The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, September 4, 1930, Page 14

ARTIFICIAL GAS WAS DISCOVERED FIRST BY | VON HELMONT IN 1609 Progress in Development of Gas Was Slow Because of Many Superstitions PUBLIC DISPLAY IN 1802 Murdock First Lighted His Home With Gas, Then Many Com- mercial Plants Historians, touching on the an- tiquity of natural gas say that in the reign of Julius Caesar, which was before the Christian, era, there was a “burning fountain” of it near Grenoble, France. : But it didn’t mean anything. Caesar’s wife, who according to a popular notion of the day could do no wrong, couldn’t do a lot of other things, either: For instance, she couldn’t set the coffee to percolat- ing on the gas range in the kitchen, stick the rolls in the oven and then go back to the bedroom, dress and ready for a piping hot break- fast with her husband. : Caesar himself was handicapped in like manner, T?be sure he seems to have been a pretty fair military man and statesman in his time and he won fame by remarking “Et tu, Brutus” when he saw that a mem- ber of the rival political crowd had got him. But Caesar couldn’t set the timing device on his gas furnace in the basement at 65 before going to bed at night, knowing that on get- ting °F, he wouldn’t find the hard- wood floors like a cake of ice. He didn’t have an instantaneous gas heater, with’ its’ assurance of hot water for his #have, every morning. Artificial, Gas an Accident Discovery of a method of making artilicial gas, more commonly re- ferred to. as manufactured gas, came about by accident, and more than 2,000 years. after natural: gas had become a subject of historical record. It was man’s ceaseless quest for riches and the efforts of ancient al ‘ists to change the baser metal into gold that resulted in the dis- covery. Recognizing the futility of his search for means of making gold out of other metals, John Baptist von Helmont of Brussels made important contzibutions to chemistry in the seventeenth century. He studied and practiced medicine, later turning to chemistry and research work. Inthe course of his experiments with fuels, about 1609, he discov- sive spirit and make it serve a use- ful purpose. Development ‘Was Slow Progress in the development of gas was slow, because of the su- erstitions which surrounded it. Civ- ilization had passed through the sperm oil age of lighting to the age of the wax and tallow candle, whic! was still the common method of illumination late in the Eighteenth century, when William Murdock de- voted himself to the task of produc- ing gas from coal on a scale that would make possible its use for lighting. By distilling coal in an iron retort and conducting the gas through 70 feet of tinned and cop- per tubes, Murdock, in 1792, succeed- ed in lighting his home at Redruth in Cornwall, : Murdock was a construction and erection engineer for James Watt, developer of the steam engine. In 1789, he had progressed so far that he moved from Cornwall to works of Boulton, Watt & Co., manu- facturers of steam engines at the Soho Foundry, where he built an ap- paratus on a large scale and lighted the factory with gas. “ On the occasion of the celebration of the Peace of Amiens—the sign- ‘ing with France, Spain and Holland {—in April 1802, a public display of | tracted wide attention and comment. Public Display in 1802 Matthgws, one of the earliest writers ing this spectacle, says: “The illumination of Soho works on this occasion was one of extra- ordinary splendor. The whole front of that extensive range of buildings was ornamented with a great var- iety of devices that admirably dis- played many of the varied forms of which gas light is susceptible. This luminous spectacle was as novel as it was astonishing, and Birmingham poured forth its numerous popula- tion to gaze at and admire this won- derful display of the combined ef- fects of science and art. The writer was one of those who had the grati- fication of witnessing this first splendid public exhibition of gas illumination and retains a vivid recollection of the admiration it pro- duced.” Murdock built a gas works and lighted the cotton mill of Messrs. Phillips and Lee at Manchester, with 990 burners in 1804. He read a paper describing this insallation be- fore the Royal Society of London on February 25, 1808, and was awarded the Count Rumford gold medal. On one occasion, it is related, Mur- dock desired to stop the flow of gas which was burning from an open tube, and to accomplish his purpose, he picked up a thimble and slap, it over the flaming end of the tube. The thimble had been pierced in many places and the gas coming through the holes in smaller volume was brought into contact with a greater proportion of air at the Point of combustion. The result was a much better light. This incident was the origin of the “gas tip” which later came into general use. , While Murdock was. conducting his experiment and demonstrations others were also actively engaged in the effort to harness “the