The morning times., 1895-11-03
New Method Of Preparing an
Important Compound.

| One of the most valuable light-Givfng
constituents Of common coal gas 10 scety-
| lene, but it is present In such gas sply In
very smail quantity. Acetylens = COM
posed of tweiye-thirteenths carbon and
| one-thirteenth hydrogen. When burned In
| air from a common gas Jet. sostyieus
produces smoky name, but from .
properly selected burner its flame IL smoke
less and emits more light tha n that OF any
other gas.
new method OF preparing acstylens
/ promises 10 give this gas great future
as an illuminant. This method, but re-
Gently developed. consists in heating to-
gether in an electric furnace, powdered
| chalk OF lime, and some form OF finely
diviGed carbon, coal or charcoal. At the
temperature OF the furnace calcium car
blde is formed. This is a dark gray solid.
resembling in appearance an impure min
eral coal. IL is composed or Give-eightha
calcium and threeeighths carbon. When
thrown into water, doub BILE decomposition
results, the calcium combining with the
oxygen OF the water, and the carbon unit
ing with tue hydrogen and forming acety-
lene, which escapes from the water with
violent ebullition and may be readily col
lected in any suitable receiver.
The solid calcium carbide can be trans
ported without special precaution other
than it be kept dry. The consumer sup
piled with the carbide VIII be- a BILE to man
ufacture his own gas by simply immersing
The carbide In water. A receiver for stor-
ing the gas VIII be about all the plant neo-
essary. Suita BILE burners for acct ylene viii
need To be slight notifications OF the com
mon jet, so as to supply the exact pro-
portion OF air, otherwise the flame will
smoke. The writer, by using the common
Bunsen burner, was able TO so regulate the
supply of air and gas as To produce pure
white flame of great brilliancy, almost
insGpportable to the eye Acetylene has
a peculiar, penetrating odor. so that any
leakage of the gas would be Immediately
detected
One pound OF pure calcium carbide VIII
yield five and q half cubic feet OF acety-
lenc, measured at o. c., and atmospheric
pressure. II 1t he true, as stated, that
the Calcium carbide can be manufa ctured
at twenty dollars per ton, computation
shows that under equally favorable condi-
tions the cost Of GOOD LIGHT. twenty
five candle power, from acetylene would
De about one-third of that from coal gas
when the latter Sells at FIFTY CENTS
PER ONE THOUSAND FEET Cor Ice.
per 1 900 feeu.
The preparation OF acetylene from the
mineral elements has long been OF great
theoretical interest, because it is the first
step IN the production OF organic sub
stances from the inorg anic. Benzine,
naphtbalene. and ethylene may be readily
Manufactured from acetyiene. From ben
zine we obtain that wonderful series Of
apiline colors and dyes Ethylene can be
converted into alcohol, and from alcohol
many other organic substances can be pro
duced.
The preparation of acetylene has hereto
fore been too expensive to make 1t Of
practical Importance, but the new method
places the gas within the range OF CONNER
cial use. both by itself and as the basis fol
the building up of other compounds. The
most fertile promise, however, Ii the
possibility of Isolated g3slighting.
s. E. TILLMAN, Prof. U. s. MA.
The Cosmopolitan Magazine, June, 1895.