Scientific American Supplement, No. 601, July 9, 1887Various
Science
Scientific American Supplement, No. 601, July 9, 1887
Various
Science -- Periodicals
Discussion next took place regarding the Welsbach incandescence gas
light, which was opened by Mr. McGrilchrist, who remarked on the very
fragile and tender nature of the "mantle," and expressed a hope that in
this direction improvement might be looked for. It was certainly a
beautiful light, and as to its consumption, he stated that the lamp then
shown to the meeting was only burning two cubic feet of gas per hour. [A
voice: Two and two-tenths.] He felt satisfied that it would enable the
manufacturers of gas to compete with paraffin oil, so that with Glasgow
gas they could have such a light as they saw at the rate of 4d. for
about fifty hours.
Mr. W. Key (Tradeston Gas Works) made a statement giving the results of
inquiries he had made at St. Enoch Station Hotel, where the light has
for some time been on exhibition. From the answers given to his
inquiries he spoke rather disparagingly of the lamp, but chiefly on
account of the expense involved in renewing the "mantles" and the glass
chimneys. He admitted, however, that the lamps which he had seen were
placed very unfavorably, being exposed to the action of somewhat violent
draughts, and he subsequently remarked that the lamp was of such a
nature as to effect the complete combustion of the carbon contained in
the gas. The burner must, therefore, be regarded as a great boon--as
_the_ burner, in short.
Mr. D.M. Nelson (Glasgow) gave his experience gained in connection with
the light, remarking that one of the great drawbacks to it was the very
great rarity of the mineral from which the zirconium was obtained. So
scarce was it that it would become dearer than platinum and more
valuable than gold if the lamp came into general use. The light which
the lamp gave out, though it possessed intensity, was deficient in
diffusibility as compared with that given out from ordinary flat flame
gas burners, and this was another objection to it. He argued at some
length against the financial aspects of the scheme which was being
promoted to buy up the Welsbach patents, and to introduce the lamp into
this country. His advice to his friends was not to have anything to do
with the Welsbach company, and, as investors, to be very careful in
accepting all the statements made about the light, which he predicted
would not be a financial success.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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