1809.] 
The price of the best Wigan cannel (the 
sort used) is 133d. per cwt. (22s. 6d. per 
ton), delivered at the mill, or say about 
eight shillings for the seven hundred 
weight. Multiplying by the nuinber of 
working days in the year (313), the an- 
nual consumption of the cannel will be 
110 tons, and its cost £125. 
About one-third of the above quantity, 
~or say forty tons of good common coal, 
value teu shillings per ton, is required 
for fuel to heat the retorts; the annual 
amount of which is £20. ; 
The 110 tons of cannel coal, when dis- 
tilled, produce about 70 tons of good 
coak, which is sold upon the spot at 
ds. 4d. per cwt. and will therefore 
amount annually to the sum of £93. 
The quantity of tar produced from 
each ton of cannel coal is from eleven to 
twelve ale gallons, making a total annual 
-produce of about 1250 ale gallons, which 
not having been yet sold, I cannot deter- 
mine its value; but whenever it comes to 
be manufactured in large quantities, it 
cannot be such as materially to, influ- 
ence the economical statement, unless 
indeed new applications of it should be 
discovered. 
The quantity of aqueous fluid which 
came over in the course of the observa- 
tions which I am now giving an account 
of, was not exactly ascertained, from 
some springs having got into the reser- 
voir; and as it has not yet been applied 
to any useful purpose, I may omit further 
notice of it in this statement. 
The interest of the:capital expended 
in the necessary apparatus and buildings, 
together with what is considered as an 
ample allowance for wear and tear, is 
stated by Mr, Lee at about £550 per 
aunum ;1n which some-allowance is made 
for this apparatus being made upon a 
scale adequate to the supply of a still 
greater quantity. of light, than he has oc- 
casion to make use of, ; 
He is of opinion, that the cost of at- 
tendance upon candles would be as 
much, if not more, than upon the gas- 
apparatus ; so that i forming the compa- 
rison, nothing need be stated upon that 
score on either side. 
_ The economical statement for one year 
then stands tlius: 
Cost of 110 tons of cannel coal £125 
Ditto of 40 tonsof common do. 20 
145 
Deduct the value of 70 tons of 
coak 7 
, - - 93 
Mosruzy Mac. No. 179. 
Important Experiments with Gas Lights. 547 
The annual expenditure in coal,. 
after deducting the value of 
the coak, and without ailow- 
ing any thing for the tar, is 
therefore - - - 52 
And the interest of capital, end 
wear and tear of apparatus 550 
making the total expence of the gas aps 
paratus, about £600 per annum. 
That of candles, to give the same 
light would be about £2000. For each 
candle consuming at the rate of 4-10ths 
of an ounce of tallow per hour, the 2500 
candles burning upon an average of the 
year two hours per day, would, at one 
shilling per pound, amount to nearly the 
sum ofmoney above mentioned. 
If the comparison were made upon an 
average of three hours per day, the ad- 
vantage would be still more in favour of the 
gas light; the interest of the capital, and 
wear and tear of the apparatus continu- 
ing nearly the same asin the former case ; 
thus, 
1250 X 3 = 3750 cubic feet of gas 
per day, which would’ be produced by 
103 cwt. of cannel coals; this multiplied 
by the number of working days, gives 
168 tons. per annum, which, valued as 
before, amounts to - £188 
And 60 tons common coal for 
burning under the retorts, will 
amount to - 80 
218 
Deduct 105 tons of coak at 
26s. 8d. - 140 
Leaving the expenditure in coal, 
afte: deduction. of the coak, - 
and without allowance for 
. the tar, at - 78 
Adding to which the interest and wear 
and tear of the apparatus, as before, the 
total annual cost will not be more than 
£650; whilst that of tallow, rated as be- 
fore, will be £3000. 
It will readily occur, that the greater 
number of hours the gas’ is burnt; the 
greater will be its comparative economy 5 
although in extending it beyond three 
hours, an increase of some parts of the 
apparatus would be necessary. 
{ft the economical comparison were 
made with oils, the advantages would be 
Jess than with tallow. neal ia 
The introduction of . this species of 
light into the establishment of Messrs, 
Philips and Lee, has been gradual; bea. 
ginning in the year 1805, with twa rooms 
ofthe mill, the counting-houses, and Mr, 
Lee’s dwelling-house. After which, it wag 
4A extended 
