Bridgeton pioneer., 1893-07-13
NEW GAS PLANT.

All she Factories of the " or ks TO
be Run by Gas; Not q Ton of
Coal to be Used.
The Cumberland Glass Works have
an immense plant at the north end of
Laurel street, as Is we'll known; they
employ hundreds Of men and boys,
and their pay roll of wages goes long
way towards helping up the general
business of the town.
Z At this season of the year the glass
blowers generally take their summer
vacation and lay away their pipes until
September. 10 day, however, finds all
the factories OF these great works In
fuil operation, and the busy hundreds
of men and boys are twirling the mol
ten glass in fanciful gyrations.
This Company Wednesday put In ex-
perimental operation their newly con-
structed coal gas tank. This plant
has been in course of construction for
the last fourteen weeks.
It is an 8.ton day tank of the M. v.
Smith Coal Gas Process, the tank be-
ing OF the Seemans type, and is con-
structed with view to economy and
thorough efficiency.
The NJ. V. Smith Coal Gas Process
Is an invention of Mr.. Martin V.
Smith, who is here with his engineer,
Mr.. John Eccleston, experimenting
it's construction and initiatory work
ing.
A general description of the plant
will suffice here, without embelish-
ment with scientific or technical elab-
oration. The plant consists of two
gas producers each holding 30 tons of
coal at one time. These immense
reservoirs are so arranged with steam
and blast feeders as to generate crude
gas at the top, ready for conveying
through net works of conduits for use.
The gas is produced from bitumin-
ous Clearfield coal, mixed with anthri-
cite culm, which makes the cheapest
gas producing conbustible known,
and which is one of the chief points of
the invention going toward its econ
omy.
The fsatures of the process are to
compete in economy in glass pro-
duction with the natural gas
of Pittsburg and the West; this
has been largely attained in this
production, for while natural gas COM
mands price of Sc and 10c. per 100
feet for manufacturing purposesin the
west, this process consists In develop
ing the crude gas ready for use, allow
ing successful competition with natur-
al gas, and 1t can be produced at cost
of 7 of b cent per Thousand feet. With
these producers once filled with 80
tons of coal each, the consumption is
only about tons every "a hours, and
one ton will produce as much heat as
200 gallons of oil.
For operation the gas fromI these
producers is led through conduits of
masonry under ground to all parts of
the plant. 1t is fed to generator un-
der the 8-ton tank, where superheated
air Is brought in contact with 1t and
combustion takes place. This makes
the melt In the tank.
1t is claimed that an intensity of
1000 degrees of heat can be obtained
with this gas as thus contrived. 2700
degrees of heat are necessary to melt
glass and 5000 degrees will "clear"
1t, and 1t Is claimed that the gas at
this system will make clearer and bet
ter glass than by any other process
now used. The fame Is clean, no
smoke or dust being in it to discolor
the glass.
As stated, this gas is conducted by
brick fiues to the dressing, or finish
ing furnaces, the lears and the mould
ovens.
The economical features of the plant
are seen at glance in the great saw
ing of fuel, as we'll as the saving of
labor in s'shearing' and all that sort
of work.
1t is the intention of the firm to put
in two more producers and change all
their other factories to gas In the fall.
1t was the intention to run this one
now starting as flint furnace, tut 1t
will be run this summer as a green
glass furnace, and may be changed in
the fall.
All these works are expec ted to run
all summer as there are constant ap-
plications from men wanting work.
Supposed to Have COmmitte d
NHic1de.
Daniel Engelmeir, German baker
at Point Pleasant. has been missing
since Wednesday morning. He left a