260 M. Gillard's Light 



5. Light for Illumination obtained from the burning of Hydrogen^ by 



M. Gillard. 



We have had an opportunity of seeing the successful application 

 of M. Gillard's patent in the extensive silver plate works of Messrs. 

 Christolef in Paris. It is well known that M. Gillard claims the pro- 

 duction of a useful light and great heat from the combustion of hydro- 

 gen in contact with a coil of platinum wire — ihe hydrogen being 

 produced by the decomposition of water. The apparatus employed is 

 very simple, and consists essentially of one or more cylinders of iron 

 arranged horizontally in a furnace similar in all respects to the usual ar- 

 rangement for the production of coal gas. The retorts are charged with 

 wood-charcoal reduced to small fragments of uniform size and heated 

 to an intense degree. Through each of the retorts steam is conducted 

 in a tube pierced with numerous very minute holes so disposed as to 

 distribute the steam in an uniform and very gradual manner over the 

 healed coaK The boiler for the production of the steam is conven- 

 iently situated in the same furnace employed for heating the retorts. 

 Decomposition of water ensues of course, accompanied with the pro- 

 ducuon of carbonic acid, (CO2) carbonic oxyd (CO) in small quantity, 

 of free hydrogen and a limited quantity of light carburetted hydrogen 

 gas, (C2H.) The mixture of these gases is conducted through a lime 

 purifier to remove carbonic acid, and without farther washing or puri- 

 fication, the product is ready for use. Consisting almost wholly of 

 hydrogen gas, the flame of its combustion is of course very feebly 

 luminous; to obviate this difficulty, it is burned in contact with a cage 

 or net work of platinum wire gauze surrounding an ordinary argand 

 burner, protected by a glass chimney. This simple contrivance (so 

 well known in the lecture-room) is perfectly successful, and the light 

 given out from gas lamps of this construction is extremely vivid and 

 constant- 



costmg, as is asserted by M, Gillard and sustained by the 

 ence of M. Christolef, only about y^^th the average coi 



This invention claims the following advantages in practice : 1. The 

 gas so produced is cheaper than any other mode of artificial light, 



ample experi- 

 cost of coal gas, 



2. The gas has no unpleasant odor, being entirely free from the volatile 

 hydrocarbons which are so peculiarly offensive in oil and coal gas. 



3. The products of its combustion are almost solely water, so little 

 carbonic acid resulting in the combustion that practically it may be 

 disregarded. 4. This mode of producing gas may be applied to any 

 existing gas works by a slight modification of the retorts, and without 

 any essential change in other portions of the apparatus — the platinum 

 cages being applied to the argand burners. 5. The cheapness of this 

 mode enables us to apply it with great advantage as a fuel for cooking 

 and for numerous purposes in the arts. For example, we saw in the 

 establishment of M. Christolef, the soldering of silver plate accom- 

 plished in a rapid and remarkably neat manner by a powerful jet of 

 this gas, driven by a pneumatic apparatus. Its perfect manageableness, 

 the ease with which an intense heat is applied locally and immediately 

 when it is wanted, coupled with advantages of employing for such a 

 purpose so powerful a deoxydizing agent as hydrogen, render this mode 



