i44 Morey on the Patent Water-Burner. 
the ballof coal. Can that add any thing to its temperature, 
as its own is taised solely by the water? This experiment, 
I have thought, as well as very many others, looks much as 
if there was some action between the water and oil, as well 
as coal, independent in some measure of caloric. In the 
practical use of the pitch pine for light, and light and heat, 
nothing more is necessary than to distil it by a gentle heat, 
suffering the vapor to escape pretty freely through parallel 
flattened tubes, surrounded by a quick current of hot air; 
the light will be as clear and white as Argand’s lamp with oil. 
If inflamed tar in a shallow pan is raised to a high tempera- 
ture, and a very fine spray of water is thrown over it, for ev- 
article of water that falls into the tar, there wil! shoot 
up a vivid white needle-like flame. The spray may be so 
fine as to fall quietly into the tar; it then burns with innu- 
merable white shooting flames, about one eighth of an inch 
long, giving the surface of the tar a most beautiful appear- 
ance. 
If we take a conical formed lump of moistened clay, and 
immerge it in burning tar, nearly of the boiling point, and 
it to remain a few seconds, then raise it about three 
fourths of an inch above the tar, beautiful white needle-like 
flames will continue for some time to issue from the clay, 
and from the tar directly under it, giving sometimes such an 
intense white light that the eye can scarcely bear it. The 
flame too, appears to be pushed out in every direction, to 
the exclusion of the atmospheric air. 
As good and steady a fire, for light and heat, as pleasant 
perhaps as any other, and cheaper and easier made, it is 
thought, can be furnished from tar, by putting a quantity in- 
toa tnetal vessel, three or four inches deep, and setting that 
vessel in a pan of water. Drop on to the tar three or four 
drops of spirits turpentine, apply a flame and your fire is 
made, and will continue to burn with little (or not any) 
smoke, if a strong draft, until the whole is consumed, leav- 
ing very ltttle residuum, and that apparently a good japan. 
Lhe water appears to preserve the tar at a low temperature, 
prevents a possibility of its boiling over, causes the evapo- 
ration to be much slower, thereby allowing the atmospheric 
air to mix more freely with that of the tar, as well as the va- 
por of the water, which certainly contributes much to the 
consuming of the smoke. Sometimes the cutrent of ai? 
