The evening tribune. (Pawtucket, R.I.) 189?-190?, 1896-12-21
BIG GAS EXPOSITION.
ILLUSTRATING RECENT PROGRESS IN
MAKING AND USING lT.

wonderful rOwvr-How Far This Coun-
cry II Behind knglsnd and Germany In
the Empaoymest OF This nluminant.
An exposition will be held in Madison
Square Garden. in New York, opening
ON Jan. 27--an exposition Of gas. Al
though similar exhibitions have been
held ON the other side of the watsr-not-
ably Ia Berlin-for several years, this
will be the first of its kind ever held in
this country. 1t is designed to do for
gas interests what the fine electrical ex-
hibition in New York city last spring
did for the electrical interests, to illus
trate the present progress and the won-
derful variety Of uses to which gas is
now put.
In this country, at least, we are only
beginning to realize the possibilities OF
gas as an industrial agent. Apparently,
Zoo. not only in this country, bat every
where, its possibilities as an illuminant
are jost beginning to be appreciated.
What improved burners have done to
enhance the value of gas for lighting
purposes hundreds of other inventions
and improvements are doing to extend
its usefulness in almost every branch OF
manufacture
The Madison Square exposition, aside
from showing everything that Is new in
the way of improvements for the manu-
facture Of gas and means of burning 1T,
will also have on view great variety
of gas engines and appliances for its use,
in drying paper molds after type impress
sions in printing offices, melting zinc
and other metals and making baskets in
electrical work, drying and pressing felt
hats. ironing leather in glove factories,
brazing in bicycle factories, heating tar
in breweries. heating laundry irons and
finishing rolls, japanning and soldering,
shrinking tires on locomotives and other
wheels heating rolls for finishing silk
and plush. for enameling, hair drying,
ripening bananas, in Photographic work,
in incubators, and no end of similar
things.
Considered merely as spectacle and
show, the exposition will be brilliant
in the extreme. Its piece de resistance.
as its managing director would say,
will be a wonderful tower of gas and
glass and iron, which will stand in the
center of the hall. It will be 60 feet in
height, with diameter of 90 feet at its
base. Over 5000 open jets will glow
and glisten from its countless prisms,
and, spaced here and there, row after
row of incandescent gas lamps will add
to the brilliancy Of the effect. The cost
of the tower will probably exceed $685.
900, and it is designed not merely for
exhibition at this time, bat as the con-
tribution of the American gas interests
to the T...is worlds fair Of 1900.
Chiefly, the exposition will tell the
story of progress in gas, as it could not
be told in figures and type. A few years
ago, when electricity seemed likely to
sweep everything before it in its rapid
and victorious advance, there was many
prediction that at u not distant day
gas would cease to be made. It is q
rather remarkable commentary that in
just this period gas making and using
has undergone almost as great revolu-
tion as electricity itself.
At the present time something like rs
per cent of all the gas made in this
country is water gas. In 1880 the new
process had hardly made greater prog
ress than acetylene has now. Further
more, the consumption Of gas has stead
lily increased, and in his late address be-
fore the st. Louis convention President
Humphreys of the Gaslight association
estimated this increase at something
like 80 per cent in the last five years.
But even now we are far behind, pop
ulation considered, the countries Of Eu-
rope. London alone, with population
of 5000, 600, consumes more than half
as much gas as the whole United States.
Comparing English towns with those in
this country, the average consumption
in Britain is three and four times as
much per capita as over here. 1t ID
true that generally the rate per thou
sand is less than with rs, but the diner.
ence in price is not 80 great as to account
for the difference in consumption.
But it is in the use of gas for power
purposes that the most striking contrast
between Europe and America 10 seem
Over here the gas engine ID almost
stranger. 1t is looked upon with suspi-
,cion and sometimes with contempt.
There are more gas engines In London
alone than in all this country. The total
number in use in Great Britain is above
$4,000.
In Germany, which shows within re-
oent PEARS, perhaps, the greatest me-
ohanical and industrial advance, and
now ranks as probably the FIRST indus
trial nation in the world, there are 85,-
600 gas engines In nee.
Remarkably ingenious improvements
have been made In tho mode of manu-
featuring gas, by which. In many points
Of England and on the continent. the
price Of delivered gas has fallen to 20
and so and even as low as 40 or 80
cents per 1 900 fest The possibilities Of
fuel gas under new methods of genera
tion are hardly leas than those whioh
the new incandescent system (the Wells
bach and other burners) have provided
Tor its illuminating brother. Several