The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14
NY THO. D. MORGAN.

power the ease WIN winch " 70 hAAuIsu
and introduced where required; its great
and, above all, it's cheapness,
render 1t the fuel par excellence for manu-
featuring,
In iron, steel Rud glass working the
purity Of natural gas as a fuel enables the
production OF goods Of superior quality
and better finish; this too without addt'
tional labor or care in their manipulation.
The saving in labor effected is q crafty
ing feature IN tho use OF natural gas. This
Is particularly the case in rolling mills,
where anything that will tighten the ar
duous labOr OF the woTkmen 10 very
welcome indeed. To the vast majority Of
iron workers the introduction Of natural
gas has been an unmixed blessing The
lung-trying smoke, CRIME and coal dust, 80 go
insepaTable from the former rolling mill
atmosphere, are now only conspicuous by
their absence, giving the workman com,
paratiYely pure air 10 breathe.
The time formerly spent in shoyeling
coal is now passed in much needed rest
and in reyiyiug wasted physical powers,
tho importance OF which can only ho up.
precisted by thoae who have experienced
the change, =,
For instance, heater working with
coal, In the common TeYerberatoTy fur.
mace, will ordinarily use ten hundred
weight OF coal to heat; this for eight
heats will be four net tons of coal that he
will DO required to handle in performing
his day'l labor, besides the frequent stir
ring and cleaning Of CRATES.
The routine lie has to 20 through IA
about this; First, he repairs the furnace
bottom; thon puts on a fire" to set OF
harden It; by the tinG he has the stoke
holo filled up aud the pull.up boy has the
''pees" creased the furnace is ready to BIZ
charged. He Charge, and when he getl
the thirty or thirty.fve hundred weight o.
iron in the furnace is probably putting
pretty loudly.
But nevertheless no must waste no time
In putting on another fire, or that SCAMP
at the other furnace, who Ia alWays aitcl
him on the keen jump, will "potCh" him
and he would die rather than suffer such
u disgrace.
Then he jumps down into the ashpi
and either btirs or cleans the bars; UP
again and puts on another fire; off Tor 4
drink OF water; another fire; ats down
aud breathcnfreely q minute or two; fire.
up again, and by this time the heat ID
"resdy to tnrn" and begin drawing.
This fight Is not governed by prize ring
rules, but every man Is expected to stand
up and take out his eight rounds, and
when he does he is generally ready to sink
quietly to sleep at night without tue aid oil
narcotics.
A WELCOME CHANGE.
With the advent OF natural gas came an
agreeable change. No more shoveling coal
or bothering with CRATES. He now after
charging Ills heat opens tho gas valve,
hunts up o cool corner, and takes his
half.hour or 80 OF luxurious ease.
The same with thU pudder. Instead Of
hanging around tho furnace "teasing-up"
and firing, while the helper brings the
heat to a boil, he now promenades about
the mill discussing tho tariff or some kin.
dred subject-a gentleman Of elegant
leisure.
But tho proprietors derive q fair share
OF the benedto as well, in that their work.
men by this reduction In their labor are
CONSTANTLY in condition to do more and
better work.
Inu Irbls which they now obtain 70.
cuperate their tagging energies, aud they
reBume their taskg with d vigor before uu'
known.
A peculiar characteristic OF natural gas
as luel Ia tho great quantity Of air re-
GuiIed for its perfect combustion as COM
pared with artificial gus, which 10 readily
accounted for by the excess OF hydrogen
which 1t contains.
tits upon thia fact its worth as a heat
producer depends. In combustion the
heat evolved rests entirely upon tho
amount Of oxygen that enters into com.
binRtiOn with the Comhustible, or, in
other words, that Combustible which Is
capable, with given weight, OF Combin-
Ing with tho most oxygen, will evolve
tho greatest quantity OF heat.
For example, a pound OF hydrogen In
burning consumes or unites with eight
pounds OF oxygen; while pound oil car.
bon unites with but two and two.third
pounds OF oxygen.
A given weight Of hydrogen, In burn.
ing, will produce, therefore, three times
as much heat as tao same weight OF car.
bon.
Marsh gaze, which consists by weight Of
rs parts carbon and 20 hydrogen, 10 an.
other important constituent OF natural gas,
and to Ito recurrence in irregular quanti-
tics Ia probable due the changeiul be.
havior OF natural gas in furnaces,
This gas burns with a yellow, lumin.
Gus flame, and in furnaces using the ma
tural fluid change will frequently occur,
more or lees sudden, from q white, clear
aud hot flame, to n sluggish, yellow and
Bmoky.Rppearing flame, and Of an appar-
emily low temperature, but in reality II
gives soft Welding heat to iron with re-
markably little waste from oxidation.
In short time this flame may give
place 10 tho bluish-whito hydrogen, and
again to the bright white hydro-cHrbon
flames, evidenCing that the gas Is not con-
slant In Its composition, though constant
ly exertipg an immense heating force.
PUTTING IT IN.
The manner OF introducing the gas Is
very similar In most mills. The pressure
in tho mains being usually much higher
thanis required for the furnaces, gasom.
eters arc used TO reduce this pressure.
These are constructed on the same
principle as those used for storing illnmi-
mating gas, with the distinction that these
are uheu LOT tue puTpUbt VI IouuCluk pEeb-
sure, while those for illuminating gas
createit,
Two iron tanks are used, fitting one
within tho other, with free vertical
movement, and provided with means for
being tightly packed.
The tank being weighted to the pres
sure desired, connection Is made with the
inlet valve, In such manner that whom the
pressure has reached itg proper limit the
riBing Of the tank closes the valve, thus
regulating the supply automatically.
These tanks or IeduCSTB are usually
from four 10 six feet In dismeter and ton
TO twelve feet high, the bottom ono being
partially filled With a noh.ireezlng liquid.
The tank should DO placed In some Oh.
sCure corner Of tho works, out oil way Of
accidents, thus lessening the chances Of
damage from explosion.
Pipe from elk 10 eight inches In diam.
etet arc generally used for rolling mill
mains these are connected with the reg.
tlating tank and are carried through the
the works overhead, where they are not
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