Maech 13, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



383 



tensity with which it glows, which is the hot- 

 test part, and also to recognize that the lumi- 

 nous part deposits soot on any cold object. 

 These experiments led to the idea of con- 

 structing a new form of burner for acetylene 

 gas, in which the jets should be very fine 

 and very perfect in form, and which should 

 give the best possible access of air, and 

 which should bring a very small section of 

 metal in contact with the flame in order to 

 avoid smoke and the deposit of soot. 



The form eventually chosen is shown by 

 the sketch. The burner is made of brass 

 with nickel or steel tips. The extreme 

 points in contact with the flame may be 

 tipped with platinum or silver, but steel 

 answers the purpose quite well. The most 

 essential feature is that the tips should not 

 be larger than J^ inch in diameter. These 

 burners abstract very little heat from the 

 flame and consequently give more light 

 than the usual form for the same candle 

 power. They do not smoke with any height 

 of flame. They burn acetylene advanta- 

 geously with the 10- to 20-candle-power 

 light to which we are accustomed. Lava 

 tips are not well suited to such small 

 flames, because the section in contact with 

 the flame is about 20 times larger and ab- 

 stracts so much heat that the metal setting 

 for several inches in length becomes very 

 hot. Loss of heat occasions loss of light. 



It is particularly important in burning 

 acetylene that a large supply of air should 

 be drawn into the flame by the suction of 

 the gas jets which issue from the two orifices 

 of the burner. The steel jets described 

 above provide for this by their perfection of 



form, as they are bored from their base and 

 have the same proportions, which have been 

 found to throw the swiftest stream under a 

 given pressure with a hose nozzle. 



It seems probable, in view of the cai'eless 

 use of burners in the ordinary consumption 

 of gas, that one quality of acetylene will tell 

 in its favor. With a suitable burner acety- 

 lene will tolerate greater variations of pres- 

 sure than common gas. This point was de- 

 termined by more than 100 measures of the 

 candle power taken with the two gases 

 burning under different pressures. 



The smallness of the acetylene flame re- 

 quired to give off a brilliant light is a point 

 in its favor, allowing the use of a great 

 variety of globes and shades for tempering 

 or reflecting the light. 



The same quality will be found of ad- 

 vantage whan a strong light is to be con- 

 centrated as nearly as possible at the focus 

 of a mirror or of a lens, as in locomotive 

 headlights or in lanterns for projections. 



It was hoped that the quantity of light 

 given off by duplex or triplex acetylene 

 flames would show a particularly econom- 

 ical consumption, but the results of meas- 

 ures of the candle power of such flames with 

 or without chimneys were disappointing. It 

 appears that defect of air supply with such 

 flames more than counterbalances the effect 

 of the heat which one flame communicates 

 to the other. 



It might be desirable to use the existing 

 gas plants and to deliver, as heretofore, a 

 gas of 20-candle power suitable for heating 

 or lighting. Such a project seemed very easy 

 of fulfilment, since it was at first supposed 

 that acetylene could be used to enrich com- 

 mon gas, and in that case no changes would 

 be required in the mode of distribution nor in 

 the form of burners. Experiments have 

 shown that it can be employed to en- 

 rich coal gas, but that water gas, which is 

 so largely used in this country, cannot be en- 

 riched by acetylene. "Water gas has little 



