For the following valuable statistical details upon gas-light, my readers are indebted to Joseph Hedley, Esq., engineer, of the Alliance Gas Works, Dublin; a gentleman who to a sound knowledge of chemistry, joins such mechanical talent and indefatigable diligence, as qualify him to conduct with success, any great undertaking committed to his care. He has long endeavoured to induce the directors of the London gas-works to employ a better coal, and generate a more richly carburetted gas, which in much smaller quantity would give as brilliant a light, without heating the apartments unpleasantly, as their highly hydrogenated gas now does. Were his judicious views adopted, coal gas would soon supersede oil, and even wax candles, for illuminating private mansions.
Copy of a paper laid before a Committee of the House of Commons, showing not only the relative values of the Gases produced at the undermentioned places, but showing in like manner the relative economy of Gas as produced at the different places, over candles. By Joseph Hedley, Esq.
| Names of the Places where Experiments were made. | Illuminating power of a single Jet of Gas-flame four inches high, taken by a comparison of Shadows. | The Jet of Gas burnt, four inches high, consumed per hour and was equal to the Candles in the last column. | Gas required to be equal to 100 lbs. of mould Candles, 6 to the lb., 9 inches long each. [A] | Selling price of Gas per meter per 1000 cubic feet. | Cost of Gas equal in illumi- nating power to 100 lbs. of candles.[B] | Average discount allowed off the charge for Gas. | Net cost of Gas equal to 100 lbs. of Candles. | Specific gravity of the Gas. | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal to Candles. | Cubic Feet. | Cubic Feet. | s. | d. | L. | s. | d. | Per Cent. | L. | s. | d. | ||||||
| Birmingham; | - | 2·572 | 1 | ·22 | 2704 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 | ·541 | ||
| Birmingham and Staffordshire; two Companies | |||||||||||||||||
| Stockport | 3·254 | ·85 | 1489 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 1⁄2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ·539 | |||
| Manchester | 3·060 | ·825 | 1536 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 10 | 10 | ·534 | |||
| Liverpool Old Company[C] | 2·369 | 1 | ·1 | 2646 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | ·462 | ||
| Liverpool New Gas Company | 4·408 | ·9 | 1164 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 9 | 10 | ·580 | |||
| Bradford | 2·190 | 1 | ·2 | 3123 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ·420 | ||
| Leeds | 2·970 | ·855 | 1644 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | ·530 | |||
| Sheffield | 2·434 | 1 | ·04 | 2440 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 18 | 3 | ·466 | ||
| Leicester | 2·435 | 1 | ·1 | 2575 | 7 | 6 | 0 | 19 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 16 | 5 | ·528 | |||
| Nottingham | 1·645 | 1 | ·3 | 4200 | 9 | 0 | 1 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ·424 | |||
| Derby | 1·937 | 1 | ·2 | 3521 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 0 | ·448 | |||
| Preston | 2·136 | 1 | ·15 | 3069 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 2 | ·419 | |||
| London | 2·083 | 1 | ·13 | 3092 | 10 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 11 | none allowed. | 1 | 10 | 11 | ·412 | |||
| [A] 100 lbs. of candles are estimated to burn 5700 hours. | |||||||||||||||||
| [B] The candles cost 3l. 2s. 6d. | |||||||||||||||||
| [C] The Liverpool Old Company have since resorted to the use of Cannel coal, and consequently very nearly assimilate to the Liverpool New Company in illuminating power. | |||||||||||||||||
| Names of the Places where Experiments were made. | Illuminating power of a single Jet of Gas-flame four inches high, taken by a comparison of Shadows. | The Jet of Gas burnt, four inches high, consumed per hour and was equal to the Candles in the last column. | Gas required to be equal to 100 lbs. of mould Candles, 6 to the lb., 9 inches long each. [A] | Selling price of Gas per meter per 1000 cubic feet. | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equal to Candles. | Cubic Feet. | Cubic Feet. | s. | d. | ||||
| Birmingham; | - | 2·572 | 1 | ·22 | 2704 | 10 | 0 | |
| Birmingham and Staffordshire; two Companies | ||||||||
| Stockport | 3·254 | ·85 | 1489 | 10 | 0 | |||
