Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1898-02-19

gas engineer has attempted 1t in the
use of the Lowe. Granger. Springer.
Hanlon 4 Leadlcy. Pratt L. Ryan and
other forms of apparatus In which hard
coal or coke was being used.
"These attempts all ended I'm failure
and disappointment. yet. notwithstaud-
ing these numerous discOuragements
writer's on The Future of Water Gas
still held out hopes that success would
be reached at last. I quote from a
pamphlet Oh Fuel Gas by Walton
Clark. as follows:
81 think the direction In which In.
vcnilon In this field lcarburetcd water
gas) will find It's richest harvest is to-
ward the perfection of IN apparatus
for the disiillation of coal and utilis-
ing of It's residual coke into gas in the
same vessel. Labor and coal 20 to
make the bulk of the cost of gas. AMI
were II all made in one vessel both
would he economical
IL also quote from pamphlet issued
by Mr.. +. II. Shelton in 1871. who was
at that time connected with the United
Gas Improvement Company. as fol.
lows.
Much as water gas Inns been i'm.
proved since its beginning, Its capacity
doubled. the quality of gas made vast.
~ better. the ability gained to use crude
oils. tnrs and distillatcs with entire
success. likewise Goals and cokcs here
tOfOrc deemed impracticablc. ana the
far better mechanical construction Of
the apparatus. there II still ample field
for the water.gas engineer to work In.
Details of design and proportion that
are by no means yet agreed upon. the
utilization to the highest degree of the
heat Of the escaping gases. In tho more
perfect heating Of the incoming oils.
steam, blast. etc., the perfcct-shaking
crate and the absolute use of all kinds
of fuel. are problems as much yet to
DO solved as those to which the coal.
gas engineer looks forward In striving
TO perfect his bench or 10 utilize his
rcslduals.
81 believe that these problems will
bc solved and In the near future: that
soft or bitumlnous coal-thc cheapest
fuel In nearly every locality--whIch In
the past has been the mainstay of the
gas.nakcr, will so continue to he. but
will be used direct ana completely IN
u watcr-gas apparatus and enriched
with some form of petroleum.
II was the first one to invent. patent
and develop and put into operation Ia u
large commercial scale the processes
! and apparatus which have success sfully
accom- lished the predictions made by
| Messrs. Clark AMI shelton In the fore.
going extracts.
"'rhls result was only reached after
| ten years Of ar,luOus work. large cX-
pensc ana an almost continuous rum.
mnglng of the patent offices ana libra.
ries of the world for every scrap of
information that could bc gathered ~.
gnrding what had been done ana why
the efforts made had failed.
"Thc works OF the Missouri Gas Com
pany are the best development of this
new range of IDEAS up 10 the present
time. Success was only reached at
last through the discovery of u method
whereby bitumlnous coal In any vol.
ume could bc brought 10 u high state
| OF incandcsccncc from top 10 bottom
by direct internal combustion produced
at several different places, the cscap-
Ing products of combustion being so
handled that those generated In tho
lower part Of the apparatus did not
Interfere with or cXtlngulsh the COM
bustlon going on higher up IN the ap.
paratus. 1t IL quite impossible to
handle soft coal without first reducing
1t 10 coke. but by the use of the Rev
Gas Generators this result has been
easily and completely reached. 1t II
very important to all the world and 1t
should now be understood which " the
best method of handling bltuminO,ls
coal. whether In one apparatus or two.
II hope 10 find you disposed to back
your opinion with your money and
that you will arrange Immediately to
deposit your funds with mine, as sug-
gested. As am considerable of u
stakeholder ana bOndhOlder In the con-
sOlldated plant your loss CfOr you will
certainly iOse) will partly come out of
mo by reducing my dividends. New
ertheless ] am DESTROYS of having the
question settled In this practical and
conclusive manner.
''This proposition IL made contingent
upon the handling of the Missouri Gas
Plant during the test by the gentlemen
who established the great enterprise
with their money ana who designed.
built and successfully operated 1t up ia
the time of the consolidation. On the
other hand, your company to furnish
the most skilled operators you can
lind connected with your company or
with the United Gas Improvement
Company of Philadelphia to operate
the old works"