Gas lighting refers to a technology used to produce light from gas, usually methane, but also including hydrogen and ethylene. Throughout the nineteenth century and into the first decades of the twentieth, the gas was manufactured by the gasification of coal. Gasification is a process that converts carbonaceous materials such as Coal, Petroleum, or Biomass, into Carbon monoxide and Hydrogen In the latter years of the nineteenth century, natural gas began to replace coal gas, first in the US, and then in other parts of the world. Natural gas is a Gaseous Fossil fuel consisting primarily of Methane but including significant quantities of Ethane, Propane, In the UK, coal gas was used until after the Second World War.
Before electricity became sufficiently widespread and economical to allow for general public use, gas was the most popular means of lighting in cities and suburbs. A city is an Urban area with a large Population and a particular Administrative, Legal, or Historical status South San Jose (cropjpg||thumb|A suburban development in San Jose California. Early gas lights had to be lit manually but soon gas lights could light themselves.
Contents |
History
Background
Early lighting fuels consisted of olive oil, beeswax, fish oil, whale oil, sesame oil, nut oil, and similar substances. Wrocław (Breslau Vratislav Vratislavia or Wratislavia Yiddish: ברעסלוי) is the chief City of the historical region of Lower Silesia Poland (Polska officially the Republic of Poland The history of manufactured gas, important for lighting heating and cooking purposes throughout most of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth century began Olive oil is a fruit oil obtained from the olive ( Olea europaea; family Oleaceae along with Lilacs Jasmine and ash trees For the rock song by Nirvana see Beeswax (song. Beeswax is a natural Wax produced in the bee hive of Honey bees of the genus Fish oil is Oil derived from the tissues of Oily fish. Fish oil is recommended for a healthy diet because it contains the Omega-3 Whale oil is the oil obtained from the Blubber of various species of Whales particularly the three species of Right Whale ( Eubalaena japonica Sesame oil (also known as "gingelly oil" or "til oil" is an edible Vegetable oil derived from Sesame seeds Besides being used as a Cooking These were the most commonly used fuels until the late 18th century. The 18th century lasted from 1701 to 1800 in the Gregorian calendar, in accordance with the Anno Domini / Common Era numbering system Chinese records dating back 2300 years note the use of natural gas in the home for light and heat via bamboo pipes to the dwellings. [1]
Public illumination preceded the discovery and adoption of gaslight by centuries. In 1417, Sir Henry Barton, Mayor of London, ordained "lanterns with lights to be hanged out on the winter evenings between Hallowtide and Candlemasse. Henry Barton was elected Lord Mayor of The City of London in 1416 The Mayor of London is an elected politician who along with the London Assembly of 25 members is accountable for the strategic government of Greater London (see For the British girl group see All Saints (band. All Saints' Day (also called All Hallows or Hallowmas) often The Feast of the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple celebrates an early episode in the life of Jesus, and falls on or around 2 February. " Paris was first lit by an order issued in 1524; and in the beginning of the 16th century the inhabitants were ordered to keep lights burning in the windows of all houses that faced the streets. Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city In 1668, when some regulations were made for improving the streets of London, the residents were reminded to hang out their lanterns at the usual time; and in 1690 an order was issued to hang out a light, or lamp, every night as soon as it was dark, from Michaelmas to Christmas. A lantern is a Portable Lighting device used to illuminate broad areas Michaelmas, the feast of St Michael the Archangel (also the Feast of SS Michael Gabriel and Raphael or the Feast of Michael and All Angels) is a day in the By an act of the common council in 1716, all housekeepers, whose houses faced any street, lane, or passage, were required to hang out, every dark night, one or more lights, to burn from six to eleven o'clock, under the penalty of one shilling as a fine for failing to do so. The shilling is a unit of Currency used in current and former Commonwealth countries and was continued to be used in countries that left the commonwealth
Coal and natural gases were known originally for their adverse effects rather than their useful qualities. In Coal Mining miners described two types, called the choke damp and the fire damp. Coal mining is the extraction or removal of Coal from the Earth by Mining. Blackdamp (also known as stythe or choke damp) is a mixture of unbreathable gases formed when oxygen is removed from an enclosed Atmosphere and largely Firedamp is a Flammable Gas found in coal mines. It is actually the name given to a number of flammable gases including Methane. In 1667 a paper detailing the effects of these was entitled, "A Description of a Well and Earth in Lancashire taking Fire, by a Candle approaching to it. Imparted by Thomas Shirley, Esq an eye-witness. "
Dr. Stephen Hales was the first person who procured a flammable fluid from the actual distillation of coal. Stephen Hales, FRS ( 17 September 1677 &ndash 4 January 1761) was an English Physiologist, Chemist His experiments with this object are related in the first volume of his Vegetable Statics, published in 1726. From the distillation of "one hundred and fifty-eight grains [10. 2 g] of Newcastle coal, he states that he obtained one hundred and eighty cubic inches [2. 9 L] of air, which weighed fifty-one grains [3. 3 g], being nearly one third of the whole. " These results seemed to have passed without notice for several years.
