136 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION B. 



It will be seen that the value has trebled m four years, and it is, 

 therefore, opportune to inquire into the question of its manufacture 

 in Australia. At present all the imported carbide is used for making 

 acetylene gas for illumination and working the Tyi-ee spraying 

 machine. The new fertiliser, calcium cyanimide, made from carbide 

 of calcium, is, however, likely to be much used in the future, and 

 there is no reason why it should not also be made here. 



Carbide is made in the electric fvuTiace from quicklime and coke, 

 the calcium and the carbon combining at about 3.000 degrees Cent., in 

 accordance witli the equation — 



CaO + :3C = CaC2 + CO. 



When water is added acetylene gas is given off thus : — 

 CaC2 + H20 = CaO + C2H2. 



Professor Moissaii, of France, and T. H. Willson, of Canada, 

 were the first to produce carbide. Moissan's experiments were carried 

 out in a small laljoratory furnace, but Willson, who was quick to seize 

 upon its commercial value, designed a special furnace. His Aiuerican 

 patent is No. 492,377, 21st February, 1893. 



The main item of expense in making carbide is the cost of power, 

 and on this account most of the factories are situated near hydro- 

 electric power-houses. The Barron Falls is well situated for the supply 

 of current to a carbide factoiy, situated at, say, Cairns, and such a 

 proposal has been under consideration for some time. In 1906 the 

 Queensland Government commissioned Mr. Wm. Corin, the city elec- 

 trical engineer of Launceston, to report on the amount of power at 

 Barron Falls, and cost of harnessing same, etc. Briefly, his con- 

 clusions were as follow : — 



That a mininuim flow of 50 cubic feet per second with the avail- 

 able head of 818 feet would provide 3,480 electrical horse-power at 

 generat-or terminals for the full number of hours per year. 



The first cost of harnessing this power with the transmission line 

 to Cairas he gives as £80,260, and the annual cost, with interest, 

 sinking fund, reserve fund, and maintenance, £10,076. 



The 50 cubic feet per second allowed for in the above estimate is, 

 however, very much below the average flow, since only on two days in 

 the exceptional drought year of 1900 was the flow below that fig-ure. 



With a certain amount of water conservation a flow of 150 cubic 

 feet per second could be depended upon, and this would give 10,440 

 electrical horse-power. Mr. Corin estimates the first cost for this 

 amount of power, including £iO,000 for storage dams, at £128,710, 

 and the annual cost at £15,164. 



One result of this investigation was that Mr. Tyree and others 

 interested in the sale of carbide of calcium began to consider the 

 question as to whether the establishment of a factoiy at Cairns would 

 pay. Negotiations with the Queensland authorities induced the 

 Government to make a definite offer to supply 5,000 electrical horse- 

 power at Cairns for £2 15s. per electrical horse-power year. The 

 wiiter, who has had some experience in connection with carbide manu- 

 facture in Norway, was asked to report on the matter. The report 



