The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-03-25
CHEAP AS AIR.
An Illnminant that Will Sweep the Field
if 1t Works.
(Albany Evening Journal.)

(Albany Evening Journal.)
Mr.. Edward McOammon, ST.. Of this
city, has made an invention and COM
pleted the discovery of an Illuminating
gas which probably will cut wide
swath in the established order of things
in the course of the next few years.
Patients are now pending and letters to
protect the. inventor sufficiently to enable
him to begin the manufacture of the
new machine without. danger of the idea,
being filched. will be issued to him dur
ing the next few days. The effect of the
new gas doubtless will be to revolution
ize the world of light as soon as it's
principles become generally understood.
A Journal reporter had talk with
MIR. McOammon Saturday afternoon at
his home, No. 76 Chestnut street. Mr..
McCammon for years has been engaged
in the manufacture of pianos and he is
a man OF extremely practical ideas. In
onehof theLrooms in the rear of the house
he has set up a Hmall working model of
the machine. The model in appearance
Is like safety oil can. 1t is of five
\ S01lOho OupdClUys anu III tuc UOD EUl IL
there are two small tubes of metal, in
each Of which there Is tiny faucet 1t
isssby means of this diminutive model
that the, inventor demonstrates thu prac-
ticability Of an invention which, 1t Is
claimed, will be sufficient to work won
ders in the circle Of gas folk.
The tubes in the top Of the can are
very short, and to one of them ia attached
an ordinary bicycle pump. With this
aO MT ~ flo ali ic
through the dry chemical. contact with
which generates the gas in it's incipient
state. The fluid then is forced out
through the other OF the tubes as illumi-
mating gas. The process of the genern-
ton Of the gas is instantaneous. :
BY charging the model with as much
air as can be forced into it with the
bicycle pump, four ordinary gas jets can
be kept burning for i've or six hours
without any appreoiable diminution in
the size of the flame.j In the case of a
machine that.wns placed in position to
supply house or store with light. the
air wouldebe applied automatically and
there would.be no lapses between the
bursts Of light.
The cost Of the chemical is said TO be
practically nothing and there is no waste
to 1t. The gas generates instantaneously
upon contact of air with the chemical
and burns with whittier light than the
ordinary Illuminating light. The claim
made by the inventor that q person may
sleepsin room into which the gas is es-
Gaping seems to be horne out, for the
reporter inhaled some of the fluid with
ont any bad effects. The result of sleep.
ing in room surcbarged with the gas,
Mr.. McCammon says, would be but q
slight nausea.
The. inventor proves that the chemical
used is dry and that it lis not gasoline
or any other preparation of the same, as
is the case with about all the other gas
machines by opening the cooks on the
tubes and turning the can upside down
and shaking 1t about The rattle of the
contentssdistinotly may then be heard.
can outfit for a private house." said
Mr.. McCammon, could be furnished at
a cost of about $3.50, and then there
would be no more gas bills In that fami-
ly. expsot to have plant started here
shortly to begin the manufacture of these
machines. Various offers have been made
to capitalize the invention at seemingly
fabulous figures. The cost of furnish
ingIgas for this city could be got down
to five cents thousand. With ten or
twelve tanks, each of $50 gallons capa-
city, could light Albany"
Mr.. McCammon is being visited by @
number of friends to whom be shows the
model and explains its workings. The
story of the new gas reads almost like q
fairy tale, bnt it doubtless is an assured
fact