay duty of % per
cent. and at first charged $l2 per gross
for their wares. The growing bulk of the
trade sOou enabled them to lower the
prices, and competition and imitation
brought them down 10 the figures given
above in 1878.
The recent introduction of water-gas
revived the demand for iron tips,
and Mr. AndeTsOn's little shop in
White street is now turning out 10000
gross year, while three other firms in
Providence, Philadelphia and New York
are putting out few thousand gross per
year. These iron tips are of the same
shape as the lava tips. They have the
slotted orifice and the excavated head
that are necessary to give a broad fame
OF the much-desired fan shape. These
never clog, no matter what kind OF gas is
used. AT first the slot has to be cleaned
once or twice by drawing piece OF sheet
brass through it. BY that time the lips
of the slot have become glazed aud no
further oXidizatiOn takes place. The tip
is good until the end of time. In view of
this the tips are cheap at the price
charged, 81 10 per gross.