New Ulm review. (New Ulm, Brown County, Minn.) 1892-1961, 1897-11-03
SOME SCIENTIFIC FACTS.
Tillmann, the Noted Expert on Light and
Illuminating Gases, Discusses
Acetylene.

The following article, which appears
in the notes on progress and science in
the current number of the Cosmopolitan
from the pen of s. E. Tillman, the noted
expert, will undoubtedly prove of inter-
est to our readers at the present time.
He treats Of the properties of acetylene
gas and its uses as an illuminant.
"The ease with which it can be hqui-
fed and reconverted into gas led at
first to the conclusion that it might be
conveniently kept in the liquid form and
converted into gas as needed. Investi-
cations since made by Berthelot prove
that the liquid gas under pressure, as in
tanks, is explosive. The explosion may
be brought about by spark or any eie-
vation of temperature. The gas itself,
under pressure greater than about two
atmospheres, is explosive in the same
way. There have been number of in
stances in which the substance, under
the conditions just cited, has exploded,
in several cases with terrific results. The
explosions here referred to are indepen-
dent of the presence of air, and are due
to the endothermic nature of the gas. It
IS also established that at atmospheric
pressure a mixture of three per cent. of
acetylene gas with air is explosive, and
such mixture continues explosive until
the acetylene exceeds eighty-two per
cent. of the mixture. On account of its
explosive properties the use of acetylene
has been prohibited III Germ.nty. Ace
tylene is heavier than coal :,us, and
would, when escaping by leaA, difuse
much less rapidly than common gas, and
thus would sooner bring about an ex-
plosive mixture near the leak. -
"From experimental results of Pro-
fessor Jacobus, of Ho.oken, 1t appears
that the light from acetylcne gas shows
certain colors, especially flesh tints,
more nearly as daylight than does any
other artificial light. he also verifes
the fact that for burners using the same
amount of common gas and acetylene,
tile acetylene burner produces ten times
as much light as does the common flat
gas burner and nearly three times as
much as the Welsbach burner. ..:
''From careful considerations and
computations Professor Jacobus finds
that for equal light in New York City
from the incandescent electric lamp, the
ordinary gas burner and the Welsbach
burner, the respective costs are as l, s.
II. To compete with ordinary gas when
used IN Welsbach burner, calcium car.
bide for acetylene manufacture would
have to he furnished in New York al
nineteen dollars and fifty cents per ton
Whether this cai be done has not been
decided. The same authority concludes
that it is unwise to use acetylene
gas under pressure or in liquid form, and
that though this gas may be more ex-
pensive than other illuminants, it will
probably have its fields of usefulness
because If its special properties, just as
the incandescent electric light holds its
place against gas in New York, though
it Is twice as expensive as gas-ight from
the common burner. There are many
other considerations which affect the
value of an illuminant besides its cost.
The most important of these, after safe
ty in use, are its effects in contaminating
the air and its heating effects.
State Press Squibs.