In the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society in 1733, some properties of coal-gas are detailed in a paper called, "An Account of the Damp Air in a Coal-pit of Sir James Lowther, sunk within Twenty Yards of the Sea. The Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, or Phil Trans Sir James Lowther 4th Baronet, FRS (1673 – 2 January 1755) was an English landowner politician and industrialist " This paper, contained some striking facts relating to the flammability and other properties of coal gas.
The principal properties of coal-gas were demonstrated to different members of the Royal Society, and showed that after keeping the gas some time, it still retained its flammability. The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Remarkably, the scientists of the time still saw no useful purpose for it.
Dr. John Clayton, in an extract from a letter in the "Philosophical Transactions" for 1735, calls gas the "spirit" of coal; and discovered its flammability by an accident. This "spirit" happened to catch fire, by coming in contact with a candle, as it escaped from a fracture in one of his distillatory vessels. By preserving the gas in bladders, he entertained his friends, by exhibiting its flammability.
The first gas lighting
The man who first utilised the flammability of gas for the practical application of lighting, was William Murdoch (sometimes spelled 'Murdock'), who worked for Matthew Boulton and James Watt at their Soho Foundry steam engine works in Birmingham England. William Murdoch (sometimes spelled Murdock) ( August 21, 1754 - November 15, 1839) was a Scottish engineer and inventor Matthew Boulton ( September 3, 1728 &ndash 18 August 1809) was an English Manufacturer and Engineer. James Watt ( 19 January 1736 &ndash 25 August 1819 Boulton proved to be an excellent businessman and both men eventually made fortunes Soho Foundry (not to be confused with the Soho Manufactory) was a Factory created in 1795 by Matthew Boulton and James Watt at Smethwick A steam engine is a Heat engine that performs Mechanical work using Steam as its Working fluid. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um Murdoch began experimenting with various types of gas in the early 1790s, finally settling on coal gas as the most effective. Events and trends French Revolution ( 1789 - 1799) It is considered to have effectively ended on November 9, 1799 when In 1798 he used gas to light the main building of the Soho Foundry and in 1802 lit the outside in a public display of gas lighting, the lights astonishing the local population. Year 1798 ( MDCCXCVIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Year 1802 ( MDCCCII) was a Common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar or a Common year starting on Wednesday of the One of the employees at the Soho Foundry, Samuel Clegg, saw the potential of this new form of lighting. Clegg left his job to set up his own gas lighting business, the Gas Lighting and Coke Company. Murdoch also lit his own house in Redruth, Cornwall in 1792, six years before lighting the Soho Foundry. Redruth (Rysrudh is a town and Civil parish in the district of Kerrier (traditionally in Penwith Hundred) Cornwall, England Cornwall ( Kernow ˈkɛɹnɔʊ is the most southwesterly county of England, on the Peninsula that lies to the west of the River Tamar Year 1792 ( MDCCXCII) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year [2]
A "thermolampe" using gas distilled from wood was patented in 1799, whilst German inventor Freidrich Winzer (Frederick Albert Winsor) was the first person to patent coal gas lighting in 1804. Year 1799 ( MDCCXCIX) was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Frederick Albert Winsor, originally Friedrich Albrecht Winzer (1763 Braunschweig, Germany – 11 May 1830 Paris) was a German inventor one of the pioneers Year 1804 ( MDCCCIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a
In 1801, Phillipe Lebon of Paris had also used gas lights to illuminate his house and gardens, and was considering how to light all of Paris. Year 1801 ( MDCCCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year starting on Tuesday Paris (ˈpærɨs in English; in French) is the Capital of France and the country's largest city In 1820, Paris adopted gas street lighting. Year 1820 ( MDCCCXX) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
In 1804, Dr. Henry delivered a course of lectures on chemistry, at Manchester, in which he showed the mode of producing gas from coal, and the facility and advantage of its use. Chemistry (from Egyptian kēme (chem meaning "earth") is the Science concerned with the composition structure and properties Dr. Henry analyzed the composition and investigated the properties of carburetted hydrogen gas. His experiments were numerous and accurate and made upon a variety of substances; having obtained the gas from wood, peat, different kinds of coal, oil, wax, &c. Peat is an accumulation of partially Decayed Vegetation matter. he quantified the intensity of the light from each source.
