The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-09-04
HEATING FROM NATURAL. GAS.
Great Progress Has Been Made in vehi
clos for Radiating Warmth.

Great Progress Has Been Made in vehi-
cies for Radiatipg Warmth.
When natural gas was first employed for
heating dwellings, severn years ago, the
devices for adapting 1t to stoves and CRATES
were very crude, and the amount of gas
consumed was correspondingly extrava-
giant. The end of the pipe-from half an
inch to an innh-was run into the stove or
CRATE, a perforated iron burner was fitted
upon it at right angles, and the cavity filled
with broken fire brick, Stag from the glass
furnaces, doorknobs of porcelain, balls Of
fireclay, or other substances that would
radiate great deal of heat.
Frequently the bits of broken brick were
whitewashed, as were the back and side
walls of the CRATES, or they were artisti-
cally done in water colors, the gas flames
neither smoking the one nor burning off
the other. After a time freclay was
nodded into limitations of logs of wood, the
cut ends of the logs, the cracks and knots
and the bark with moss on it being imi-
tated 50 successfully that the results could
scarcely be told from the real back logs
of oblen times.
These imitation logs were placed on
large brass andirons and when the flames
were seen issuing from fssures the illusion
was complete to the sense of sight, and to
the sense Of feeling too for while lone
side roasted the other side froze," as used
to be said of attempts at keeping warm by
the fireplaces OF our grandfathers.
A year ago it began to be noticed that the
supply of gas was diminishing. People
woke up on cold mornings to find only
sickly blue flame lsnguishing at the bottom
of the CRATE or stove where once had been
II roaring furnace. They were assured that
there was plenty of gas; that some temper
ary obstruction in the pipes had caused the
shortage, and all would soon be right.
And all was right ny soon as the weather
became warmer; but presently the gas com
panies were insisting that consumers
should burn gas by meter, instead of pay
ing so much for each fire and consuming
all they pleased. This initiated the eco
nomic stage of natural gas use.
Inventors set their wits to work, and
soon the market was flooded with all sorts
of devices for getting the largest amount OF
heat from minimum consumption of gas.
The deep set back walls of the fireplaces
built for coal we're moved out and the
throats Of the chimDeys stopped up.
Various metal heaters with rejecting
surfaces and draughts arranged on scien-
tifc principles were made to set into the
fireplaces, until a fire that formerly re-
quired from 100 to $50 feet of gas an hour
could be made to do the same service with
consumption of but fifteen feet When
the price of gas was raised from ten cents
to fifteen cents per Thousand feet in Pitts
burgh, thousands OF economic gas grates
ranges and stoves were sold during the
first cold spell.
One Of the cheapest and most cheerful
devices now in use is an adaptation of as
bestos to firebacks and radiating surfa,s,
A heavy cardboard, coated with asbestos
is perforated with rows of holes, from
which are suspended fringes of skein as
bestos, which becomes incandescent in the
flame, and gives forth beautiful, scintil-
lating glow which imparts great cheerful
ness to the apartment and at the same
time rsdiates considerable heat.
But by far the most economical thing is
Shi0dl snee1 Hon SIo'e noo niucu larger
than a mans silk hat. This is lined with
copper and sometimes filled with asbestos
fiber, and is connected with the supply
pipe by means of gum hose, so that it can
be set in the middle of the room or near
the wall, as may be desired. One such
stove, consuming no more gas than an Or
dinary argand burner, will heat medium
sized room to comfortable temperature
and reduce gas bills to proportions cor
respondingly comfortable.-Youth's Com
panion,