The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1886. A NEW ILLUMINANT.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1368, 12 October 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1886. A NEW ILLUMINANT.

Mr Hooker, gas engineer, of Wellington, has patented a new process of illumination which promises to effect a complete revolution in the cost of gas bills and, indeed, promises to enable coal gas to be dispensed with altogether. It consists in the utilisation to a large extent of atmospheric air, which is mingled either with coal gas or oil, in the case of gas in the proportion of seven or eight parts of ait to one of gas and, in the case of oil, of nine parts of air to one of oil. As applied to ordinary coal gas the process consists simply of pumping into a gasometer or reservoir the necessary quantity of air and then admitting thereto the required proportion of coal gas, the service pipes leading from this gasometer or holder, and the mixed gas and air being burnt through burners of Mr Hooker’s own invention. Thus the same amount of light is obtained at one-eighth of the expense of ordinary gas, the quantity of coal gas consumed being reduced by seven-eighths. But the process is equally available in places not supplied with gas, as it can be applied—we quote from the New Zealand Times in the following manner: —“Atmospheric air is pumped into a holder containing shale oil, passing through the oil and taking up a certain portion of it in a gaseous state. Thence the gas, or rather charged air, is carried by pipes to a receiver, a further quantity of air being added on the way, bringing the proportion of oil to air to one to nine. The gas is burned by means of burners of platinum wire gauze, and without these the gas will not burn at all. Not only is it non-explosive, but under ordinary circumstances it is non-inflammable. Let out of a pipe without a burner it blows out a lighted match. The light is an excellent one, and as colorless as the electric light. The force required for pumping air into the holder, is so small that a child can in a few minutes with a treadle-bellows make enough gas for a night’s consumption for an ordinary house. The whole process is exceedingly simple, and can be understood after inspection for a minute or two. The oil costs as 6d a gallon, and that quantity will find gas for some seven to ten jets for a month. The patent right for New Zealand has been purchased from Mr Hooker by Mr J. Kerr, M.H.R., for jQ 5000, and Messrs Cameron and Plimmer have been appointed agents for the sale of the apparatus. Mr Hooker will leave the Colony shortly in order to make the merits of his invention known in Etlrope and America.” As we have ourselves seen both systems in operation, viz., that of the admixture of gas and air, and of oil and air under the Hooker process, we can testify to its thorough success, and there can be no doubt that this invention is the most important yet made in connection with illuminants, and that it will be universally employed so soon as its merits are known.

Where gas is available it will not only immensely reduce its cost to the con sumer, but it will enormously extend the consumption, for everybody will find it cheaper to burn gas under the Hooker process than to use anything else. Where gas is not available, everybody will heebie to make his own Dy the use of the Hooker apparatus and a gallon or two of shale oil.