GAS MANUFACTURE.

Southland Times, Issue 1731, 22 April 1873, Page 3

GAS MANUFACTURE.

(to thb editor of thb times.) Stb, — Tn the few remarks I made a few weeks ago in your paper on the subject of gas, suggesting delay, I felt myself under a sort of implied obligation to supply any r-cent information tending to throw light upon fhe new method of gas manufacture. I therefore refer you to the subjoined account from the London Times (Mail, 3rd February) of the process, premising that it refers to a different but analogous process — to the air-gas — both gases being hydrocarbons, both resting upon production of hydrogen, and both requiring for illuminating purposes the addition of petroleum spirits. The ' following account is that of Ruck's method, and I mny mention that a company is on foot advertising a capital of £500,000 to develope the manufacture : — " The Directors of the ' New Gas Company gave a demonstration of their methods of procedure on Saturday, at the Waterworks, York-road, Battersea, and their invitations attracted a large number of scientific men, and of others p-aftically interested in the question. Instead of manufacturing gas by the distillation of coal, Mr Ruck firft obtains his hydrogen by the decomposition of water, and then charges it with the carbon necessary for illuminating purposes by passing it through a petroleum spirit of specific griviry o*6Bo. In the first part of the process, superheated stearo is ronveved into retorts containing iron an I coke raised to a high temperature. The steam is decompose^ ; the resulting oxygen combines with the iron an-i the carbon, arH the hydrogen is given off, carry ing witl) it a small proportion of carbon com. pounds. In this state it is valuable for heating purposes, but possesses very little illuminating power, rather resembling, whdn kindled, the flame of a Bunsen's burner. The various attempts which have been made to combine volatile hydrocarbons with coal gas, in order to increase its illuminating power, have all failed on account of the speedy precipitation of the former ; but Mr R>ick claims to have discovered that petroleum of the specific gravity stated will remnin in combination wit'i his hydrogen. According to the report of Messrs Quick and Spice, the engineers concerned in the matter this claim has been subjected to crucial tes S, and has withstood them all. The gas has been suddenly reduced in temperature from 60 to 30 deg., has been kept for a month in a closed vessel, and has bpen passed through miles of iron pipe*, with many rectangular ben'U, without am consequent preoipita'ion. The illuminating power of that shown on i^aturda* w is exceedingly good, and it was said that it might be increased almost indefinitely the removal of a small quantity of carbonic acid by a «imple process. The petroleum can be added to the gas at an? point between the manufactory and the burner, so that heating ea9 alone mu<ht be. supplied from the mains, cay to the kitchens or the conservatories of a large establishment, and the illuminating agent only added to that portion rf the supply which was to be used for lighting purposes The mode of manufacture in ures the complete absence of the noxious sulphur and ammonia compounds with which we are familiar, but the gas. although in this sense " pure," is not dangerously inodorous. It has a dis'inct smell, pronounced by those interested in it to be agreeable, but which is certainly sufficient to lead to the discovery of aDy domestic leakage, and thus to obviate danger from explosions. At the present price of coal, the disc >very of a source of gas which is as plentiful as water has lately been should manifestly have an important bearing on the cost of production. The report of the engineers on this head is to the effect that they can command millions of gallons of the petroleum spirit required, and that the illuminating gas can be made at a cost of Is 7f d per thousand, cubic feet. They say also that, out of every thirty men required for the manufacture of coal g*s, twenty nine may be dispensed with in working Mr Ruck'i- process. These statements,, if borne out by larger experience, cannot fail to attract, the attention of the companies, and to 1 ad to changes in their course o\ procedure. Either of the two methods of gas manufacture which we have described may be introduced into existing establishments at a comparatively small expense, and between them some of the evils under which the metropolis now groans should surely be lightened or removed at no very distant period ." —I am, &c, Wait.