The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-11
THE MANUFACTURES or GAS.
A simple Explanation of the Way
Illuminating Gas Is Made.

='tN AblA 1ihPaAtr
How few people can intelligently ex-
plain some OF the most ordinary things
IN every day life. An official OF the
city gas works was heard to say not
long ago that il he might Judge by
the number OF times he was asked for
information not more than two people
in ten know how common Illuminating
gas is made. They all seem to UNDER
stand, he said, that il comes out OF
soft coal, but they are ignorant of the
process by which il is extracted. We
do not doubt this at all, for, as We have
said TO you several times, it is the COM
mon things that We are apt 10 over
look in our search for information.
You will understand, therefore, why
We select subjects to talk about with
which you and everybody else ought to
be familiar.
Now. let as give you a simple expIa-
nation of gas-making. Break up a
piece of bituminons coal into small
fragments and FIJI the bowl OF clay
pipe with them. Cover the mouth OF
the bowl with wet clay and then thor
oughly dry il. Pat the bowl of the
pipe into a fire where il will get red
hot aud Won will soon see veilowish
!
you touch light 10 the smoke IL will
burn brightly. for il is nothing more
or less than the gas from the coal
You can partly and collect this gas
IN simple way. Fill a bottle With
water and turn il upside down i'm a
bowl Of water. Iou know the water
viii not run out of the bottle because
the air pressure on the water in the
bowl will prevent IL Put the end of
the pipestem under the mouth OF the
bottle. and the gas will bubble up
through the water into the bottle,
gradually dispiacing the water. and il
the pipe were large enough to make a
great deal Of gas the hottie would he
entirely filed with it,
Nou have seen the immense guam
titles of coke which they have at TIE
casworks, that Is what Is left OF the
coal after the gas has been burned out
OF il Coke j. carbon. only small
part Of what was in the coal having
gone oil with the gas. Take the CLAW
covering of your pipe Snd yoa viii
find the howl nlled with this coke.
Now, that Is precisely the way gas
is made in large quantities 81 the gas
works. Instead NJ p,Pe bowls they
use big retorts, and these are heated
red hot hy furnaces. for the FIRE must
De outside Of the reforts. Heating
coal red hot in 4 closed retoFt Is off
ferent from burning il in the open air
A large pipe from the resort carries off
the product 81 the coal. consisting 81
stranl. tar. air and ammonia. IS weil
~ gas The ammonia ana tar 30 into
tanks. and the gas into coolers, and
then over lime, which takes up the
acids in il, into the immense iron gas
holders which you have seen at the
works
The holders are open a. th~ bottom,
and stand. or rather Swing. in tanks
81 water he;Bg adjusted hy means Of
weights As the gas CONES into them
they rise Up out % the water. hrt the
bottoms are always submerged. 80 that
the gas can nos ESCAPE The laFFtF
ga pipes. or MAINS. a. hey are Gale
connect E. n the holder sud conduct
the gts through the streets % the
houses where !; i used The pressure
j. given 60 the ras hy the weight OF the
Iron holdeFs, which are always hear
ing down on TIE gas they contain.