TIE pjiiffli mmw urn. 
 
 The Albo-Carbon Light so called from the use of alino -t 
 pure white carbon in it.s production, promises to become one of 
 the most useful and practical inventions of the age. The new 
 light is the result of a very simple process by which common 
 gas is enriched and its illuminating power increased to a mar- 
 velous extent at a comparatively insigniticant cost and with 
 absolute safety. 
 
 THE ENRICHING PEOCESS. 
 
 The invention consists, in the case of single lights, of a 
 small metallic vessel or chamber affixed at a little distance from 
 the burner and filled with an enriching material, through which 
 the gas passes to ignition. In the case of clusters of jets one 
 enriching chamber will suffice. 
 
 The enriching material, originally a solid, is melted in the 
 chamber at a low heat, its vapor is taken up by the gas and the 
 combination produces a rich soft steady light with an illuminating 
 power, in some cases, from three to four fold, that of ordinary gas. 
 
 With the apparatus once fixed and adjusted it requires no 
 further attention beyond a renewal of the enriching material in 
 the chamber, an extremely simple operation, to be performed 
 according to rate of consumption, from once a week uj)wards. 
 
 THE ENRICHING MATERIAL. 
 The enriching material is almost pure carbon of a wliito 
 color. It is made from a commorj waste ])roduct and is conse- 
 quently quite inexpensive. It is a solid and may bo moulded, 
 in the shape of pellets or in any convenient form. It is per- 
 fectly inexplosive, it is not oven inflamable and when held in a 
 flame it simply molts, hence its absolute safety. The Patentees 
 
have designated this rnaleriul " carholine." The carholiiu' 
 melts at a low heat, it i's of uniform volatility, rea<liiy comhines 
 with ordinary gas, causes no obstnu'tion and leaves no residuum. 
 The enriching chamber may l)o replenished almost indetinitely 
 without the slightest accumulation, so perfect and exhaustive is 
 the evaporation of the contents. 
 
 THE ILLUMINATING POWEJI. 
 
 The Albo-Carbon Light has been tested by some of the best 
 Gas Engineers and Experts in Great Britain and France and 
 their reports establish beyond question its great illuminating 
 power. 
 
 The poorer the gas the greater are the advantages of the 
 new enriching process. In fact the illuminating effects appeal* 
 to be in inverse ratio to the quality of the gps, but even when 
 tried with the rich Cannel Gas used in Scotland, the effect has 
 been found remarkable. Dr. Wallace, of Glasgow, a high 
 authority reports the result of his tests with Cannel Gas. 
 
 " I have made a series of care,'nl observations in order to test the 
 utility of the Albo-Carbon light and have obtained very satisfactory results. 
 
 The apparatus I used was cf simple construction and adapted for ware- 
 houses, work-shops, kitchens, Ac, and a No. 2 Brays biirner (fish-tail) was 
 employed. The apparatus witli a sufficient supply of carboline was weighed 
 in a large balance of delicate construction and the loss of weiglit ascertained 
 by weighing again after the experiment was completed 589 grains were con- 
 sumed in 7 hours or at the rate of 84 grains per hour. 
 
 The gas was burned at about one inch of pressure and the amount con- 
 sumed was 3.15 cubic feet per hour, which gave an illuminating power of 
 12.8 candles. With the vapor of carboline introduced into the flame a little 
 additional pressure was required to obtain the same rate of consumption ; 
 and the light obtained tested at intervals during the 7 hours averaged 27.14 
 candles. 
 
 These results calculated to 5 cubic feet per hour in each case give for 
 the ordinary gas 20.32 and for the enriched gas 43-08 candles. In other 
 words, the illuminating power is more than doubled by the introduction of 
 84 grains of solid carboline per hour. In round numbers 6 grains per hour 
 give an increased power of one candle ; for 16 candles 96 grains would be 
 required, but this is equal to 5 cubic feet of London Gas, so that 200 times this, 
 or in round numbers, 2J pounds give the light of 1000 cubic feet of gas. 
 
 I have no opportunity of experimenting with common gas, but the 
 results I would expect would be even more striking than those obtained 
 
a 
 
 with cftnnol ;^'ng, 1 think then- n]iou1<1 l»e no diftiiulty in tn-liling thr* 
 illuminating powei of commoTi giis. ' 
 
 Till' idea of u.sinjr solid ciirholino for (arburt^tting-gaH \h a ){ood one, and 
 »o far an I liuow it in novel. It prt'scnts many advantages. 
 
