The Indianapolis journal., 1895-03-11
A NEW ILLUMINANT.'
Superior to Gas, and Can he Produced
for seven Cents per 1000 Feet.

New York Spe cial to Pittsburg Dispatch.
A new illuminating material has been dis
covered which is likely to make the gas
monopolies sick. 1t was announced at
meeting of the Society of Chemical Industry
and was discovered accidentally by :. L.
Wilson 80
The new illuminantris aeetylene, the low
est gas In the seriess5 of hydro carbons,
which are the foundation of organic chem
istry, and enter into the composition of
many of the most important products OF
coal tar and petroleum. 1t is known to
chemists as "C2 H2,7 and is practically
pure carbon vapor.
For long time the gas has been pro-
duced by passing a stream of hydrogen
through a globe in which the electric arc is
produced between two carbon points, but
only in minute quantities. isaN
Other methods of production have been
known, but the amount of gas produced
has been small and expensive. 1t remained
for T. l.. Wilson to prqsitIce it in such large
quantities as to make it not only valuable
from a chemical point of view, but econom-
ically as we'll. S4S9ss
Mr. Wilson was working one day with an
electric furnace trying to form an alloy OF
calcium from some of it's compounds, when
he noticed that mixture of lime and pow
dered anthracite, under the inf1uence or the
electric current fused down to a heavy
and found not to be the substance sought,
was thrown into a bucket of water.
A violent efferveseence ensued and a
heavy gas formed with an intense odor
which burned with a smoke and luminous
flame. investigation showed tna1 TINS COM
pound formed each time, no matter what
kind of carbonife rous matter was used, and
the substance was found to be calcic car
bide containing forty parts by weight OF
calcium and twenty -four parts by weight
Further experiment revealed that the ad-
of Tar. hvaJ ugh a
composition with the formation or lime ana
acetylene. One pound of this calcic carbide
acetylene. a fact which al once gave it
great commercial value, A company was
formed to proceed with its manufacture on
!, large scale. and within short time the
product will be put on the market.
Experiments were made as to the best
method of using the carbide for illuminat-
ing purposes. and while it has been used
for some time in one house in this city, the
best method has not vet been decided upon,
although any Of the several considered is
declared to be far superior 10 any KIND Oh
Illuminating gas that has yet been used
placed in the cellar OF the house. connected
directly with the ordinary gas pipes which
were formerly used to convey the gas from
the street main. This converter is
ranged as to he set in motion by turning
key, and when the key is turned back the
Another method is the most remarkable
of all. 1t has been found that the gas can
be changed into liquid by pressure and
confined in cans such as are used for lique-
fying carbonic acid gas, and with little
trouble. A company has been formed to do
this and within two weeks it is hoped that
the factory in Brooklyn will be ready to
take orders for the LIQUID.
The cans in which it Will be placed can be
attached to the service pipe of a house, and
by means of governor the pressure can be
so regulated as to allow the liquid to be-
come a gas and pass OFF through the pipes
as It is needed SIS
iiluminant are obvious. The ordinary IL
Eliminating gas is a mixture of the various
hydro carnonsi t9s most p1Mserfni ~ @ OF which
the ordinary burners. as they are too large.
The burners which have been constructed
for it produce a flame about three-quarters
of an inch in height and about inch
across These burners. allow the passage
give a light of about nifty candle power
There is no dark center to the flame, as
in the case with, the ordinary gas, the light
nsen lacking the violet color of the electric
..rc light The flame has about one-half the
than that, it does not consume anywhere
near the amount of oxygen, and thus does
1t is calculated that one burner consiim-
ing one foot of gas per hour, will give twice
burner of ordinary gas, consuming five feet
per hour.
The company formed t2 make it declares
that If the carbide is sold at $50 ton, gas
80 cents per 1000 feet would be the. cost
of light equal in amount to that given by
could be, reduced one cent for every reduc-
ton of dollar OH the cost of the carbide
actual cost of the acetylene, which has not
yet been decided, but ii is sure to be bur al
small proportion Of the cost OF ordinary
gas.
The value of the acetylene chemically is
a subject which Is beyond the scope of a
newspaper article. but the mention of the
fact that benzol Is produced by passing the
GaS through tube heated 10 redness- and
that benxol IL the foundation of the aniline
colors. is sufficient TO Indicate It's economic
value in that respect.