spirit of coal.” Murdock’s achievements, the | |the new light was made which at-) mn gas lighting, in describ-; illiam Murdock First to Make Practical storing gas among the early adven- turers in gas manufacture. | In France, however, Philippe Le- bon was the most active and success- ful. In September, 1799, he obtained a patent for hirer gas. by distillin; coal or wood, and in 1801 lighte his home and gardens in the Rue St. Dominie, Paris. " ‘he art of gas manufacture tovk definite form after Murdock had blazed the way. The demonstrations of both Murdock and Lebon attracted wide attention and praise by the press, and thus came detest to the attention of Frederick Albert Winsor, a German, who was destined to play a most jmportant part in establishing the first gas company in the world, and probably accelerat- ing the general use of gas for domes- tic purposes. | Winsor, who seems to have been |more of a promoter than a scientific jresearch worker, journeyed fim |Frankfort to Paris, where he wit- jnessed several times “the wondrous efforts of common smoke being made to burn with greater brilliancy and beauty than wax or oil.” He en- Lebon without success. He possessed perseverance and energy, however, and the following winter exhibited at Brunswick, in |the presence of reigning duke {Charles William Ferdinand, and all his court, a series ‘of experiments demonstrating lighting with gas dis- tilled from wood. Winsor later went to London, and there, in 1803 he be- gan experiments and demonstrations which led to practical results. Whether Winsor conducted his own researches and discovered a process of making gas, is not known, but having been successful in his experiments, he lost no time in push- ing the invention. He delivered many lectures and was the first to |advocate the distribution of gas for \lighting purposes from _ central sources. He proposed the organiza- tion of a company for “enlightening the inhabitants of London” but he stated his claim so extravagantly that much opposition was aroused by scheme. First English Patent On May 18, 1804, Winsor obtained the first English patent for gas- making purposes. He gave a public exhibition of lighting the Lyceum Theatre, in London, with gas, and the London Times on July 2, printed. the following description 0! the demonstration: “Sir Joseph Banks, ever indefatig- able in examining and promoting useful discoveries, went last Thurs- day evening, for the second time, with a large party of his noble and scientific friends to the witness the incredible effects smoke; the whole theatre was light- ed with the same, in a yovel .and pleasing manner; the arch of lights above the, stage had a very stril effect, and from the Ei glish grate on the stage (which’may be fixed in every room) issued a very brilliant and fanciful light. The products of: tar, ammonia,and coke were produced and much approved of. Several ex« periments were made during the course of the lecture, such as boiling a tea kettle, and melting ores in a ito of THE BISMARCK THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER deavored to learn the secret from| _ ig j Use of Gas in Lighting brated French engineer proves that the azote it produces by a mixture with the atmospheric air is capable of ten-fold power if employed at the States, Baltimore was the first cit; to light its streets with gas in 1816, and in 1820, Paris was lighted with gas. fe company in the world came into ing. ‘estminster Bridge Lighted On December 31, 1 ‘estmins- id-established cus- toms and prejudi All of his pre- di regarding the utilization of 13, proven true during the last freezing point only.” ~ ter Bridge was lighted with gas, and years, although for many decades} Winsor claimed that gas could be|the populace of London waa dubs Ai gi ted ori Seles) git nd ragesslad fe eee ept. 4.—Natural J after he established the first gas|used for heating as well as lighting, |founded by the spectacle. It waslcovering, the mysterious spirit whicl | oe Manggears recen' Sy company,-gas was used only forjand would result in a three-fourths/many years before the citizens of| he could not imprison, think that his Sealing $200,000,000 ae lighting purposes. Winsor more|Saving in the construction of build-|that city became accustomed to g85| discovery would be the or of mekers Pipes, oa compres- :% than 100 years ago, foresaw some|ings because of the elimination of |lighting, although it was n industry which in the United. Gane ony one enn pained of its present-day uses. chimneys, stoves and other equip-|rapidly after the Hgiting of, the| States alone today represents an in-| wit e bine zi one be; wi + _ Predictions Came True ment used in burning other fuels. |bridge. People thought the flame|yestment of mote than $4,000,000,- involve expenditures of nearly “Since the beginning of the world,”| Despite the opposition and ridicule,|came through the pipes and many|090, iA $100,000,000, now are either m ac- . me said Winsor in one of his early ap-| Winsor