Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1895-04-18
The Claim Made for Acetylene
BY Experts.
IT'S REMARKABLE BRlLLIANCY
The High Candle Power of
the New llluminant.
Two Hundred and Forty Candle Power
AEainSt'the Accustomed 10 C. Peat 81
per 1000 Fees ms in Philadelphia Would
in Lighting Value IN That City be Equal
to Gas at 0S Gents per LOCO Cubic Feet.
Philadelphia Ledger.

TN INSTITUTE on the new process OF pro-
dncing at low cost the wonderful illu-
minating gas acetylene, considerable
popular interest has been aroused in the
possibility of tie new gas superseding
many Of the present methods of lighting
in the household, Like many of the
other important discoveries in science,
the production of the gas in large guam
titles and at colt sufficiently low to
enable IL to be used as an illuminaut in
place of more expensive light was the
result Of chance. While working with
an electric furnace, and endeavoring by
its aid to form an alloy of calcium from
some OF its compounds, it was noticed
that a mixture containing limo and
powdered anthlpcite, under the inilu.
ence of the temperature of the arc, fused
down to u heavy semi.metalllc mass,
which, having been examined, and
found not to be the substance sought,
was thrown into bucket containing
water, with thcresut that violent eiTer-
vesence of the water marked the rapid
evolution of gas, the overwhelming
odor Of which enforced attention to its
presence, and which, on application of a
light, burned With smoky but lumin-
Gus flame.
HOW THE GAS Is MADE.
Investigation Of the cause of this pho.
nomenon soon showed that in prop
erly constructed electric furnace, finely
ground chalk or lime, mixed with pow
dered carbon in any form, could be
fused with the formation of the COM
pound known US calcic carbide, contain
ing 40 parts by weight of the element
calcium, the basis of lime, and "a parts
by weight of carbon. On the addition
to this of water, q double decomposition
takes place, the oxygen of the water
combining With the calcium of the calcic
carbide TO form calcic oxide or lime,
While the hydrogen unites with the car
bon OF the calCic carbide TO form acety-
lene, the cost Of the gas so produced
bringing il not only within the range of
commercial possibilities for use per Sc,
but also the building up from il Of
host OF other compounds. In addition,
the production Of the calcic carbide
from chalk and from any form of car.
bon rendeis us practically independent
OF coal ami oil, ana places in our hands
the prime factor by which nature in all
probability produces those great under
ground stbrehouses of liquid fuel upon
which the world is so largely drawing
to-day.
PROPERTIES OF THE CARBIDE.
The calcium carbide is darl, gray
substance, having specific gravity Of
2.2, and when pure a pound of it will
yield ondecomposition over five feet of
acetylene. The density and the hard
ness Of the carbide protect it to a great
extent from atmospheric action, so that
IN Jumps it does not deteriorate as fast
as would be expected from its great
affinity for moisture. For commercial
purposes it will be cast direct from the
electric furnace into rods IL inches long
and ! ! inches iu diameter, which weigh
one pound, and will give about s cubic
feet If the gas.
Inc aeetylene is clear, colorloss
gas, with an Intensely penetrating odor,
which somewhat resembles garlic. Its
strong odor is, therefore, a great safe
guard IN its use, MS the smallest leakage
would al once be detected, and it would
be impossible to go into a room contain.
ing any large quantity of the gas.
man The phenomena of ordinary COM
oustloh which we employ to provide us
with heat and light, there are no com.
pounds OF greater interest than the class
OF organic bodies which, being formed
OF carbon and hydrogen in various
proportions, have been termed hydro.
cafOons, anl It is to this class of bodies
mat all the gases which can be used
as ordinary illUminants owe their
luminosity. Among the hydrocarbons
Tue simplest compound is acetyienc, and
II mas been long known that ii a stream
Of hydrogen is passed through globe
IN Whlcn the Voitaic arc is produced be.
tween carbon points from sufficiently
powerful current, this gas is produced
IN minute quantities, but, until tho dis.
coVtry that it could be made in an
electric furnace, the gas was practically
laboratory curiosity.
THE COMMERCIAL Possibilities.
Tho acotylene gas can readily be
llqueiied by pressure, and in this wny
enormous VOLUMES can be comnressed
into the liquid state in small wrought
iron or steel cylinders, and by means of
suitable valves and burners stornJ and
burned. Used in this way, it will be of
the greatest possible value for floatinr
ouoys, ana the small cylinders can also
DO arranged in the form of portable
lamps, while for usl in the country.
where no gas is available, n large
cylinder Of the liquid gas placed IN an
clubhouse would supply country
house with light for Il very long perio,k
and there is no doubt that there is i,
very great field for it in this direction.
us by utilizing suitable burners n con.
sumption OF half cubic foot an honr
will give u light equal to from 20 to 2a
candles.
The high illuminating power of the
gas as compared with It's small bulk.
opens up wide field of usefulness for
1t III localities where there are neither
| gas works nor electric li-hting plants.
Wi!h a properly-designed cylinder, the
| carbide IN stick form, coated with a
| slowly soluble glaze, may be mixed with
the right proportion of water and used
| IN portable lamps for dinin. and draw.
ing rooms. As the glaze ii solves from
the surface of the stick of carbide accty-
lene Is generated, and the live cubic
feet are compressed by their own pres.
sure, the cylinder being placed in a
vessel Of cold water while the gas il
generating, and the gas Can then be
| burned from suitable jet at the rate
of half cubic feet per hour, which
will give light Of over 90 candles fol
something like ten hours. When the
gas is all burned the lime formed Is
washed out, and the cylinder is Charged
| as before.
COST AS COMPARED wGTR COAL GAS.
The economic value of an illuminant
such as acetylene becomes apparent
when u comparison is made OF the cos
of tile gas for actual illumination with
the light obtained from other illumi
nants. Philadelphia gas has an ilumi
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