A Practical Treatise on Gas-light: Exhibiting a Summary Description of the Apparatus and Machinery Best Calculated for Illuminating Streets, Houses, and Manufactories, with Carburetted Hydrogen, or Coal-Gas, with Remarks on the Utility, Safety, and General Nature of this new Branch of Civil Economy.Accum, Friedrich Christian
Science
A Practical Treatise on Gas-light: Exhibiting a Summary Description of the Apparatus and Machinery Best Calculated for Illuminating Streets, Houses, and Manufactories, with Carburetted Hydrogen, or Coal-Gas, with Remarks on the Utility, Safety, and General Nature of this new Branch of Civil Economy.
Accum, Friedrich Christian
Candles; Gas-lighting
In fact, no danger can arise from the application of gas-lights in any
way, but what is common to candle-light, and lamps of all kinds, and is
the fault of none of them. Even in this case the gas-lights are less
hazardous. There is no risk of those accidents which often happen from
the guttering or burning down of candles, or from carelessly snuffing
them. The gas-light lamps and burners must necessarily be fixed to one
place, and therefore cannot fall, or otherwise become deranged, without
being immediately extinguished. Besides, the gas-light flames emit no
sparks, nor are any embers detached from them. As a proof of the
comparative safety of the gas-lights, it need only be stated, that the
Fire-offices engage themselves to insure cotton-mills, and other public
works, at a less premium, where gas-lights are used, than in the case of
any other lights.[38] The excessive expence of insurance arising from
the numerous candles employed in most of the first rate manufactories,
and the combustible nature of the structure of the buildings; the great
difficulty of retrieving the injury resulting to a well-organised
business, from the accidental destruction of the machinery, are objects
alone sufficient to furnish the strongest economical, as well as
political recommendations, for the adoption of the new lights in all
manufactories where work is done by candle-light.
[38] Since the preceding pages have been printed, I have seen a
_self-extinguishing gas-lamp_, invented by Mr. CLEGG. This lamp is so
constructed, that the gas cannot flow to the burner, when the flame
becomes extinguished. If, therefore, the lamp should be blown out, and
the stop-cock which supplies the gas be left open, the extinction of
the flame will effectually shut the valve. The action of this lamp
depends upon the expansibility of a metallic rod, heated by the flame
of the lamp, and thus keeping open the valve, whereas, when the lamp
is extinguished, and the rod becomes cold, it contracts to its natural
dimensions, and, by that means, effectually closes the valve. The same
engineer has invented a machine, which both measures and registers, in
the absence of the observer, the quantity of gas delivered by any pipe
communicating with a gas-light main. The machine occupies a space of
about two feet by one foot, and, if put up in a room, house, or other
place, where gas is burnt, will, at any time, by mere inspection, give
an account of the quantity of gas consumed in that place during any
given time. On the present occasion, it would not become me to say
more on these subjects, which, no doubt, Mr. CLEGG will make known to
the public; I shall only remark, that these contrivances do signal
honour to the talents and abilities of the inventor; and that they
will render the greatest services to those who are engaged in the
gas-light illumination.
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