The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1895-09-06
.ACETYLENE Gas TESTED
Most Satisfactory Showing Given at
the Board Of Trade Rooms.
THROWS OTHER GAS IN SHADE
More Than Ono Hundred Citizens Were
Present-It Is Very Probable That the
Company That Manufactures 1t
viii Erect o Plant Here.

test OF acetyIene, the new illuminate
ing gas. was made last evening in the
board Of trade rooms. The showing
made by the new illuminant entities 1t
to even more credit than had been
claimed for 1t by the gentlemen from
Philadelphia who are interested In It's
manufacture. Among those present
may be mentioned ex-Judge Jessup.
Luther Keller, Captain w. A. May,
Chemist ID. w. Humphrey. Sol Gold
smith and several other prominent men.
The Philadelphians who are in the
city and We're present are: Edward q.
Napheys. c. c. Adams. F. N. Lewis.
Samuel IL. Kent and Joseph A. Vincent.
They belong to the Acetylene Light,
Heat and Power company, of Philadel-
phia. MIR. Vincent is a mechanical and
electrical engineer: he explained the
history Of acetylene and conducted the
test.
An apparatus was arranged near Sec
retary Atherton's desk with five acety
lene gas jets and five for burning city
gas. The Jets for the city gas Were
large enough to burn five cubic feet of
gas an hour and the Jets for the acetyl-
enc would burn only one cubic foot an
hour. First he let the city gas into all
the jets. The five arranged for city
gas burned just the game as any nor
NAL gas Jet will burn. while the flame
In the acetylene jets was just barely
lit.
Contrasting the Gases.
He next turned the acetylene into the
Jets made for 1t and lit the five of them.
leaving the other Jets burning the city
gas. The light that came from the
acetylene was dazzling and intensely
bright, too strong for the eyes. The city
gas faded into insigniticance. Then he
turned four of the acetylene jets off
and left but one burning. This one still
threw brighter light than the other
five. Each of the five city gas Jets was
large enough to burn five cubic feet an
hour, making altogether twenty-five
cubic feet an hour. The acetylene Jet
would burn but one foot an hour, and
therefore the light of the acetylene gas
Is about twenty-five times stronger
than the city gas. By fusing the two
together the city gas became immeas-
ureably enriched. As follows Is the ad.
dress of Mr.. Vincent as he proceeded
with the test. 1t gives all the data con.
cerning the discovery of acetylene and
everything else pertaining to the new
illuminant:
That such gas as acetylene existed
has long been well known to the scientific
world, and its chemical formula Is C2H2
Indicating that it was an (saturated)
hydro carbon, containing 100 parts, 923
parts OF carbon to ~ Of hydrogen. but It
remained for accidental discovery to
learn that its preparation for commercial
uses was possibility. In 1858 T. l.. WILL
son began a series of experiments relat-
ing to the reduction of the refractory me-
tallic oxides by carbon under the intense
heat of an electrical furnace. and found
that lime, baryta, etc. when subjected to
this heat, were liqu!fed and formed
molten masses which could he brought to
ebullition.
Action Of the Carbon.
An addition of carbon caused decomposi-
ton of the oxides, carbon monoxide be-
ing formed and driven off while the fused
metal Instantly united with the excess Of
carbon. forming carbide. Further eX-
periments showed that when a mixture Of
powdered lime and coke dust was intro
duced to the furnace, a syrupy mass Of
pure carbide of calcium was formed, that
this carbide became upon cooling, Dense
crystalline dark brown substance with a
metallic fracture Of blue or brown. and
having specific gravity of 2.62, and chem
ical composition represented by the for
mula Ca, CO, viz, G2.5 calcium, S7.5 car
bon.
Acetylene gas at 6727 Fair. requiring a
pressure of 1916 atmospheres as against
5s.S5 atmospheres. which are required to
sol.dfy carbonic acid gas. and as this rep
resents the difference between GOO pounds
and 800 pounds to the square inch 1t may
readily be seen 1t has an important bear
ing upon the question of safety in hand
ling. the carbon!c acid gas tubes requlr-
ing sustaining pressure so per cent.
greater than is necessary for acetylene.
As an illuminant acetylene possesses
lighting power and economy superior to
any other illuminant known. Burned at
the rate of but five cubic feet per hour,
Its light Is equivalent to $50 candles, and
as Philadelphia gas Is rated from 10 to 20
candle power, 1t will produce 1919 times
more light for the same quantity of gas,
It has therefore 12la times the value of IL
Eliminating gas.
Assuming 500 as a cost to manufa cture
one ton Of carbide of calcium. which will
produce 10000 cubic feet Of acetylene gas,
with a candle power of so candles per cubic
foot this would place the cost of the gas
at 81 per 1000 cubic feet Of 5000 candles;
81 would therefore produce 5000 candles.
With Philadelphia gas at 81 per 900 cubic
feet. we get 20 candles for each five cubic
feet burned, therefore, one cubic foot pro-
duces four-candle power, and 1000 cubic
feet 4.0O0-candle power; as 81 produces in
acetylene gas %, ,000-candle power, II would
be necessary to sell city gas at 16c per
1000 cubic feet in order to compete with
acetylene gas on this basis.
Its Effect on the Air.
AS there is less gas used, the oxygen Of
the air IS not required to so large an ex-
tent in Its combustion, and 1t Is demon
strated that the air OF a room lighted by
this gas Is vitiated at the rate of only
one-sixth that of ordinary gas. The brill
iancy Of the acetylene flame would sug-
gest the highest incandescence, but from
actual test, It Is much cooler than that
Of an ordinary gas flame. The tempera-
ture of an ordinary gas flame Is about
l,4OO degrees &, but no part Of an acety-
lene flame Is higher than 800 degrees G.
In fact there is very little difference be-
tween the heat of an ncandescent light
and acetylene based upon the same IL
Illuminating power.
1t is apparent from this fact that in
rooms where the gas Is used. there will be
no over-heating. and the products Of COM
bustion will not be nOx.ous. Another very
important point in acetylene. as COM
pared with the ordinary Illuminating gas
Is, that the amount Of carbon diOxide and
water vaporproduced is enormously small.
A five-foot burner of ordinary gas pro-
duces an amount of carbon dioxide tnat
would equal the exhalat,ons of about
eighteen adults, while the acetylene would
equal the exhalations of about three
adults.
To sum up. acetylene gas IL easily de-
tected by Its odOr. 1t gives more light,
throws out less heat. consumes less oxy-
gen and can be produced at much less
cost II is cauab1e of hp;np efornd "a n