Taylors and Martineau's Gas Apparatus. 121 



tion of gas to a convenient rate ; and it is provided, that this 

 rate may be easily governed at the will of the operator. 



The oil, in its passage through the retorts, is principally de- 

 composed, and converted into gas proper for illumination, having 

 the great advantages of being pure and free from sulphurous con- 

 tamination, and of supporting a very brilliant flame, with the ex- 

 penditure of very small quantities. It will, however, generally 

 be found that some oil passes off in the state of vapour, without 

 being decomposed ; and in order to condense this, and return 

 it again into the oil vessel, the gas is made to pass through a 

 vessel immersed in water, by which, and its exit by a worm, 

 the vapour is condensed again into oil, and flows at once into 

 the oil cistern, so as to come again into use in the retorts. 



As a further precaution to purify the gas from oil, which may 

 be suspended in it in the state of vapour, it is conveyed into a 

 wash vessel, where by bubbling through water, it is further cooled 

 and rendered fit for use ; and passes by a proper pipe into a 

 gazometer, from which it is suffered to branch off in pipes in the 

 usual manner. 



The apparatus, of, which the annexed engraving is a represen- 

 tation, is fit for a large establishment, and would be capable of 

 producing from 1,600 to 1,800 cube feet of gas at one operation; 

 or without cleaning out the retorts, which becomes necessary 

 from time to time from the accumulation of a certain quantity 

 of carbonaceous matter. This, and the necessary attention to 

 keep up a moderate fire, is the only trouble which attends the use 

 of the apparatus, and the time required for the production of 

 the above quantity, wOuld in general be about six hours. 



The number of lights which would be supplied by 1,800 cube 

 feet of oil gas, reckoning that they were argand burners, and 

 employed for four hours, would be about 300, and giving a light 

 equal to from 3,000 to 3,600 mould candles. 



In order to adapt them to different establishments requiring 

 smaller quantities of light, and to fit them for private houses, or 

 the residences of noblemen and gentlemen, Messrs. Taylor and 

 Martineau iiavc made them of various sizes, accommodated to 

 different degrees of power, and suitable by ihc small space they 