 ProfcsHoi' Kcatcs (consultiiii^ Cheinist to the Metropolitan 
 Hoard of Works and .Superintending (Jas Examiner, London, En- 
 gland) records the following facts as the result of a series of 
 experiments mado to ascertain the photonietrical value of the 
 Albo-Car')On Lii^ht. 
 
 fn 
 
 " Five cubic foot of gas, burned in tl»e Sugg Argand burner, give the 
 light of 16 candles. 
 
 Five cubic feet of similar gas, btirncd in a Bray's No. 1 burner, con. 
 nected with the Albo-Carbon Apparatus, give the mean light of 36 7 candles, 
 showing a gain of 20.7 candles upon IG — this is 2J times in favor of the ap_ 
 paratus. 
 
 The light given by a No. 4 Bray's fishtail burner, when burning ordinary 
 If] candle gas, is al)OUt 10 candles, calculated for a consumption of 5 cubic 
 feetof gas per hour. This is the size burner which is probably used more 
 frequently than any other by the gas consumei , and the gain of light in the 
 Albo-Carbon gas becomes more striking wlu-n this burner is used as the 
 standard of comparison, instead of the Sugg burner. Taking JO candles to 
 be the lighting power of such a burner, the advantage in favour of thg 
 Albo-Carbon process is th.^ difference between 10 and 36.7, or 26.7 candles ; 
 so that the Albo-(.'arbon gas gives 3§ times as much light as the ordinary 
 gas. 
 
 Some very important experiments, conducted by skilled 
 officials in two Paris Laboratories, have also demonstrated the 
 exceptional qualities of the light produced by this process, as 
 well as its cheapness and its extraordinary subdivisibility. 
 
 It was found that a No. burner (Bray), consuming only 
 50 litres — a little under 2 cubic feet an hour — produced, with a 
 pressure of one inch, the light of L25carcels — the carcel being a 
 moderator lamp, burning 42 grammes of oil per hour. The 
 ordinary " butterfly " burner used in the street lamps of Paris 
 produces the light of only 1 carcel in consuming 140 litres, 
 or 5J cubic feet per hour, the advantage being thus three timeH 
 greater in favor of the Albo-Carbon Gas. 
 
 A very small German burner, scarcely giving with ordinary 
 Gas much more than the light of one candle, gave the light of 
 
1 carcel with a consumption of 30 litres, t* little over a ciiMc 
 foot. 
 
 These experiments were made at the instance of the Chair- 
 man of the " Chemin de Fer dii Nord " Baron Alfonse de 
 Rothschild, and under the direct inspection of the Chief llln- 
 gineer and the heml of the Gas service. 
 
 In the course of some tests made by M. Lehlanc, the well- 
 known Gas Engineer in Chief to the Municipality of Paris, an 
 even more extraordinary result was obtained. The pressure 
 being increased, A No. (Bray), consuming 70 litres an hour, 
 gave the light of 1.75 carcels — or, in other words, the light of 
 very nearly two " butterfly " burners, consuming 5 cubic feet 
 per hour. Thus the light of 8.75 cubic feet per hour was pro- 
 duced by carburetting about 3 cubic feet per hour. 
 
 COST. 
 One thousand cubic feet of common Gas as ordinarily used 
 will, when enriched, by the Albo-Carbon process give fully as 
 much illumination as 3000 cubic feet. The cost of the material 
 to produce this result ;rill not exceed (in England) one shilling 
 and nine pence. With th»^ price of Gas at four shillings per 1000 
 cubic feet, it follows that for five shillings and nine pence a con- 
 sumer will obtain as much light as he obtains from 12 shillings 
 when using ordinary Gas. In Canada the price of Gas is much 
 higher than in England, in consequence the economy of the 
 new process will be more marked. Taking gas at $2.00 and 
 the cost of Carboline sufficient to enrich 1000 cubic feet at 50 
 cents, the consumer w^ould have the light of 3000 cubic feet of 
 gas at $2.50 or at the rate of about 84 cents per thousand. 
 
 TESTIMONIALS. 
 
 The invention is being gradually and quietly introduced in 
 England and invariably gives satisfaction. A number of Tes- 
 timonials could bo given from persons who have adopted the 
 Albo-Carbon Light in shops, warehouses, offices, refreshments, 
 rooms, picture galleries, studios, &c., &c., testifying to. the pecu- 
 liarly agreeable character of the light and to its remarkable 
 economy. It has been in operation for nine months in the 
 Eastern section of the Royal Aquarium, Westminister. This 
 
trial *i;ave so miifli sutlsfaetion lliat it in now iiseii in the entire 
 Imildin^ under a contrttct for three yearn. 
 
