relaling to Gas Illumination.'* 45 



patents eIiouUI be taken out for oil gas apparatus, yet is Dr. Henry 

 tlie prior inventor both of the theory and practice*. 



This is much of a piece with the preceding attempt to make 

 the world believe that there is no such thing as a coal gas ap- 

 paratus upon a small scale for private individuals, and that all 

 public companies are monopolists. He savs, in fact, that coal 

 gas is " confined to public companies or large establishments, 

 thereby materially limiting its utility, and producing an injurious 

 monopoly." What ! if, like the town of Derby, the company, 

 who are holders of single shares of 50/. restrict themselves by 

 their Act of Parliament to 10 per cent, profit ! Let them make 

 use of oil instead of coal, and 1 am sure that they need not pray 

 Parliament for any such restriction. 



One other statement allow me to reply to, and then 1 will re- 

 lease your readers from these futile objections against coal gas. 

 We are told that " the light of an Argand burner of coal gas, 

 compared with one of spermaceti oil, maybe estimated as 2^ to 

 1 ; and of oil gas to coal gas as 9 to 5." 



Or if we state it thus : 



Sperm, oil : Coal gas : : 1 : 2f 



Coal gas : Oil gas : : I : i-t Therefore, 



Sperm, oil : Oil gas : : 1 : 2| x l*, or as 



Hence, oil gas is 44 times brighter than spermaceti oil when 

 burning in an Argand lamp ! " Credat Judaeus !" If it were so, 

 I should as soon think of blinding myself by using, as a source of 

 light, the combustion of iron wire in oxygen, or that of charcoal 

 by the galvanic battery. 



In conclusion : — Mr. Editor, allow me to assure yon, that in 

 thus standing up as the champion of coal gas illumination, I do 

 it not from any other motive than that of promoting the cause of 

 Truth. Patiently have I waited months in the hope of seeing her 

 cause maintained by some of your correspondents more practised 

 with " the grey goose-wing" than myself. Neither am 1 actu- 

 ated by any feelings of prejudice against oil gas, for 1 achnire its 

 brilliancy where I cannot see its u^conomy. It is the want of 

 this spirit of liberality which 1 condemn in the essay before us, 

 as much as the distorted aspect in which it endeavours to present 

 coal gas. That the writer may have often met with bad coal gas 

 I do not doubt : but to say that it has hitherto been found " im- 

 possible to purify it sufticiently for lighting dwelling-houses," is 

 much the same as to say that it is high time to abolisli all high 



• Having lately seen a de.srnptlon of :i patent portable gas lamp, I con- 

 ceive it due to the muuiory of the late Ur. liilsborrow of this town, to state 

 that not fewer than twelve years ago he showed me some chemical experi- 

 ments by the light of one which he made himself. 



pressure 