continued and suc: | objections were raised when the sys-| Qn the manufacturing side of ap- tual construction or beyond the blue- = peals, “mankind has lost above 50 ceeded in getting the support of |tem was ‘installed in the House‘of|pliances to utilize gas, there are print stage. ‘, ; 2 per cent in all combustibles by thejlarge and influential body of sttare-|Commons. So little was known| about 570 concerns engaged includ Ses ad mere evaporation of smoke. This|holders in his company, and the first |about gas that it was thought thatling 244 which manufacture gas|Gas Lines Increased o very smoke, which often proves/public street lighting with gas took|the “pipes would burn the building,” | ranges, 90 manufacturing hot water | troublesome and dangerous to health London on and houses, is now discovered to con- place in Pall ty in This demonstra- and they were January 28, 1807, the walls, and In Louisiana Cities «: et far away fsom N adiombere ct Pare heaters of various kinds, 141 manu- facturing Be ec ae vallsable. paberineee, Goa a hee to expel many of ne rene Lied i being Lreface rooms aad etticagr as moaeoeceniae New Orleans, La., Sept. 4.—Nat- |“ an properly ex! |, gathered, | doubts existing as to the practic-| would not touch them with i y washed, purified and resolved, wel ability of his discovery. hands. tests rg ee nd bag ig ag aig ee \ 50 manufactu: miscel- Latplighters at first refused,|laneous heating ite. euch cs rs eprouin ep A) ligh Ce pew eas | garage pisktete, laundry equipment, lamps, and later, crow: followed | incinera‘ them to watch their operations every | oth Pe aoe ee ee evening. _ Following the success of gas light- ing in London, it spread quickly to other countries. ‘In the United of Dubach, La., and Bernice, La. © recently, by the Cities Distributing ~~ com] » In the absence of Mayor Barham of Dubach, J. H. Wise light- ed the flare which brought the gas ~ f to the city. Frank S. Kelly, Jr." vib superintendent ‘of the Southern -- Cities company; represented the com- pany at the ceremonies. Winsor sought for his. company the exclusive privilege of lighting by fang in all the British posseasions, ut such a broad charter was refused. In April, 1812, parliament inted a charter to his company, “The Lon- don and Westminster Gas Light & Coke Company,” and thus the first gain no less than five gone pro- ducts, viz: oil, pitch, acid, coke and gas; which latter product not only furnishes the most intense hegt and the purest light whenever ‘it. is wanted, but can also be applied to supersede the dangerous and expen- sive steam engines because a cele- ers, , Oregon. voters will ballot ‘on an initiative measure to prohibit sale of cigarettes in the state. however, were along such practical Yines that he is recognized #& the father.of the gas industry. French Experiments few minutes on a table. It was also proved that a brilliant flame adapted to Jight-honses could be -for which: ho rain or ‘stom could’ extin- q ‘red that they yielded up what he | /Seseribed a “wild spirit.” He ‘” “ fouttd that this “spirit” could ‘be produced in various ways, such a8 by means of combustion, fermenta- tion.and the action of acids on lime- stone. f It was nearly 200 years after von Helmont’s discovery that practical steps were taken to harness this elu- marvelous Jean Pierre Minckelers, after many experiments in 1874, lighted gas distilled from coal as a demon- stration to his class in the University of Louvain, and three years pre- viously Lavoisier invented a gas guish. The noble and learned vis- itots, after a minute examination of the apparatus, stoves and products, expressed the liveliest satisfaction.” ‘Winsor had a vision of the future of the gas industry, but he was con- » which neither the power of a king nor the wealth of Croesus could command is easily available to every housewife today. A water heating device that maintains a constant supply of hot water—an ample supply that you can bathe in at any time of the day or night—plenty on wash- day—an abundance for washing dishes and other house- hold taske—making easy the numerous household duties and releasing you for other far more pleasant tasks. _ A device accomplishing all these things, automatically —without- attention—without effort—day and night— summer and winter—faithfully and unerringly—is the Rival Automatic~ Water Heater The new Rival Automatic Water Heater is, naturally, vastly improved and simplified’ over water Heater. The total first cost is surprisingly small, and the oper- ating expense no higher than the old type water heater. There is a size ard type to meet every home requite- ment. Conveniently deferred payments may arranged in the purchase of a Rival. < the old type gas also be lS 3 GAS CIRCULATOR It is Positively Guaranteed to Produce No Fumes or moisture (sweating) and is heavily constructed to give years of satisfactory service. A Quality Heater Reasonably Priced_, MS ONTANA-DAKOTA. OWER COMPANY Nn XV _ Montana-Dakota Power Co. BISMARCK, NORTH DAKOTA