To Burn Gas.—There are a right way and a wrong way to burn gas. In other words the illumination ob tained from the gas burned depends upon perfect combustion at the burner tip. And this combustion cannot take place unless the tip itself is in good condition.
The picture on the left shows a 5 foot tip; the shape of the flame is full and regular, giving the fullest illu minating power of the gas consumed. On the other hand, the picture on the right shows a 3-foot tip burning 5 feet of gas per hour and giving poor light; the flame is irregular and the com bustion imperfect, due to the use of a burner tip not designed to burn over 3 cubic feet.
It is obvious, then, that it is highly important to see that the burners and tips are intelligently selected and that they are kept in good condition, if gas is to be used economically, and the full illuminating power of the gas consumed obtained.
To Read the Gas Meter.—The fig ures on the index at the right hand denote even hundreds. When the hand completes the entire circle it denotes ten hundred, and is registered by the hand in the center circle pointing to 1; each figure in the center circle de notes a thousand, this entire circle being ten thousand, which is registered at 1 on the index of the left-hand circle by the hand, each figure there denoting ten thousand.
The quantity of gas which passes through the meter is ascertained by reading from the index at the time the amount is required to be known, and deducting therefrom the quantity shown by the index at a previous ob servation.
The register at all times shows the quantity that has passed through since the meter was first set. Deducting from this the amount that has been paid for (without any regard to the time when), the remainder shows what is unpaid.
Or, in different words, the dial on the right hand (marked 1,000) indi cates 100 feet from one figure to the next. 1 The middle dial (marked 10, i 000) 'ndicates 1,000 feet from one figure to the next. The dial on the left (marked 100,000) indicates 10,000 feet from one figure to the next.
If the hand on the right-hand dial is between the figures 2 and 4, the lesser of the two numbers is read, the index reading 200 feet. If the hand
on the middle dial is between 1 and 0, this dial reads 3,000 feet. If the hand on the left-hand dial is between 0 and 6, the reading of this dial is 50,000 feet. The complete index as indicated on the three dials reads 53,200 feet.
At $1 per thousand feet, the hand on the right-hand dial passing from the zero point 0 to the figure 1, would indicate that ten cents' worth of gas has been registered on the meter. This hand would have to make one entire revolution of this dial and reach the zero point again to register $1 worth of gas, and the hand on the middle dial will have moved just one point, or from the zero point 0 to the figure 1, indicating the 1,000 feet of gas which has been registered in hundreds on the right-hand dial.
The small (2-foot) dial which is on the face of the consumer's meter is not read except for testing purposes, and registers only two feet of gas for each revolution of the hand.
Shades and Chimneys.—The use of shades and chimneys causes a very considerable loss of light on account of the conversion of the light from flame into heat. The loss from a clear glass is 10 per cent or 11 per cent, from ground glass about 30 per cent, opal glass over 50 per cent, orange colored glass about 35 per cent, pur ple, ruby, or green, over SO per cent, or transparent porcelain over 95 per cent. Hence care should be used that the kind of shade or chimney employed does not interpose to cut off the direct rays of light upon the objects to be illuminated. The Ar gand chimneys are of two kinds: the straight and the bulb varieties. Of these the straight variety is to be preferred.
Gas Burners.—Gas burners are of three kinds: the common bat-wing burner with a slit, the fish-tail with two oblique holes facing each other, and the Argand, a circular burner with a ring of small holes, a glass chimney, and an interior supply of air. In addition to these are the Welsbach burner having a fiber cap, and the Bunsen burner, used for heating in chemical laboratories.