The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-01-29
MORE ABOUT AcETYLENE.

has carefully inquired INTO hctleiyhe gus
and in a paper, recently delivered, made
some interesting statements concerning
it. As is generally believed, Professor
CRAFTS finds that Acetylene s more ex-
pIosive than common gas. Using a piece
of tubing for a popgun, he exploded two
mixtures, one Of common gas and air
the other of acetylene and air. Six per
cent. Of acetylene in air had twice the
effect OF the same amount of common gas.
A room, 20 per cent. OF whose contents
was acetylene, would be blown to pieces
along with the house. The study Of the
poisonous effects of the new gas, the lee
turer thought, would be more practical II
a 8 per cent. instead of a 20 per cent.
mixture was taken. A man would not
have opportunity to breathe the latter
mixture IL there was a fire in the room.
Equal parts of acetylene and oxygen to
the total weight of five grains in the pop
CUR made a tremendous explosion. Five
grains of gunpowder, the lecturer ex-
plaiued, would not have exploded with
anyth ing like that power. The fact is
and here lies the secret of the great power
Of the gas-acetylene stores up heat at its
birth. 1t is spontaneously explosive.
The danger is slight, but it is there in a
peculiar form. If we thrust a burning
taper in to the gas no harm.is done. But
we can get the explosive effect with full
inmate of silver. The copper salts of this
gas are also violently explosive. They
are too capricious to be handle under
water in the lecture room although com
mon Eliminates are handled in that way,
and the danger in our houses would be In
the formation of a copper salt near the
acetylene tank.
| AS an iliuminant it appears that the
same amount OF acetylene as common gas
will give eight times the candle power.
That is, If five cubic feet Of common gas
burned in an hour gives a light equal TO
25 candles, the same amount of acetyIene
will give 200 candle power, and the light
is white, clear and steady-more like sun
light. In practice we get only about'1l
or 10 candle power with our gas. The true
test is that of the bill for gas burned in a
house for an extended period. We will
know littlo until this house test comes.
The acetyIene flame cllngs close to the
burner and heats 1t more rapidly than
common gas. Because the light is close
to the tip, however, it is valuable for To-
comotive headlights and other parabolic
refectors, where it is important to have
the rays start close from the focus. The
fishtail burner is not suited to acetylene.
Professor CRAFTS says also: "1he pecu-
liar property of acetylene which gives it
strength is its storing up of heat. 1 con-
slider 1t very desirable that a great deal
more work and study be put into acetylene
than has been. Its use for gas engines is
worth looking into. / hope the companies
dealing in it will see their way clear for
larger experiments. i would like to see a
railroad train from headlight to rear lam
tern III with scetyIene and given a thor
cugh trial a small village should be
equipped with the cylinders. Only in
this way can an old industry which has
been built up by years of thought and
labor be supplsnted."
Thus We are daily learning more and
more about acetylene. The one thing that
Is certain about 1t is that a certain bulk
Of acetylene Will furnish a great deal
more slight" than ON equal bulk Of the
bind Of gas we are using every day. Thus,
IL that certain bulk can be produced any
thing like as cheaply ms our ordinary gas,
its economical advantage would be Inqes-
toned. Before this, however, the evil
IDENTIFY real dangerous properties com
mand consideration although these OF