Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-05-19
MANUFACTURE OF GAS.
SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY WITH SOME
INTERESTING FACTS.

Illuminating Gas Was First Invented in
Process-Big Companies.
Experiments at gas making were first
made in England in 1890, and for nearly
one hundred years various and unsuccess-
full attempts to obtain gas from bituminous
coal and store it for use in lighting were
made.
The real invention of practical gas light
ing was, however, made in 1872, and to
William Murdoch, who in that year
lighted his house and Office at Redruth in
Cornwall, belongs the credit Mr.. Muir
dock removed to Scotland and devoted
himself to the gas business. In 1871 he
lighted his premises at Old Cumnock in
Ayrshire with coal gas.
The following year he undertook the
construction of gas works at the shops of
Messrs- Boulton, Watt Sc Co., at Soho,
and in 1902 first publicly exhibited the
gas by showing two enormous flames from
TWO copper vases at those works Three
years later the cotton mills of Messrs.
Phillips 81 Lee, at Stafford, were lighted
under the direction of Murdoch with gas
brought from the works.
The French engineer lie Bon in 1923 took
out patent fo- gas making from wood,
and proposed lighting Paris, but the
scheme did not at that time meet with sue
cesS. In 1909 the National Light and Heat
company was organized in London, after
it had been successfully demonstrated
that street lamps could be lighted with
gas, but a charter for the company being
refused a great newspaper war was insti-
tuted in order to create popular interest in
the new light.
SLOW PROGRESS.
In 1910 parliament authorized the grant
r charter, and in 1913 Westminster
fridge was lighted, and very shortly after
ward all the oil lights in the vicinity of
Westminster were removed. Notwith-
Standing this great improvement over the
Did system of oil lights, a great prejudice
against gas existed, and even among men
81 science-so great, in fact, that it seemed
Al one time that no further progress would
be made.
The ignorance prevalent at that time re-
garding gases in general was 50 great that
wlen it was finally resolved to introduce
gas lighting into the house Of commons
the architect directed that the pipes be
placed four inches from the walls lest their
heat should fire the buildingl Aside from
the question OF prejudice, there were many
obstacles in the way of the successful de
velopment OF a distributing gas system.
The proper machinery and apparatus for
making gas had to be constructed, and for
many years the required wrought iron
pipes could not be secured. However, by
the year 1922 four great gas companies had
been established in London, using more
than 1910 retorts and nearly fifty gas hold
ers, and making 400, 0G0, 900 cubic feet of gas
annually.
In the United States gas for illuminat-
ing purposes was first made by David Mel
vii e. of Newport, r. l. In 1906 he lighted
his residence and the street in front from
gas made from coal In 1913 he secured a
patent, and shortly afterward applied the
light to a number OF small factories. Four
years later his process was applied to the
Beaver Tail lighthouse. That was the first
use of gas in any lighthouse in the world
Some persons in Baltimore attempted gas
ma King about 1916, but no success was met
with until 1921.
MAKING COAL GAS
IL 1892 gas was introduced in Boston IN
der the Melville system and in the follow
ing year the New York Gas Light company
was formed, but, owing to the limited de-
mand for gas did not get into active oper-
alton until 1927. In 1880 the Manhattan
Gas company, a rival concern, was started,
and until as late as 1919 both companies
made their gas of oil and rosin. After that
coal was employed. For many years coal
gas improved in efficiency very slowly.
New methods have been introduced dur
ing The past fifteen or twenty years, and
important progress has been made in that
time. All the large gas companies have
found it advisable to use higher temper
allure and larger retorts, with the result
nat considerably more gas is now obtained
from a ton of coal.
Coal gas is generally made from bitumin-
ous coal, although other varieties have
been and are now employed. y ton of
1000 pounds Of good camel coal Carefully
distilled will yield about 5000 cubic feet Of
purified illuminating gas. Other bitumin-
ous Goals yield from 5000 cubic feet up to
she above amount. The camel coal YIELDS
by far The richest gas, and in England is
sometimes used exclusively.
The manufacture of coal gas comprises
three distinct operations: l. Distillation
Of the. coal. .. The separation of the water,
tar and other coudensabe matters-con-
iensation. 3. The removal of sulphur
compounds and carbonic acid puri lication
Of late years the manufacture of what is
known as water gas has become an i'm
portant branch of the industry.
WATER GAS
The first patent for water gas was
granted in London in 1924. Improvements
were made in 1880, 1892 and 1S47, but
strange to say, in England none of the i'm
proved methods of making water gas has
been able to compete with coal gas in
cheapness. In this country, owing 20 the
cheapness of petroleum and its products,
quite he reverse has been the case.
r
gas to the consumer has been considerably
reduced, in some cases by the voluntary &C
ton o. the companies and in others by leg
islative action. At the present time there
are in the United States 4S7 gas companies,
whose combined capital is nearly s195, 0O0,-
OOO
The largest company in the United States
is the Consolidated, of New York city, with
capital of S35, 400, 900, and producing ca