l42 Morey on the Patent fVater-Burner. 



Journal, if thought worth inserting, an account in part of 

 tiiose improvements, including a few remarks and experi- 

 ments. 



If we put into one of these lamps two parts water, and 

 one spirits turpentine, and raise the temperature to about 

 204° or 206°, the water boils, and the vapor that comes 

 over is composed of about equal parts of each ; or if 

 we put in two parts water, two of alcohol, and of one spirits 

 turpentine, they boil at about 180°, and the vapor comes 

 over nearly in that proportion ; or if eight parts of alcohol, 

 and one of the oil is put in, they boil at about 160°, and the 

 vapor comes over in about that proportion. All these va- 

 pors, when made to issue through small openings, like gas 

 for lights, burn with a pleasant white flame, free from smoke 

 or smell. The water and oil give evidently the most intense- 

 ly white flame, but it is somewhat difficult to make them 

 burn without a sensible agitation of the flame, and a con- 

 stant detonating noise, evidently arising from the perpetual 

 decomposition, and recomposition of the water. The ad- 

 dition of alcohol adds much to the bulk and mildness of the 

 flame, but nothing to its intensity. The proportions in 

 which these substances will come over, can be made to vary 

 by varying the proportions in the lamp, and also by its con- 

 struction. It was desirable to have as small a proportion of 

 the oil come over, as would give sufficient whiteness to 

 the flame. For that purpose, the lamp is generally so con- 

 structed as to have the boiling round a tube, or on one side. 

 Whenever there is a proportion of water in the lamp, the 

 oil floats on the surface, and by the current created at the 

 point of boiling, it is carried as far ofTas it can recede, when 

 it will be less agitated, and of course will evaporate the 

 slower. In this way, when 1 have put in a quart of water, 

 and only half a gill of the spirits turpentine, the proportion 

 of the former that came over, was nearly two to one of the 

 latter, and 1 thought the flame to be more intensely white 

 than I had ever observed it before. There is no pretension 

 to exactness in these estimates ; by knowing the quantity of 

 each that was put in, from the appearance of the residuum 

 after burning, an estimate was formed of what had been con- 

 sumed. When water and oil only are used, the latter never 

 all comes over. It appears to be perpetually changing to a 

 resin, by the decomposition of the water. For common 



