The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1896-01-22


other victory.
When Mr. Pfieghar went home, No.
1853 Olive street, he left orders that Hau-
ser's body and those of any Others found
in his building should be taken to the
undertaking establishment of Stahl &
Hegel. The orders were obeyed and the
bodies of Toof, Hauser and Stevens
were taken there. This was done after
the necessary inspection had been made
by the coroner and by Medical Exam
iner White.
MIR. PFLEGHAR INJURED.
The proprietors of the machine shop,
Frank P. Pneghar, and son, Frank,
We're almost prostrated by the shock.
The son, as soon as he saw that moth
ing could be done to save the building,
hurried to his home in order that the
family might not be unduly alarmed.
They had heard of the location Of the
blaze and were terribly frightened.
He reassured them, but they waited
in great distress the return of Mr..
Pfeghar's son. The latter remained
several minutes, but was finally per-
suaded to be taken home by several
friends. Edward OBrien took him
from the corner of Little Orange and
George streets in his hack, and rushed
him to 1853 Olive street, the home of the
Pfeghars. DR.. Bellosa had been sum-
moned and was at the house when the
elder Pfleghar arrived.
He was assisted from the hack and
tenderly cared for by his family and
the physician. He was prostrated with
the shock, but was not seriously injur-
ed. His hands and face were slightly
burned by the explosion and his hair
was stnged.
WHAT CAUSED THE EXPLOSION.
The explosion was caused by what is
known as acetylene gas, a sort of chem
ical gasoline, which Is highly explosive.
The pressure needed for the working of
the arrangement is only 800 pounds,
and an experiment was being made
when the accident occurred yesterday.
whereby one tank exploded, filling the
entire building with gas and killing
Hauser.
The second explosion came from the
blowing UP of another cylinder in the
room. What the direct cause was will
perhaps never be known. Worlpmen in
the building say that the tank could
not stand the pressure. while others say
a spark from the metal cylinder caused
by "a scratch with a. mans ring would
cause it. The latter theory, however, is
not given much credence.
The firemen were hampered when the
aerial truck was raised by the tele-
graph and electric wires, which at this
particular point are nnssually thick.
ABOUT ACETYLENE GAS.
Treasurer James English, of the New
Haven Electric company, when asked
in reference to acetylene gas last
evening said: There is nothing new
in chemistry in acetylene gas as
a commercial product. 1t has been
known as a laboratory production for
years. The cost of its production places
it beyond the reach Of commercial util-
ity. or in other words, for use prac-
tically.
A year or more ago "a man named
Wilson in North Carolina in expert
menting with electricity by means of a
crueibIe discovered that coal dust and
lime fired together under the electric
arc would produce a substitute called
calcic carbide, and that this when
mingled with water would "slack" like
lime and liberate the gas which is
known as acetylene gas. His discovery
was an accidental one on his part, and
was nothing new, although he thought
1t was new discovery at the time.
The plan OF the so-called electric gas
company, or companies, has been to
compress or liquefy the gas in portable
tanks with the intent to place them in
houses or places of business filled with
given quantity of the gas, for illu-
minating purposes and to renew the
supply whenever exhausted. These
tanks are filed at pressure of 600
pounds to the square inch--an enor-
nous pressure. as one will readily see.
The idea is to have the gas flow into
the rooms of the house or other building
at a reduced pressure, the aim being
that the pressure shall be so restrained
as to be of the usual pressure of the
gas which is now burned in houses,
stores, etc.
Thus far, to my knowledge, no at
tempt has been made to utilize the sub
stance practically in stores, dwellings,
etc. No practical demonstrations other
than thoss for exhibition purposes have
been thus far made. The central COM
pany, as l understand it, is selling state
rights to sub-companies to make the
gas, and reports have it that a vast
quantity of the stock-millions of dol
lars worth-has been marketed. The
stock end of the business is now be-
ing attended to.
One of the very important requisites
to the success of the invention, and a
matter of paramount Importance, is to
secure the invention of a valve or valves
by which the immense power of the gas
can be controlled and reduced SO as to
make it, if it is otherwise all right
available for commercial purposes and
domestic use. presume that at Mr. Pile
CHARS they were at work inventing a
valve which should operate to contI ol
the flow and reduce the high pressure
to that of the ordinary pressure of the
gas now burned in stores. houses, etc
This acetylene gas has been known in
Germany for some years and there is a
factory there at Newhause where they
manufacture it, but thus far, am told,
another bar to its commercial success
is its high cost, as the cheapest that it
can be made for is, ! understand, $40 a
ton, which makes it far too expensive
for ordinary use.
LAID SIDE BY SIDE
On the removal of the three bodies