The Washington herald., 1908-05-06
WILL TAKE PLACE OF GAS
New nluminant Sent About in Iron
Bottles.
Experiments Made with Il show
that Gas Meter May Be
Superseded.

over the eceentricities Of the gas meter
and have been annoyed by the size of
their gas bills may yet be released from
thralldom If one-half that is claimed for
new nlumsnant comes true.
Chemists have been reading for some
time of new lighting agent manufac-
tured in Germany. and in several in
stances they have imported a little Of tho
product for experimental purposes. A
short time ago an evening was spent by
several persons interested IN the matter
in the laboratory OF William ]. Hallock.
of Columbia University. New York, where
he gave a lecture on the character Of the
new illuminant.
The name OF the new product is biau-
gas, and ii comes in Handy cylinders con-
tanning from half kilo, or bit over
pound each, up 10 twenty-five kiIos. II
is Just ordinary Illuminating gas liqueied.
Prof. Hallock began his setting forth of
the advantages Of the new gas by quoting
its probable price, when put on the mar
ket, az Is cents pound, twenty-five
pounds. the contents Of a ten-kilo cylin-
der, would, he said, keep fifty candle
power burner going four hours a day for
four months at a cost OF $3.50 That
comes TO a little less than seven-tenths Of
a cent an hour.
Prof. Hanock started 10 light up the
Ilecture-room with hlaugas. To a large
/ cylinder Of the Hluminant he had attach
ed a number of fine copper pipes that
looked like ordinary copper wire and were
just as flexible. These he bent around at
/ will, and ran out to the various parts OF
the room. They had gas burners on the
end. Turning on the gas and touching
match in the old-fashioned way. the pro-
fessor lighted up the place with what was
exactly Ike the light OF plenty Of ordl-
nary gas jets
/ The ordinary gas. the speaker said. had
/ fits good points, but was horribly inefi-
client. He left it go at that. without
celebrating
/ The blaugas. Il sold at the same price
as in Germany. would cost somewhat
more, But YOU would know how much
you were getting without the need Of
meter and monthly readings. II was not
! necessary 10 have gas pipes laid The
small wire-ike pipes could be run around
a house at viii and hung down from the
/ ceiling Ike electric light wires.
/ No matter where the consumer lived. he
could use blaugas No need Of heing
within piping distance Of a gas main.
In country houses cylinders Of blaugas
could be delivered, just like cans Of kero-
! sene- The speaker predicted that the new
/ illuminant would solve the lighting prob
/ lem everywhere where there were no
! lighting plants installed.
Liquid gas, Prof. Hallock assured the
/ chemists, would keep indefinitely. One
could keep enough for years ahead; could
| sell It with the house or viii Il to his
heirs when he died. It was unaffected
| by atmospheric and temperature changes
Blaugas is named after Prot Hermann
Blau. of Augsburg, Germany. who In
vented It. After being made by the or
binary process. Il is nquidated by cool
! ing and compression. The product Is now
on the market in Germany. but nothing
! has been done so far 70 manufacture &
/ IN America. Prof. Hallock's cylinders
were bought in Germany and brough.
here.
The general idea was that bottled gas
would have several advantage. over the
ordinary sort. could be made where
ever coke was cheapest and most plentl-
/ ful. Cheapness would result, as only the
product would have to be transported, in
stead Of the bulky raw material AS pur-
chasers could buy liquid gas when and
where they chose. they could refuse 10
| take gas that did not come up to the
proper quality or say TO the gas man:
| Gas man, that last bottle of gas you
| left was not up to the mark; it mustn't
| happen again"
/ Insurance interests. It is said, will be
likely to welcome the new form Of illu-
mination. One OF the troubles OF iremen
| In the city is with broken gas pipes which
| generate explosions. It is often impossi-
/ bic to shut off the gas in a burning build
| Ing. The firemen OF the future will no
doubt solve the problem by carrying out
| the gas bottle.
| As for danger to life from leaky TX
lures. drop lights and other such causes
/ Of frequent accidental death. It is likely
/ to be reduced BY the ease OF running the
Ione-sixteenth-inch copper gas pipes about
/ 10 any spot desired, as one would with
electric wires.
! OF course, great care VIII have to be
/ used, especially by the inexperienced
maid from foreign parts, when baby
wants his bottle.