| Manchester | 3·060 | ·825 | 1536 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Liverpool Old Company[C] | 2·369 | 1 | ·1 | 2646 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Liverpool New Gas Company | 4·408 | ·9 | 1164 | 10 | 0 | |||
| Bradford | 2·190 | 1 | ·2 | 3123 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Leeds | 2·970 | ·855 | 1644 | 8 | 0 | |||
| Sheffield | 2·434 | 1 | ·04 | 2440 | 8 | 0 | ||
| Leicester | 2·435 | 1 | ·1 | 2575 | 7 | 6 | ||
| Nottingham | 1·645 | 1 | ·3 | 4200 | 9 | 0 | ||
| Derby | 1·937 | 1 | ·2 | 3521 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Preston | 2·136 | 1 | ·15 | 3069 | 10 | 0 | ||
| London | 2·083 | 1 | ·13 | 3092 | 10 | 0 | ||
| [A] 100 lbs. of candles are estimated to burn 5700 hours. | ||||||||
| [C] The Liverpool Old Company have since resorted to the use of Cannel coal, and consequently very nearly assimilate to the Liverpool New Company in illuminating power. | ||||||||
| Names of the Places where Experiments were made. | Cost of Gas equal in illumi- nating power to 100 lbs. of candles.[B] | Average discount allowed off the charge for Gas. | Net cost of Gas equal to 100 lbs. of Candles. | Specific gravity of the Gas. | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| L. | s. | d. | Per Cent. | L. | s. | d. | |||||
| Birmingham; | - | 1 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 1 | 4 | 7 | ·541 | ||
| Birmingham and Staffordshire; two Companies | |||||||||||
| Stockport | 0 | 14 | 11 | 12 | 1⁄2 | 0 | 13 | 0 | ·539 | ||
| Manchester | 0 | 12 | 3 | 11 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 10 | 10 | ·534 | ||
| Liverpool Old Company[C] | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 1 | 4 | 9 | ·462 | ||
| Liverpool New Gas Company | 0 | 11 | 8 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 9 | 10 | ·580 | ||
| Bradford | 1 | 8 | 1 | 12 | 1⁄2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | ·420 | ||
| Leeds | 0 | 13 | 2 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 12 | 4 | ·530 | ||
| Sheffield | 0 | 19 | 6 | 6 | 1⁄4 | 0 | 18 | 3 | ·466 | ||
| Leicester | 0 | 19 | 3 | 15 | 0 | 16 | 5 | ·528 | |||
| Nottingham | 1 | 17 | 9 | 15 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ·424 | |||
| Derby | 1 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 1 | 10 | 0 | ·448 | |||
| Preston | 1 | 10 | 8 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 2 | ·419 | |||
| London | 1 | 10 | 11 | none allowed. | 1 | 10 | 11 | ·412 | |||
| [B] The candles cost 3l. 2s. 6d. | |||||||||||
| [C] The Liverpool Old Company have since resorted to the use of Cannel coal, and consequently very nearly assimilate to the Liverpool New Company in illuminating power. | |||||||||||
Memorandum.—It will not fail to be observed that in deducing the comparative value between candles and gas by these experiments, the single jet (and in every instance, of course, it was the same), has been the medium. This however, though decidedly the most correct way of making the comparative estimate of the illuminating power of the several gases, is highly disadvantageous in the economical comparison, inasmuch as gas burnt in a properly regulated argand burner, with its proper sized glass, air aperture, and sufficient number of holes, gives an advantage in favour of gas consumed in an argand, over a jet burner, of from 30 to 40 per cent. At the same time it must not be overlooked that in many situations where great light is not required, it will be found far more economical to adopt the use of single jets, which by means of swing brackets and light elegant shades, becomes splendid substitutes for candles, in banking establishments, offices, libraries, &c. &c.
Note.—In Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Perth, and the Scotch towns generally the Parrot or Scotch Cannel coal is used; in illuminating power and specific gravity the gas produced is equal to that from the best description of Cannel coal in England. The price per 1000 cubic feet ranges about 9s., with from 5 to 30 per cent. off for discounts, leaving the net price about 9s. to be equal in the above table to 100 lbs. of candles.
Epitome of Experiments made in Gas produced from different qualities of Coal, and consumed in different kinds of Burners:
Tried at the Sheffield Gas Light Company’s Works, and laid before a Committee of the House of Commons. By Joseph Hedley, Esq.