Josiah Pemberton, a tireless inventor, had for some time been experimenting on the nature of gas. A resident of Birmingham, his attention was probably roused by the exhibition at Soho. Birmingham ( ˈbɜːmɪŋəm Ber -ming-um About 1806, he exhibited gas-lights in a variety of forms and with great brilliance, at the front of his manufactory in Birmingham. Year 1806 ( MDCCCVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In 1808 he constructed an apparatus, applicable to several uses, for Benjamin Cooke, a manufacturer of brass tubes, gilt toys, and other articles. Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Benjamin Cooke ( 1734 - 14 September 1793) was an English Composer, Organist and Teacher.
In 1808, Murdoch presented to the Royal Society a paper entitled "Account of the Application of Gas from Coal to Economical Purposes" an account of his successful application of coal gas to lighting the extensive establishment of Messrs. Year 1808 ( MDCCCVIII) was a Leap year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Royal Society of London for the Improvement of Natural Knowledge, known simply as The Royal Society, is a Learned society for science that was founded in 1660 Phillips and Lea. For this paper he was awarded Count Rumford's gold medal. Murdoch's statements threw great light on the comparative advantage of gas and candles and contained much useful information on the expenses of production and management.
The first public street lighting with gas took place in Pall Mall, London on January 28, 1807. Pall Mall (pæl mæl is a street in the City of Westminster, London, situated in SW1 and parallel to The Mall, from St Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1807 ( MDCCCVII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common In 1812, Parliament granted a charter to the London and Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company, and the first gas company in the world came into being. Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The Gas Light and Coke Company (also known as the Westminster Gas Light and Coke Company was a company involved in the business of Gas lighting and Coking. A few years later, on December 31, 1813, the Westminster Bridge was lit by gas. Events 406 – Vandals, Alans and Suebians cross the Rhine, beginning an invasion of Gallia. Year 1813 ( MDCCCXIII) was a Common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common Westminster Bridge is a road and foot traffic bridge over the River Thames between Westminster, Middlesex bank and Lambeth, Surrey bank in what
As artificial lighting became more common, desire grew for it to become readily available to the public. This was in part because towns became much safer places to travel around after gas lamps were installed in the streets, reducing crime rates. In 1809, accordingly, the first application was made to parliament to incorporate a company in order to accelerate the process, but failed to pass. Year 1809 ( MDCCCIX) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year In 1810, however, the application was renewed by the same parties, and though some opposition was encountered and considerable expense incurred, the bill passed, but not without great alterations; and the London and Westminster Chartered Gas-Light and Coke Company was established. Year 1810 ( MDCCCX) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year By 1816, Samuel Clegg obtained the patent for his horizontal rotative retort, his apparatus for purifying coal gas with cream of lime, and for his rotative gas meter and self-acting governor. Year 1816 ( MDCCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year
Its spread
Following this success, gas lighting spread to other countries. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar The use of gas lights in Rembrandt Peale's Museum in Baltimore in 1816 was a great success. Rembrandt Peale ( February 22, 1778 – October 3, 1860) was a 19th century American artist that received critical acclaim for his Year 1816 ( MDCCCXVI) was a Leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year Baltimore was the first American city with gas streetlights, provided by Peale's Gas Light Company of Baltimore.
