Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1906-11-07

any is more understood than that by
which every day in the year rivers are
literally set afre 10 make light AMI
heat for the population on their banks.
The conversion o the energy or cater
acts the tlmbling rapids into electri-
cal power has been described SO fire.
Quenuy that most people are more or
less familiar with the explanation,
but the chemical processes by which
water itself is made an agent of illu
mination, though these have been in
process of Development for number
of years, are far more out of the gen.
eral ken.
Why, yes, / think | understand it, :"
remarked a layman with unscientific
temerity. You just turn the hose on
a very hot furnace and collect the
gases that come OFF.
The layman was right as far as he
went. But if that were all then every
householder might be his own gas
manufacturer. No bills to pay to the
monopoly" No disputes as to the
price OF gas, which stockholders now
might like to fix at two dollars, dema.
gogues at two cents a thousand feet.
Nobody would have to maintain ex-
pensive laboratories and testing sta
tons manned with high-priced experts
Gas would be almost as cheap as air
and Oh no more value as an illumin-
ant. Even as fuel At would be worth
much, for it would be mixed TO satur-
alton with dead, incombustible pro
ducts of combustion" 1t would, in
fact, be everything that popular fancy
20 years ago supposed water gas TO
be-something cheap, nasty and un-
disable.
Engineering skill has made it some
thing far different. Typical of the
processes prevailing in an industry
which embraces plants in nearly 500
American cities and sizable towns
stands the most famous of all Ameri-
con gas works at historic Point Bree
re on the Skuylkill in the southern
part of this city, on the site of a ia
nous inn where General Washington
used to take refuge from the deyas-
tating heats that sometimes affiict
Philadelphia in summertime. Here
was worked out to failure one of the
most noted examples of American mu-
nicipal operation, the Philadelphia
bureau of gas"-a failure so unendur-
able that at last the citizens leased
their plant to private enterprise,
the United Gas improvement COM
pany, nearly ten years ago.
Spurred by the incentive of making
a good showing where the municipal
government did badly the engineering
department of this enterprise has
built up a system which is generally
recognized as a leader of it's kind
Though not devoted exclusively 70
water gas making, for a coal gas
plant is included, the Point Breeze
works, one of two connected with the
Philadelphia system, illustrates the
technical usage with remarkable com
pleteness. Here. is performed the
daily marvel OF the conversion OF
thousands OF gallons of water, pumped
into what has come to be regarded as
the most satisfactory of Illuminating
gases.
Increased use has followed the per-
fecting of methods. In an age of cleo
tricity water gas has steadily become
popular. The old-time prejudice has
disappeared, for its high illuminating
power has always presented an un-
answerable argument The quality
furthermore, of the water gas is con
stanuy being improved. The basic
principle of its manufacture is so
simple that very few people have any
conception of what has been done and
what is still to be done.
AS with most great inventions. the
manufacture of water gas depends In
the first instance upon a very plain
and easily Ineligible fact. Water is
composed, as everybody knows, of
two parts q hydrogen and one of oxy.
gen, the particles being chemically
united. When water is brought into
contact with intensely heated carbon
in the form, for example, of burning
coal or coke-the oxygen unites wi IN
the nearby carbon, giving carbonic
oxide in gaseous state. This union
allows the hydrogen, light and high
~ lnhamable gas, to go free. But II
ism = enough just to pour on water
and draw off an Illuminating medium
the gas thus obtained won't Rive
light, and its calorfic, or heat-giying
capacity, will be low.
First there is the problem of secur.
ing the hydrogen and cardbonic oxide
proper TO water gas free from admix
lure with what are called the "pro.
ducts OF combustion"-in other WORKS
the dead guninfiammable gases given
off as the coal or coke burns Then il
Is necessary to put into the curren,
OF water gas other gases which have
illuminating value. The third difficulty
is TO remove from the compound gay
thus formed the mechanical and chem.
zeal elements that are undesirable as
an llluminant but which still NAV
make valuable by-products.
The first two of these problems
were solved with essential complete.
ness by Professor Lowe, who installa
what is now known as the Lowe pro.
cess at Phoenixville, Pa. in 1873
Lowe plants are now in operation ;p