More dangerous than suction gas plants, in which normally no escape
takes place, are installations depending on gas _under pressure_. Such
an installation was used for heating gas irons in a Berlin laundry. The
arrangements were considered excellent. The gas jets were in stoves
from which the fumes were exhausted. The gas was made from charcoal
and contained 13 per cent. of hydrogen. No trace of carbonic oxide was
found in the ironing room on examination of the air. After having been
in use for months the mechanical ventilation got out of order, with the
result that twelve women suffered severely from symptoms of carbonic
oxide poisoning, from which they were brought round by oxygen inhalation.
The laundry reverted to the use of illuminating gas. The conclusion
to be drawn is that installations for gas heating are to be used with
caution.[2]
Industrial poisoning from _blast furnace gas_ is frequent. Two fatal
cases were reported[3] in men employed in the gas washing apparatus. They
met their death at the manhole leading to the waste-water outlet. In
another case a workman entered the gas main three hours after the gas had
been cut off to clear it of the dust which had collected. He succumbed,
showing that such accumulations can retain gas for a long time. Steps had
been taken three hours previously to ventilate the portion of gas main in
question.
A fatal case occurred in the cleaning out of a blast furnace flue which
had been ventilated for 1½ hours by opening all manholes, headplates, &c.
The foreman found the deceased with his face lying in the flue dust; both
he and a helper were temporarily rendered unconscious.
Cases of poisoning by _generator gas_ are described.[4] A workman who had
entered a gasometer containing the gas died in ten minutes, and another
remained unconscious for ten days and for another ten days suffered from
mental disturbance, showing itself in hebetude and weakness of memory.
_Acetylene_ is poisonous to only a slight extent. Impurities in it, such
as carbon bisulphide, carbonic oxide (present to the extent of 1-2 per
cent.), and especially phosphoretted hydrogen gas, must be borne in mind.
American calcium carbide[5] yields acetylene containing 0·04 per cent. of
phosphoretted hydrogen; Lunge and Cederkreutz have found as much as 0·06
per cent. in acetylene.
AMMONIA AND AMMONIUM COMPOUNDS
PREPARATION.—Ammonia and ammonium salts are now exclusively obtained as
a bye-product in the dry distillation of coal, from the ammonia water in
gas works, and as a bye-product from coke ovens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account