The first private residence in the US illuminated by gas was that of William Henry, a coppersmith, at 200 Lombard Street, Philadelphia, Pa.
Among the economic impacts of gas lighting was much longer work hours in factories. This was particularly important in Great Britain during the winter months when nights were significantly longer. Factories could even work continuously over 24 hours, resulting in increased production.
In 1817, at the three stations of the Chartered Gas Company, 25 chaldrons (24 m³) of coal were carbonized daily, producing 300,000 cubic feet (8,500 m³) of gas. Year 1817 ( MDCCCXVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This supplied gas lamps equal to 75,000 Argand lamps each yielding the light of six candles. The Argand lamp was invented and patented in 1780 by Aimé Argand. At the City Gas Works, in Dorset Street, Blackfriars, three chaldrons of coal were carbonized each day, providing the gas equivalent of 9,000 Argand lamps. So 28 chaldrons of coal were carbonized daily, and 84,000 lights supplied by those two companies only.
At this period the principal difficulty in gas manufacture was purification. Mr. D. Wilson, of Dublin, patented a method for purifying coal gas by means of the chemical action of ammoniacal gas. A patent is a set of Exclusive rights granted by a State to an inventor or his assignee for a fixed period of time in exchange for a disclosure of an Another plan was devised by Mr. Reuben Phillips, of Exeter, who patented the purification of coal gas by the use of dry lime. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Mr. G. Holworthy, in 1818, patented a method of purifying it by causing the gas, in a highly-condensed state, to pass through iron retorts heated to a dark red. Year 1818 ( MDCCCXVIII) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common
By 1823 numerous towns and cities throughout Britain were lit by gas. Year 1823 ( MDCCCXXIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian Calendar (or a Common Gaslight cost up to 75% less than oil lamps or candles, which helped to accelerate its development and deployment. By 1859, gas lighting was to be found all over Britain and and about a thousand gas works had sprung up to meet the demand for the new fuel. Year 1859 ( MDCCCLIX) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common This is a historical article For current information see Syngas. The brighter lighting which gas provided allowed people to read more easily and for longer. This helped to stimulate literacy and learning, speeding up the second Industrial Revolution. The Industrial Revolution was a period in the late 18th and early 19th centuries when major changes in agriculture manufacturing and transportation had a profound effect on the
Oil gas appeared in the field as a rival of coal gas. In 1815, John Taylor patented an apparatus for the decomposition of "oil"and other animal substances. Year 1815 ( MDCCCXV) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common year Public attention was attracted to "oil gas" by the display of the patent apparatus at Apothecary's Hall, by Messrs. Taylor and Martineau.
In 1891, the invention of the gas mantle by the Austrian chemist Carl Auer von Welsbach eliminated the need for special illuminating gas to get bright shining flames. Year 1891 ( MDCCCXCI) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Common For other uses of mantle see Mantle An incandescent gas mantle, gas mantle, or Welsbach mantle is a device for generating Carl Auer Freiherr von Welsbach ( 1 September 1858 - 4 August 1929) was an Austrian Scientist and Inventor who Illuminating gas was a synthetic mixture of Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon gases produced by Destructive distillation ( Pyrolysis) of Bituminous
Gas street lighting today
In the early 20th century, most cities in the United States and Europe had gaslit streets. The twentieth century of the Common Era began on The United States of America —commonly referred to as the However, gas lighting for streets gave way to electric lighting early in the 20th century. Small incandescent electric lamps began to replace gas lights in homes in the late 19th century, although the transition took decades to complete. The 19th century of the Common Era began on January 1, 1801 and ended on December 31, 1900, according to the Gregorian calendar See, for example, Rural electrification. Rural electrification is the process of bringing electrical power to Rural and remote areas
Gas lighting has not disappeared completely from cities.
