GAS MANUFACTURE AND GAS COMPANIES. 485 



very considerable. Comparison of the result of a year's work obtained 

 by the New York Mutual Company, which uses naphtha for an enrich- 

 er, and the Boston Gaslight Company, which uses Albertite, shows 

 that the former obtained 10,975 cubic feet of 19 to 20 candle-power 

 gas per ton of coal used, while the latter obtained only 8,7*79 cubic 

 feet of 18 to 19 candle gas, a difference of 2,196 cubic feet per ton in 

 favor of the naphtha. 



In regard to the alleged danger in keeping large quantities of 

 naphtha in store, the commissioners say : " There is no doubt that it 

 is more difficult to extinguish burning naphtha than, burning coal; 

 but the statements that naphtha is like gunpowder (explosive), and 

 dangerous to store, are erroneous. In fact, it is almost impossible to 

 mix naphtha-vapor and air so as to make an explosive mixture, for 

 the reason that, when the proper amount of oxygen is present, the 

 mixture is diluted with so large a bulk of inert nitrogen that it can- 

 not be ignited." In regard to the supply, they see no reason to fear 

 that it will be inadequate to " any demand which may exist in the fu- 

 ture." The oil-region extends over a wide expanse of country, em- 

 bracing large districts in Pennsylvania, Eastern Ohio, West Virginia, 

 Kentucky, Indiana, and Western Canada. The production in 1874 

 was 10,910,303 barrels larger than ever before by more than 1,000,- 

 000 barrels; the average price was 2.8 cents per gallon, or $1.17 per 

 barrel. 



The objections urged against water-gas are, that its specific grav- 

 ity is too high ; that it contains a large proportion of the extremely 

 poisonous gas, carbonic oxide ; and that the manufacture, being in its 

 infancy, is not yet proved to be a success. The first is of no impor- 

 tance, since the specific gravity, unless it is caused by the presence of 

 a large amount of carbonic anhydride, is high in almost exact propor- 

 tion as the illumination power is great. 



The commissioners say of the second objection that it is, in their 

 opinion, "sufficient to entirely prevent the use of the mixed hydrogen 

 and carbonic oxide" (unenriched water-gas) "alone for heating pur- 

 poses, for the reason that, since it is devoid of odor, its escape from 

 pipes and diffusion through the air of an inhabited room, in dangerous 

 amount, could not be detected. The addition to it of petroleum-gas 

 as an enricher, for illuminating purposes, at once imparts to it a pecul- 

 iar odor, as strong as that of coal-gas, which would lead to the im- 

 mediate detection of a leak." Carbonic oxide is one of the most active 

 poisons, producing, when inhaled, speedy death. Unlike carbonic 

 acid, which, when it poisons, does so by merely preventing the 

 entrance of air or oxygen into the lungs, as water does in case of 

 drowning, so that persons affected can be readily resuscitated, it is a 

 true physiological poison. And while the first can be rendered harm- 

 less by a moderate dilution with atmospheric air, the last produces 

 death almost as readily when diluted as when pure. It forms a com- 



