Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1889-01-19

The nature of the mctal.urgcI' operations
| at the WORK, of the Iced. Forge C0mplny
/ at Leeds, England, requiring a fuel on .
/ higher caiOridc power than could Oe OH
/ tanned from either the generator gas OF tue
/ -icmans producer or orlnsry coa'-ga', 2
/ plant capable Of producing 10000 cu'ic i'et
/ " wafer.gas per hour wa, last spring brought
{ into use with most successful results. Water
+ g,s has been used ~ may Doe observed, 90
7 limited extent in Baltimore FOR year past,
} and ITS production on q large scale in the VI
clniiy u Baltimore Is promised at an
/ early date: but for iull and striking
dcmonsirition oi lis merits we must
| look 10 the results attained at Leeds,
! where il is used rot only for metal
| mrgicll, but also for lighting purposes.
/ Nater-gas Is hydrOgCn-gas obtained by p1''-
/ ing steam through iucandescent coke. The
coke takes up the oxygen Of the steam, ana
4 the liberated hydrogen passes on 10 the g1'-
I holder, after undergoing suitable purlhcl-
I ton. AI Leeds the coke is raised 10 hlKh
temperature in q generator by TIE aid OF an
I lir-b'a,t. The blowing is continued for
/ about ten minutes, by which time suitable
/ heat has been produced. During tins penoI
i a lgs known ~ ''produceT-gas " il given of,
/ which is used TO raise steam for the engines
/ of the works. At the end OF the ten
D
air.bla.t /, stopped, and the further
/ exit OF producer-gas is arrested.
/ steam il then admitted nt the top ot
/ the generator for four m nu'cs, aud, passing
/ down into the incandescent fuel. 10 Is there
I decomposed. The gas produced Is conducted
| through "a ..,crubber" where y Is treated IN
much the same way as ordinary coal-gts,
and Is then ready for use in mot1lurgical
/ operations. For indoor Illuminating puf-
/ pose, it is further purified by mems oi oxide
/ oi IRON. TIE process, 10 VIII be seen. cone
} sisis in alternately blowing the generator
/ ho, and making gas, the product each III
teen minutes Tor each generator being about
1 L. 800 cubic ieet OF producer-gls. aud 5000
cubic feet OF pure water-gas The latter gas
[ is used, ss already stated, for lighting ana
heating PURPOSES II il also used with great
| success for driving gls-engines. us healing
power Is very greet. \ copper wire placed
| 10 an ordinary coal-cas flame will be made
! red-hot, but placed IN a awater.gas hime rom
/ the same burner It is quickly melted. II Is
used m the Leeds works IN welding CORFU
1 gated boiler tubes, in heating the steel ing0ts
! from which these ilues are made, and in
/ heating plates for 1anged frame plaies Tor
railway rolling stock and for Hanged boiler
/ fronts. The Use OF water.gas 10 tae manu-
I ldctuIt OF Cltmdus hltti has EiFatts lhi-
/ proved the quantity and quality Of the pro-
1 duct. Each furnace with waler-gas
turns out thirty charges Of steel per week, as
against eleven charges with gas from Slc-
mans producers. Burned in the ordinary way
/ from Jet. water-gas gives DO light. The
I flame l. blue aud scarcely visible by day. To
( obtain light the Fahneielm system IS em.
/ pl0yed that il 10 say, comb composed Of
/ thin magnesis rods IL suspended 10 the
l flame The tlameuis Of mag uesia are quickly
/ heated 10 a while heat. producing bright
/ glow Of high Illuminating power. No OBJ
| jcctionable fumes are given Of. There i
/ 90 smoke, steam being the sole product
OF the combustion Of the gas. A. re-
| -pects cost, water-gas Is found 10 COM
! pare favOrably with other means OF pro-
! duclug light and heat With one ton Of fuel,
| costing g. per ton, about 80, coo cubic feet OF
the cas- sre produced. A'lo@ing for the cost
Of labor aud making the production con
| tinuous, il is found that the gas costs
something under cents per thousand cubic
( feet. THIS Il certainly very reasonable
[ figure. II its production can be Effected 10
| this country a. three times that cost lis future
ought 20 be assured. Considering the many
uses to which good water.gss eau be applied
the public could not but be greatly benefited
by It's general Introduction.