Cities that retain gas lighting now often find that it provides a pleasing nostalgic effect. Similarly, gas lighting is also seeing a resurgence in the luxury home market for those in search of historical accuracy.
The largest gas lighting network in Europe is probably that of Berlin with about 44,000 lamps. Berlin is the capital city and one of sixteen states of Germany. Quite a few streets in central London, the Royal Parks and the exterior of Buckingham Palace remain gaslit. London ( ˈlʌndən is the capital and largest urban area in the United Kingdom. The Royal Parks of London are lands originally owned by the monarchy of England or the United Kingdom for the recreation (mostly hunting of the royal Buckingham Palace is the official London residence of the British monarch. The Park Estate in Nottingham retains much of its original character, including the original gas lighting network. The Park Estate is a private residential estate just to the west of the city centre of Nottingham, England that was built in what was once the Deer Nottingham ( is a city in the Ceremonial county of Nottinghamshire, England.
In the United States, Cincinnati, Ohio still uses gaslight in many of its residential neighborhoods. The United States of America —commonly referred to as the Ohio ( is a Midwestern state of the United States. As part of the Great Lakes region, Ohio has long been a cultural and geographical crossroads as do parts of the famed French Quarter in New Orleans and of Boston's Beacon Hill neighborhood. The French Quarter, also known as Vieux Carré, is the oldest and most famous neighborhood in the city of New Orleans Louisiana. New Orleans (nʲuːˈɔrliənz nʲuːˈɔrlənz French: La Nouvelle-Orléans) is a major United States port city and the largest city in Louisiana Other places are also named Beacon Hill. Beacon Hill is a neighborhood of Boston Massachusetts, covering approximately one square
South Orange, New Jersey has adopted the gaslight as the symbol of the town, and uses them on nearly all streets. South Orange Village is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Several other towns in New Jersey also retain gas lighting: Glen Ridge, Palmyra, Riverton, and some parts of Orange. New Jersey ( is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. Glen Ridge is a borough in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. Palmyra is a Borough in Burlington County, New Jersey, United States. Riverton is a Borough located in Burlington County, New Jersey. The City of Orange is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States.
Many gas utility companies will still quote a fixed periodic rate for a customer-maintained gas lamp and homeowners still utilize such devices. However, the high cost of natural gas lighting[1] at least partly explains why a large number of older gas lamps have been converted to electricity.
Other Uses
Gas lighting is still in common use for lighting roadworks (using bottled gas) outside of towns, and for camping lights. Baustellesvg|thumb]] Roadworks occur when part of the Road, or in rare cases the entire road has to be occupied for work relating to the road most often in the case of road Bottled gas is a term used for substances which are gaseous at Standard temperature and pressure (STP and have been compressed and stored in Carbon steel, Stainless Definition Camping describes a range of activities Survivalist campers set off with little more than their boots whereas Recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped
Other usages
Gaslighting is also a term for a form of psychological abuse. Gaslighting is a form of Psychological abuse. It involves an increasing frequency of systematically withholding factual information from and/or providing false information This usage derives from the film Gaslight (1940) and its 1944 remake. This article is about the 1940 film Gaslight For the 1944 film see Gaslight. This article is about the 1944 film Gaslight For the 1940 release see Gaslight. Following the premise of the movies, gaslighting is a deliberate attempt to convince someone that they are losing their grasp on reality, usually in order to gain some advantage over them.
See also the Gaslight disambiguation page.
See also
External links
- Berliner Gaslaternen Pages on gas lighting at Berlin (German). This is a list of sources of Light, including both natural and artificial sources and both processes and devices.
- Gaslaternen-Freilichtmuseum Berlin Open air museum on gas lighting at Berlin (German).
- The Mirror of Literature, Amusement, and Instruction, Vol. X, No. 290, dated Saturday, December 29, 1827. The full text is available at Project Gutenberg here. Project Gutenberg, abbreviated as PG, is a volunteer effort to Digitize, archive and distribute Cultural works
- Open Door Website - 2nd Industrial Revolution
- Gas-Lite Manufacturing Company
- Charm-Lite Gaslight Conversions
- About.com - Light Inventors
References
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