The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-29
MANUFACTURE OF GAS,
SKETCH OF ITS HISTORY WITH SOME
INTERESTING FACTS.
First Experiments Were Made In 1890.
Illuminating Gas Was First Invented In
I792-In 1913 an American Patented .
Process-2iS Companies.

1
| Illuminating Gas Was First Invented In
I792-In 1913 an American Patented =
| Process-Eis 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 1877 be
| 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 s. 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 & Lee. at Stafford, were lighted
under the direction Of Murdoch with gas
| brought from the works.
The French engineer LIE Bon in 1870 took
out patent for 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 charter for the company being
refused great newspaper war was insti-
tuted in order to create popular interest in
the new light.
SLOW PROGRESS.
| In 1910 parliament authorized the grant
of q charter, and in 1913 Westminster
| bridge 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
old system of oil lights, great prejudice
against gas existed, and even among men
of scence-so great, in fact, that it seemed
at one time that no further progress would
be made.
| The ignorance prevalent at that time re-
garding gases in general was SO great that
when 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 building! 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 $40 retorts and nearly fifty gas hold
ers, and making 400. 200, 600 cubic feet of gas
annually.
In the United States gas for illuminat-
ing purposes was first made by David Mel
vile, of Newport, E. 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 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
making about 1916, but no success was met
with until 1921
MAKING COAL GAS.
In 1872 gas was introduced in Boston I'M
der the Melville system, and in the follow
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 1S49 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
Sr,er ba or nd
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
that considerably more gas is now obtained
from ton of coal.
Coal gas is generally made from bitumin-
Gus coal, although other varieties have
been and are now employed. A ton Of
1900 pounds Of good camel coal carefully
distilled viii yield about 5000 cubic feet Of
purified Illuminating gas. Other bitumin-
Gus Goals yield from 5000 cubic feet up to
the above amount. The camel coal yields
by far tine richest gas. and in England Is
sometimes used exclusively.
The manufacture OF coal gas comprises
three distinct operations: l. Distillation
of the coal 2 The separation of the water,
tar and other condensabIe matters-con-
densation- 8. The removal Of sulphur
compounds and carbonic acid publication.
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, 1889 and 1S41, 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 to the
cheapness Of petroleum and its products,
quite the reverse has been the case.
During the past fifteen years the cost OF
gas TO the consumer has been considerably
reduced, in some cases by the voluntary &C
ton of the companies and in Others by leg
islative action. At the present time there
are in the United States 4Ss gas companies.
whose combined capital Is nearly $l9o Co.,
CO.,
The largest company in the United States
is the Consolidated, of New York city, with
q capital of SIS, AS0, 600, and producing ca
pacity of about 30 coo, 900 ca bic feet IN twen-
ty-four hours. IL has the largest gas holder
in this country. Its capacity Is 1850, 90
cubic feet. The number OF the Consoli-
dated employees varies from 1000 to 900.
The Chicago Gas company, whose capital
Is IS. 0o0. 900, il the second largest company
in the United States. Il also has al enor-
NOUS gas tank. Tue maximum quantity
of gas produced IN twentyfour hours in
the city Of New York is e, o0p, 600 cubic feet,
or mora IN fan daya than was re1r1irasi in