 The following TeBtimonial from the Mana<ijer of that Ins- 
 titution, whoi'e it han been tested on the lar^-est scale and for 
 the lontcest period, maybe presented. 
 
 Royal AijUAniuM and Sdmmkr and ^VI^fTI?R Garden Socirtv (Limited.) 
 
 Westminster, November 20th., 187'J. 
 
 To Ike Albo-Carbon Lvjht Cotuinmii {Limited) 
 
 Okar Sirs, 
 
 After the lapse of nine months, during which the Eastern Annexe of 
 this Aquarium has been illuminated by the Albo-Carbon Light, I have 
 pleasure in confirm ing my testimonial of 24th February last, expressing " not 
 only our satisfaction, but our pleasure with the results, which may bo briefly 
 summed up as giving a far more brilliant illumination (with an agreeable 
 character of Light) tlian ordinary Gas, and at a greatly diminished cost." 
 The signal success of this prolonged experiment in the Eastern Annexe has 
 induced this Society to adopt the Albo-Carbon Liglit throughout the whole 
 Building, where it is now in regular and successful operation. 
 
 Yours faithfully 
 
 (Signed,) A. P. HOBSON, 
 
 Manager. 
 
 So far from occasioning an}' increase of expenditure, the 
 extraordinary improvement in the lighting of the Aquarium 
 is etfecting an immense saving to the society, more than one 
 half of the gas-burners previously in use (upwards of 3000 in 
 number) having been dispensed with. 
 
 ITS ADVANTAGES. 
 
 This invention can be applied in every situation where gas 
 is used. Its advantages are the production of a good light at a 
 small cost of production. It promises to give a superior illumi- 
 nation at less than one half the cost of Gas and leave a hand- 
 some profit to the proprietors. 
 
 It is an immense improvement upon the various attempts 
 which have been made to enrich gas by the use of liquid oils. 
 
■-'-' . ■■'■ ■'■ ■ ■ ' •• t , , ., 
 
 : ■ V - -..^ '- ... -. -■-..-- . ".■■ . ^ - ,'; 
 
 With reference to this Dr. Wallace comments on the Patentees 
 employment of the solid enriching material. ■' 
 
 " It presents many advantages over the liquid h^'drocariions hitherto 
 employed, not the least of which is its constancy of composition, as, at a 
 certain temperature, the whole may be sublimed, while in the case of pe- 
 troleum spi'it, coal tar, naptha, and similar liquids, we have to deal with a 
 complex mixture of bodies of various degrees of volatility." 
 
 With renpect to the use of solid Carboline as an enriching 
 material in place of liquid oils, Pi'ofessor Keates also remai'k>. 
 
 " The employment of the material in the solid form has the double 
 advantage of rendering the use of the apparatus more ready and simple, and 
 of furnishing a material which can be brought without difficulty into a suffi- 
 ciently uniform condition to permit of its effect being evenly exercised upon 
 the gas from first to last." . . • j. 
 
 Compared with the Electric Light which attracts so mucli 
 attention the Al bo-Carbon Light possesses many advantages. 
 Unlike the Electric Light the new process requires no 
 
 extraneous machinery of an elaborate, extremely delicate, costly 
 and (as yet) experimental character. It requires no sinking 
 anew of an enormous capital, it envolves no change in esta. 
 blished works, mains, meters, piping or general existing arran- 
 gements. It accomplishes the desired result, that ia to say the 
 production of a good and cheap light, through the medium of a 
 very simple, absolutely safe and inexpensive application. • 
 
 From the latest accounts of the electric light it appears 
 that the inventor Edison does not indulge in the belief that, 
 even if he succeeds in lighting houses distributed over a consi- 
 derable area it will be done for much less or any less than the 
 same price as now paid for gas.* 
 
 It may therefore be reasonably inferred that for domestic 
 use this new invention will rival the Electric Light and perhaps 
 all other Lights. That the economical advantages of tbe Albo- 
 Carbon process will in all probability indefinitely prolong the 
 ♦employment, and establish the supremacy of Gas for all ordinary 
 purposes. 
 
 'Correspondent London Tivib, New York, Dec 30th., 1879. 
 
The Albo-Carbon Li/jht Iuih been patented in nearly eveiy 
 Country in Europe and America. Companies are being formed 
 in England, France and (xermany for the purpose of introducing 
 tlie invention and bringing it into common use. 
 
 Examples of the Light and apparatus employed in the 
 eni-iching process will shortly be on exhibition here. For the 
 present communications may be addresse<l as underneath. 
 
 The Ai.bo-Carbon Lioht Agency, 
 
 No. 2 Klgiji Street, Ottawa.