THE GAS QUESTION.

Southland Times, Issue 1779, 12 August 1873, Page 3

THE GAS QUESTION.

(TO THE EDITOR OF THE TrMBS.)

Sib, — At the present juncture of affairs regarding the Bupply of gas to the inhabitants of invercargill, the following extract from one of the home papers, giving an account of some experiments with a new hydro carbon gas, manufactured and invented by J. F. G. Kromschroder, will doubtless be interesting to many of your readers : —

" The experiments look place at Great Mario w, on the works of the Coal Gas Company. The apparatus consists of an iron box, about four feet high, and six feet square, having on the top a double-action air-pump, and at tho bottom a large shallow tray divided into several compartments, each of which is filled with ' spirit of petroleum.' Through these compartments air is forced by the pump above, and as the oxygen moves over the surface of tho petroleum, the latter becomes saturated with the vapor. The result is • air gas,' andjas this requires no purifier, it at once passes through a pipe into the gasholder, and is immediately ready for use. The gas thus made burns with a steady white flame, and when the town was lit up at the usual hour at night the effect was cheerful and brilliant in the extreme. Professor White tested the gaß in our presence, and found it to be a perfect neutral body, containing neither sulphur nor ammonia. He pronounced the experiments a great success, and hoped it would not be long before ' The Zromschroder Gas' would be in use in every provincial town in Great Britain ; we further hope he will not let many months elapse before he introduces his ' air-gas' into the colonies, where we believe it will be found to be the greatest boon that was ever conferred on any community. Amongst its advantages are to be noted that it can be used in the present pas-pipes, it is not inflammable, and when stored away it only deteriorates to the extent of 2\ per cent., whereas coal-gas is said to degenerate 50 per cent. A gallon of petroleum will make about 700 feet, and this would burn as long as 1400 feet of coalgaa, and give more light." — I am, &c, W. H.