Excerpt from Lighting by Acetylene: A Treatise for the Practical Lighting Engineer, Containing Elementary Information and Details for Those About to Take Up the Work
There is not the least doubt now about Acetylene Gas being commercially applicable to the many purposes for which artificial light is needed, particularly in places where coal gas and electricity are unavailable and only oil illumination otherwise possible. It can now be said quite positively that this gas is the light of the future for country houses and works, unless, of course, some thing better' and cheaper should be devised, which is very unlikely.
Acetylene can now be made (given a proper gene rator) bya lad or any unskilled person, without super 'vision and with no risk; and it can be had at a cost that compares equally With coal gas at about 3s. 6d. Per thousand feet for a given candle-power or brilliancy of illumination. This is after allowing for wear and tear and interest on outlay. Should the present price of carbide go down, or should its gas-yielding qualities be increased, then acetylene will compare, of course, more favourably still. 'acetylene.
The present cost of the gas, however, is no obstacle to its free adoption, for it is' in very few country places that coal gas costs less than 3s. 6d. Per thousand feet, and in many districts it exceeds this greatly. Probably most people would rather pay a little more for coal gas supplied by a gas company, as the trouble of making the acetylene, small as it is or should be, is still a trouble, and the outlay for the apparatus has to be considered. Therefore acetylene is unlikely to displace coal gas where the latter exists but it is already a possible and strong rival to coal gas if it should be a question of which gas plant shall be laid down to light a village. For single-residence plants acetylene has nothing to fear from coal' gas, neither need it fear much from gasoline, which is dirty, ill - smelling and expensive in compari son with the later illuminant. Gasoline is also more dangerous.
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