Gas for Gisborne.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 945, 21 May 1881, Page 2

Gas for Gisborne.

Successful Experiment with. Poverty Bay Paraffin. — A most satisfactory experiment was made on Wednesday evening last, in Mr Wade’s shop, Peel Street, with the recently discovered’ \ paraffin from the South Pacific Petroleum Company’s ground, and in the presence of a large number of spectators. The result was highly successful. From about a pound weight of the crude material gas was obtained which gave a beautifully clear and brilliant light lasting for twenty five minutes. We have never seen gas burn better, nor give a more effective light than that produced on this occasion. Great credit is due to Mr Wade for the manner in which he manufactured a miniature gas works necessary for the production of the gas, as the whole of the work (with the exception of the retort, which was completed by Mr James Brown) was executed in his shop. To Mr D Steel, foreman of Mr Wade’s works, is also rue a large, if not the principal, share in the successful experiment to which we now allude. He is a gas engineer by profession, and, a practical man identifies himself with some pardonable pride, with the venture. The inception of the project is due to Mr. W. Clarke, who, as we have already said, has set his mind determinedly towards the development of the various sources of wealth that lie embowelled beneath our feet. So soon as lie heard of the Paraffin discovery, he turned his (by no means limited) experience to the promotion of such local industries as w’ould redound to the credit and material prosperity of the district. The production of gas from crude paraffin is one of th«m • but being a chemist only, and not a practical producer of gas, he cast about for help, until a stroke of fortune placed him in the hands of the business people above alluded to. The idea is Mr Clark’s, but the mechanical portion of the “ plant ” is due to the public spirit of Mr Wade, who, with Mr Brown, has given up some two days labor, and that

of his foreman, to make the experiment a success. And we congratulate all concerned in that measure of success, which has, so far, been achieved.

We regret that the experiment on Thursday evening was not so successful, for the fame of the thing had got noised abroad, and some 200 persons, including many ladies, attended at Mr Stubbs’ shop, only to be disappointed. There are several opinions offered as accounting for the cause of the failure, but the principal one was an undue haste, ending in imperfectnqgs, through a desire to keep faith with the public. However, even under those depressing circumstances, a sufficient jet of light was obtained to show that the failure was Gke less of principle than detail. This evening Mr Wade intends to make another experiment, and invites both ladies and gentlemen to visit his shop at seven o’clock. He also desires that one or two gentlemen should come about an hour earlier, so that they may be thoroughly satisfied of the genuineness of the gas he will produce. Mr Wade intends to so arrange his plans that he wiil have the gas burning for fully an hour.

If the night is fine the light may be produced outside, which wouldfbe more convincing to the multitude who will flock to see the first of the Gisborne gas.