This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1888 Excerpt: ...of grain. He wished to ask the Author whether there was any difficulty from deposit in the retorts, also of what materials the retorts were made? Keith. Mr. James Keith said that on some of the points mentioned in the Paper a little more enlightenment and a few corrections appeared to be necessary. He had been actively engaged, during the past twenty years, in experimenting on the best mode of making a permanent and pure gas from mineral oils, and in applying it to lighting and powor purposes, so as to render the system popular and satisfactory. As a pioneer, therefore, in the successful manufacture and application of mineral oil-gas in this country, and seeing that his name had been mentioned in the Paper, ho might be permitted to supplement the information given by the Author. Instead of one patent, as stated, three patents had been granted to him in connection with the manufacture and application of mineral oil-gas during the past fourteen years, viz., one in 1874, another in 1881, and a third in 1887. In each case the apparatus for making the gas had been designed to obtain the following objects: the maximum yield of gas, with the minimum consumption of fuel for heating the retorts; a cool and permanent gas, capable of being used as it was being made, continuously, without leaving any deposit, and with the smallest possible attention in working. The results had been fairly successful, seeing that the original single-retort apparatus of 1874, with one fire, making at least 200 cubic feet of gas per hour, could be heated from the cold state in from one hour to one hour and a half; while the later fourretort producer of 1881, with one fire, making at least 1,000 cubic feet per hour, could be similarly heated up in at most from three to four hours. For inst...