The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1888-01-21
ILLUMINATING GAS.
How st Is Manufactured nnd tho Product
Created by Its Distiliation.

Created by Its Distiliation.
The manufacture of coal gas con-
sists of three dis met operations: Q)
distillatio the driving off vt tho gases
from the coal by heat; (2) condnnsa-
tion, the separation OF the water. tar
and other condcnsable vapors; (3)
publication, the removal of the sui
phur compounds and carbonic acid.
II the bowl of an ordinary clay pipe
is filled with small pieces of bitumin-
Gus coal, covered over with clay, and
placed in bright fire, smoke will at
once begin to issue from the stem.
The smoke soon ceases, when, II D
light is applied to tho hole in the stem,
the gas then issuing will burn with a
bright steady flame, while thin,
black tarry substance oozos out OF the
hole. This is on small scale tho dis
tillation part OF the gas-making proc
ess.
In the manufacture Of gas on COM
mercial scale. coal is placed in long,
horizontal (ea) shaped retorts. made
sometimes of iron. but usually Of fire
clay. set in groups OF benches of three,
five, six or more, and heated from the
outside by fire, usually of coke. Tho
coal being charged. say from 100 10
200 pounds, the mouth of the retort is
closed with lid held in p acc by a
screw. the joints being made tight by
luting with clay. A, the retorts arc
usually red hot from previous charges,
the gas begins ut oace 20 pass over
from the coal to the CON icnsing APP
paratus. In about four hours the re.
tort Is opened. the coko drawn and
quenchcd with water. while new
charge of coal is introduced. and thus
tho process Is continuous one. The
charac er of III, products of disiillation
varies greatly with the coal charged
and the heat applied. Too low heat
gives q large proportion Of con-
| densable vapors, which are lost in the
tar; too high q heat injuries the quail.
ity of the gas by dcconnposing it into
non-lunin US marsh gas and hydro
gen.
The products of distillation are.
roughly speaking. four: gas, ammo.
niacal liquor. tar aud coke. The yield
of ton of coal varies greatly. The
products Of Pittsburgh conl may be
taken al 10 800 crbic feet of gas. 1. 450
pounds of coke. 90 gallons of ammo
niacal liquor and 40 pounds Of tar.
The gas gors TO the condenser and
purifier to be prepared for distribution
to consumers. A part of tho coke, say
one-third. is used to heat the ratorts,
and the T., ST is sold. Tho II rlnoniacal
liquor is made INTO sulphate of ana
monia. a most valuable manure, los
gallons of liquor making one ton oi
sulpha'e, while the tar is used to make
an almost endless variety OF sub.
stances, the most brilliant and varied
colors, anilines, tine most delicate per-
fumes, the most useful medicines. and
the swectcs% pr"l"c.. sacchrrine.
known to mnn. 4 LIST even of the
products derived fam this black uglv
looking Tar woull I'll this column.
There is no fairy ale than in wonder
or interest surpass"S the story Sir
Henry RoSco' tel's of coal tar. Fron,
| tho tar of on # cn"l are btainod
! II. 6 pounds ritoh, II % crnosote, IL Al
heavy oils 8 sc .e!ow naphtha. 6 u
naphthaline, H. 48 naphlho'. g "a alizs.
rine. 2 81 solubl" naphtha. 1.57 phanel
l 12 autrinc, 7S4 toluis'iie. 0 At an
lhracine, and 0 S96 trluene. From the
toluene. sncchariuc. moro than twC
hundred times sweeter than sugar Is
made. These ara again broken up
according to Roscoe. Already there
have been obtained sixteen dstinc
yellow dyes. two GRANGE, thirty red
fifteen blue. seven green, besides
number Of browns and an infinite
number Of blendings of all shades.
From coal tar comes product tina
quiets fever, that serves rs the basis o
the perfume of ''new-mown hay" tina
takes the place of the heliotrope floweI
the vanilla b AN. tho bitter almond
and stranger than all, that wonderful
ly sweet saccharine.
The process we hcve been describ
ing is the coal gas process. A consid
erablo proportion of tho gas consumed
however is known rs waIer-gas. Thi
is in reality a mixture composed o
about two-thirds water-gas and one
third oil-gns, the form II produced b,
the action of incanaescent carbon OF
steam. and the latter by the distilla
ton of petroleum or its products
Water-gas contains no illuminants. bu
has low specific gravity and q higl
heating power. while by almost an.
method of distilling oil. seventy cubi
feet of seventy candle power gas cal
be produced from gallon of oil. B.
diluting this oil-gss with water-ga
an illuminating ~as of excellent quail
tv ia ohtainad u r. Weeks -, (Nn,,