THE rural IM EW-YORKER 
NON-FREEZING ACETYLENE GENERATOR 
C AN you give me any information In 
regard to using a non-freezing so¬ 
lution in an acetylene gas generator? 
Could denatured alcohol or kerosene be 
used around the receiving tank? 
Macnngie, Pa. w. s. w. 
Acetylene gas is becoming a very 
popular source of light for farm build¬ 
ings. As compared with the isolated 
country electric plant it has the follow¬ 
ing advantages. It is cheap and easily 
installed—it is practically automatic in 
action, requiring the minimum of at¬ 
tention, and has few moving parts to 
wear. The gas, which is a combination 
of the elements carbon and hydrogen, is 
made by the action of water on a sub¬ 
stance called calcium carbide, a com¬ 
pound of lime and carbon formed in the 
intense heat of the electric furnace. 
When combined with water there is an 
action somewhat similar to that when 
quicklime and water are combined, and 
the acetylene gas is generated. The 
hydrogen of the water unites with the 
carbon of the calcium carbide, forming 
the actelylene gas, while the calcium or 
lime of the compound unites with the 
oxygen of the water, forming ordinary 
lime-water or whitewash, the residue that 
is left in the generator. 
The usual type of generator has the 
carbide contained in a hopper at the top, 
from which it is fed into a tank of water 
at the bottom of the machine. Here the 
gas is generated. By a suitable means 
it is collected from this chamber and 
passed to another which stores it for use, 
and also regulates the pressure and rate 
of carbide feed. This second chamber or 
“gas bell” is similar in principle to an 
empty pail floating bottom upward in a 
tank of water. It is held in place by 
suitable guides, but is still free to rise 
and fall with the varying rates at which 
the gas is generated and used. As the gas 
comes from the generator it is collected 
under this “gas bell.” The supply pipe 
for tire lights also leads from this, and 
the carbide feed arrangement is connected 
to and operated by it. The bell is ad¬ 
justed to float at a certain height. Sup¬ 
pose the lights to be turned on; a certain 
quantity of gas is consumed which causes 
the bell to sink a certain distance. This 
operates the carbide feed arrangement, 
and feeds more carbide into the gen¬ 
erator, which in turn evolves more gas 
and tends to bring the bell back to its 
normal position. It acts like the gov¬ 
ernor on an engine, automatically ad¬ 
justing the rate of generation to the rate 
of consumption. 
From the foregoing it will be seen that 
the gas bell, or gasometer, is an im¬ 
portant part of the machine, and that 
the liquid in which it floats must have 
the following properties to work suc¬ 
cessfully. It must be free from anything 
that might affect the quality of the gas 
and in this way affect the light by im¬ 
pairing its brilliancy. It must be some¬ 
thing that will be perfectly fluid at all 
temperatures to which the outfit is sub¬ 
ject, or the action of the gas bell would 
be sluggish, or stopped altogether, af¬ 
fecting the regulation of the rate of gas 
generation. It must be of such nature 
that it will not attack the walls of the 
tank. Were it not for this last condi¬ 
tion a solution of common salt would 
serve the purpose, but it attacks the 
metal from which the tank is made and 
cannot be used. Kerosene, alcohol and 
similar liquids fulfil the last two condi¬ 
tions, and can be used for this purpose, 
but I am told by a leading manufacturer 
of acetylene plants that these liquids 
e a gas that affects the brilliancy 
e lights. From the same source I 
that a solution of calcium chloride 
can be used for this purpose i. e.: under 
the gas bell. This would not be suitable 
for use in the generator itself, but it is 
rarely that this freezes, as it is usually 
placed well below the frost line, and the 
union of the carbide and water is at¬ 
tended by a certain amount of heat which 
keeps the temperature up as long as the 
machine is working. This calcium 
chloride is low in price and the addition 
of two pounds to each gallon of water 
used will insure against freezing in ordi¬ 
nary temperatures. The ordinary com¬ 
mercial calcium chloride is what is 
wanted. I am told that chloride of lime 
as applied to the bleach used for washing 
purposes is more or less a trade name, 
and that this substance is not suitable 
for a non-freezing solution. The proper 
thing to do is so to protect the outfit 
during cold weather that there will be no 
danger from freezing, rather than try to 
safeguard by means of non-freezing so¬ 
lutions, but where the former cannot be 
done the latter method is a great help. 
ROBERT H. SMITH. 
23C 
Smokehouse Ventilation. 
O N page 30 I read a description of a 
smokehouse. There is no mention 
made of the construction of the roof 
or material used or whether there is any 
ventilation in the building. Will you ex¬ 
plain these points in detail? Fig. 9 with 
fire-box in end, fired from outside, suits 
my ideas better than the other, but I 
do not understand how you get smoke 
to enter the house, or the fire to burn 
unless there is a vent somewhere in the 
sides or roof. l. J. a. 
Greenville, R. I. 
As the primary object in the smoking 
of hams, etc., is to complete the process 
of curing, it is therefore obvious that 
a strong blaze, above all things, is to be 
avoided. Hence in this construction of 
a smokehouse ventilation is not usually 
provided for. As a rule there will be 
sufficient cracks and crevices in the roof 
for the escape of the smoke; in most cases 
too much escapes from this cause. There 
is no likelihood of there ever being too 
much smoke in the building, and the ob¬ 
ject of a close-fitting door to the firebox 
is to shut off all air after the fire gets 
under way, so that this fire will smother 
down and become a smudge, which will 
emit dense volumes of smoke, which is 
just what is necessary in smoking meat. 
However, if a roof should be provided 
that is hermetically tight, and it should 
appear necessary to provide a little vent 
for the proper working of the smudge, a 
few one-inch auger holes in each gable 
just under the roof will solve that trou¬ 
ble. The roof may be constructed of any 
kind of material that is suitable for roof¬ 
ing purposes. Matched sheathing covered 
with a good grade of felt roofing, makes a 
dry and lasting roof, and for safety from 
fire comes next to an all metal roof. 
When yon write advertisers mention The 
Rural New-Yorker and you’ll get a quick 
reply and a “square deal.” See guarantee 
editorial page. 
I 
^Maybehiswayis 
L better than yours. 
, Maybe he ia making a 
i thousand or so a 
lyear extra money out 
^of his farm, in so mo 
I way that you are 
overlooking. It ia 
our business to tell 
you how he ia doing 
it. The Breeder’s 
Gazette costs $1.00 
a year. Just drop ua 
' a postal and a copy 
1 will be sent free. 
f The Breeder’s Gazette 
542 So. Dearborn Street 
Room 1122 Chicago, III. 
Harvest a win¬ 
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of wood 
There’s a lot 
of good mon¬ 
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real good 
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Box 3 , ■ Belleville, Pa. 
“CONCRETE FOR PERMANENCE " 
“A WORD TO THE WISE:” 
For the concrete work on 
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PORTLAND 
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The Atlas Portland Cement Co.. 30 Broad St., NewYork 
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21 
CENTS 
A ROD 
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jre cities 
descriptive Dooklet & map. 
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