The Penn's Grove record., 1905-01-13
WATER
WATER GAS
How Made and How 1t Made Others
Famous.

WATER GAS
How Made and How 1t Made Others
Famous.
DEAR Mr.. SUMMERILL,
In looking over one OF your issues l
came across the statement that 'sgas is
made from coal-oil and steam," and | de-
cided to call your attention to the same.
| take this liberty of drawing a sketch of
u new industry that all interested might
acquaint themselves with the process of
manufacture.
Gas, i. e., water gas is made from the
disassociation OF steam or water into its
elements by highly heated carbon and
the gas is a mixture OF hydogen (H) and
carbon monoxide (CO). The former or
hydrogen gas burns with a hot non-lum-
nous fame while the latter burns with
a blue flame and is always present in the
common furnace or stove after putting on
fresh coal. You may observe this by
simply opening the furnace door.
The above mixture Of gases in order to
be of any use as an Illuminating gas must
be enriched with higher hydro carbons,
such as coal oil, benzene, gasoline, etc.
In most cases coal oil is used as it not so
dangerous nor so expensive as the other
hydro carbons.
The process in all such plants is essen
tial the same and proceeds as follows; A
large furnace or generator 10 filled with
anthracite coal or coke which is brought
to a white heat by means of a blast. The
blast is then shut off and steam is forced
up through the hot coal. Now since coal
is composed mainly of carbon (c) and
steam or water has the composition o.
HYDROGEN two parts and oxygen one part
we have at this high temperature a break
ing down of the water into It's elements
and a new arrangement.
For Welsbach lights, gas stoves and all
heating purposes, suicides, ETC., this gas
would be ready for use; but to be used
as an Illuminating gas it must be enrich
ed and here is where the coal oil comes in.
Besides the generating furnaces con-
nected in parallel. The middle furnace
at the top and with the last, or super
heater, at the bottom. A blast is intro
duced at the top of furnace No. 2 and a
third blast at the bottom of the super
heater or furnace No. 2 (known as the
%carburete,) is an oil drip from which a
small stream of oil flows. This oil is de-
composed by heat in furnace No. 2 and
mixes with the non-illuminating gas that
comes from the generator or furnace No.
l; the whole is passed over into furnace
No. 3 and is here fixed into a stable ION
condensable gas. From the super-heater
or furnace No. 3 the gas is passed to a
storage holder from which it is drawn
through purifying apparatus and then to
supply tank.
This is a very simple operation (al-
though this description might seem
some what complicated) and has not only
revolutionized the manufacture Of gas but
has been the means of controlling and de-
bauching our sister state of Delaware;
produced Addicks and all his legions, in
volved Thomas w. Lawson, there by pro-
ducing many interesting pages of reading
In "Everybodys'' Magazine. And now,
probably not the least of it's many accom-
plishments, will illumine PENIS Grove.
Don't blow out the gas" is an old joke
praticed and on the country man by the
city ''squirt" and the caution should be
doubly emphasized in the case of water
gas. This gas not only has a suffocating
effect but is in itself poisonous.
The above should scare no one, as you
have all met this gas in your W home
and it is easily detected. My advice is
for all to use it, you will find it very on
v%enient and not so expensive as oil lamps
or gasoline stoves, eliminating all trouble
and producing by the aid of the Wells
bach a softer and better light than either
oil or electricity. S. A.. II.