XX. PRESIDENTIAL ADDRESS. 



to the world, was a compound of 24 parts by weight of carbon, 

 with 2 of hydrogen, which we now call Acetylene. Twenty 

 years later the French chemist, lierthelot, made a series of 

 researches on this gas and proved that as the electric arc passed 

 between carbon electrodes in an atmosphere of hydrogen, direct 

 combination took place between small particles of both elements 

 and thus Acetylene was synthetically produced, and so it was 

 Berthelot who gave it its name, and as such it remained until 

 1862, when the (ierman chemist, Wrihler, discovered that on 

 fusing an alloy of zinc and calcium at a high temperature with 

 carbon, a compound of carbon and calcium was formed, now 

 known as calcium carbide, and showed that this body in 

 contact with water, gave I'ise to Acetylene gas, so it may 

 be said that with this year 1K62, through thelabours of Berthelot 

 and Wohler, it was understood and placed in the list of rat© 

 chemicals, and as such it remained for thirty years until 1H92. 

 Then commenced the present era of activity in the history of 

 Acteylene, which brings it forth from a condition of a rare 

 chemical to that of a commercial article, destined to play no 

 small part in the world of commerce. About this period Wilson 

 of Canada, experimenting with the electric furnace, noticed the 

 formation of calcic carbide under certain conditions, and he 

 prepared a large quantity, by direct fusing of lime and carbon. 

 The process being simple when the desired heat can be obtained, 

 and the introduction of the electric furnace gives us a mean to 

 that end, lime being a most refractory substance is mixed with 

 coke in a suitable crucible, and a powerful arc set up therein^ 

 metallic calcium isr formed which innuediately unites with the 

 surplus carbon, and produces carbide of calcium, it being very 

 much like in appearance to greyish crystalline lime stone, lib. 

 of which should produce five cubic feet of gas, giving a light for 

 five hours equal to 240 candles. Calcium carbide on being 

 brought in contact with water, a change of elemerts takes place, 

 the carbon unites with the hydrogen of the water, and escapes 

 as acetylene, the oxygen of the water uniting with the calcium, 

 remains as oxide of calcium or slacked lime. The simplicity of 

 decomposition has brought forth hundreds of inventions of 

 machinery for generating the gas, of which very few are reliable 

 in their action, chiefly owing to the want of technical knowledge 

 of their designers. As to the ultimate position of acetylene in 

 competing with coal gas as an illuminant, there can be no 



