The San Francisco call., 1906-11-11

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ny and admiration would be re-
!" corded by the writer OF the
above had he the opportunity
today OF visiting even our humblest
homes and viewing the brilliant and al
most extravagant use OF modern iIlu-
minants. How necessary these appar-
ent luxuries have become to ou every
day life was brought most forcibly to
the minds Of San Franciscans on April
is and the following days when the
supply OF gas and electricity was to-
tally discontinued. Darkened houses
and stin darker streets made other
misfortunes seem mild in comparison
History records no more interesting
7 Tadvances than the progress made in
> artificial lighting. The advance OF the
worlds great nations in civilization.
science and art has had no greater aid
than those agencies which have dis
PEELED the terr0rs Of black night and
doubled the hours when study and
work ire made possible. In a some
what different sense we may now eX-
claim with Milton, when he says in
''COmus:"
What hath night to do with sleep,"
The pine torch has given way to the
candle and in succession to the oil
lamp. gas light and electric light. this
cell its strong competitor, the incan-
descent gas light as discovered by
Auer Won Welsbach.
It IS not our desire to trace the ad-
vancement as above noted, but rather
70 consider the means OF artificial IL
Elimination placed at our disposal to-
day and study their best uses for resi-
dence and commercial lighting, not only
from the standpoint of efficiency anc
economy but also with a thought for
the decorative effect
To the student, the very recent evo-
luton IN the matter Of light heat and
power. by means of gas and electricity.
IS nothing new, but TO the ordinary
laymsn no conception, perhaps. is had
OF the rapid growth of both of these
essentials.
A trihe over a century ago no means
OF illumination other than tallow dips,
bonhres and flaming torches were
known. In the year 1892 William Muir
dock, an Englishman, discovered pro-
cess by which the destructive distilla-
tBn Of bituminous Goals was made TO
give out a vspor, and, by means of me-
chanical contrivances, to burn through
3 small orifice and give a steady fame
rivaling that OF many of the candles
then in use. This system. known by
the common name Of coal gas, was
gradually enlarged, improved and eX-
tributed through the streets of Lon
don by underground pipes. and Ian
terms were erected at different parts
OF the city. principally upon London
Bridge. and the first effective system
of street lighting by gas was intro
duced.
AS the years rolled by improvements
in the manufacture and distribution
and measurement Of the gas were
made as well as IN its purihcauon,
and the sales Of residuals resulting
from the manufacture of coal gas, not
ably coke. coal-tar end ammoniacai
Iiouor. became an important factor IN
the sales market.
Lowe Improves Gas.
From 1921 until 1874 no perceptible
change was made in the method OF
generation Of gas. In that year Pro-
fessor T s c. Lowe, who had gained
fame as a balloonist during the Civil
War. invented the process known as
water gas, or. more properly speaking
carburettcd water gas. This, by rea-
son Of the cheapnesg Of its manafac-
ture. which was from anthracite Goals
and light oil Coil Of approximately 80
degrees TO 3s degrees Beaume), dis
placed throughout the United States
and subsequently, throughout large
part OF Europe, the manufacture OF
coal gas CarbUretted water gas Is
made by heating TO incandescence, IN
steel shell lined with fire brick, mass