St. Paul daily globe., 1895-11-28
WONDERFUL ACETYLENE.
Discovery of a Gas That May Rev.
OlutiOnize Lighting.


In his talk upon illuminants before
the st. Paul investigating committee
yesterday afternoon, Crawford Living
ston called attention to the fact that
a gas had been discovered recently
which would probably be cheaper than
the gas now in use and would no doubt
supersede the latter in the lighting of
stores, residences and streets. In thA
last issue of Bradstreet's is an article
claiming for this gas-acetylene-not
only remarkable brilliancy as an illum-
inant but wonderful value in COM
merce. Because of it's interest the
G o b e quotes the article entire:
1t is only comparatively recently that
the general public have begun to awak-
en- to the Importance of the CONNER
cial production of acetylene gas. The
combustion of this gas has been de-
Scribed as producing something akin to
real sunlight. Even the brilliancy of
the arc electric light, not to mention,
of course, the milder incandescent cleo
trio light, pales it's fires before the
burning rays of light given by this
| new illuminant. Such, at least, is de-
clared by those who are in a position
to know. 1t has also been announced
that Illuminating gas companies
throughout theh country have, in many
instances, acquired the right to use
acetylene gas, the idea being that it's
primary Importance consists in its use
as an enricher.
Now, however, if one may judge
from published opinions and state
ments by those who are regarded as
experts, the value of acetylene gas as
an illuminant is to prove trivial COM
| pared with it's real commercial signifi-
canoe. 1t may be recalled, the gas
was discovered somewhat accidentally;
| that it is evolved by heating mixture
|, Of coal and lime, or charcoal and
| chalk, into an electric furnace, and
/ water. Here was cheap and easily
procurable substance, which, as de-
iscribed, was primarily to raise the il
! Illuminating power of ordinary illumi-
| mating gas, and which in time. as has
| been projected, would be carted about
( and delivered from door to door, to
/ business places and shops, in tanks
ready for use, much the same as tanks
are delivered to proprietors OF soda
water fountains. 1t has even been out
| lined how specially manufactured
lamps containing acetylene within
| them in sufficient quantities to run for
a day or for days would practically
/ supersede many of the older forms of
T illumination, and, in fact, one had al
I most begun to wonder what would be-
/ come of the enormously expensive IL
| Eliminating distributing plants with
which the streets of cities and towns
are lined.
Now, however, it appears that the
| illumina ting qualities of acetylene gas,
as stated, are among the least I'M
portant of it's commercial qualities.
Acetylene is turning out, it is declared,
| to be even more extraordinary sub
stance than the widest flights OF the
Imagination of it's discoverers suspect
ed If all that is claimed for 1t be
true, it means the cheaper manufacture
of a great many substances used in the
arts, which heretofore have had to be
produced laboriously and expensively
in commercial and chemical laborato-
ries: .
Iene on being passed through an iron
tube heated to dull redness, turns
rapidly and completely into benzine.
This is product of prime Importance,
and is the base of thousands of organic
transmutations which can be effected,
it may be pointed out that if the re-
sultant benzine vapor be passed into
strong nitric acid it is transformed
ment with hydrochloric acid and iron
filings goes into aniline. With the for
nation of anilinet the road is opened for
the production of the immense series
the starting point. Instead of trans
forming acetylene into aniline, how
ever, it may be changed into carbolic
acid; thence it is but step to plcr1c
an1d, the 1OunQatlOn OIL Cne TlOu6EH
high explosives. Or it may be made
into aniIine and then boiled with acetic
acid, when it is transformed into anti
febrin, the well known fever specific.
Again, by passing through a. tube
heated to bright rednesS, naphthalene
is produced, which is also the starting
point of a. legion of valuable chemicals.
1t would seem as though almost all
the needs of man were to be satisfied
by this protean substance. The further
investigation is pushed into its pos
Sibilities. the more astounding and
bewildering they become. By the ac-
ton of nascent hydrogen acetylene
becomes ethylene, and this, ON treat
ment with sulphurc acid and water,
becomes. alcohol, which. apart from
it's other uses, is absolutely necessary
to the production of an enormous num-
Der of economic substances. In
similar ways we can get such deadly
poisons as oXalic acid and prussic
acid, while acetylene is a cheap source
of the aldehyde so much used in the
production of artificial essences and
the manufacture of mirrors. When,
therefore, it is considered that from
acetylene can be derived whole systems
of dyes, medicines, essences, prefumes
poisons, eXplosives-not to mention
Whisky-it will be seen that the latest
product of the electric furnace has a
utility out of all proportion greater
than that which can be derived from
it's peculiar light giving powers"