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The Story of Coal-Gas 63 rather blended—with another gas. This is known as “ water-gas,” “ carburetted water-gas,” and is one of the improvements which have been perfected during the past thirty years. Though a British invention, having been discovered by Ibbetson in 1823, it was first brought into opera- tion in the United States. Its advantages becoming speedily appieciated, it was adopted extensively on all sides, the result being that nowadays it forms part and parcel of every up-to-date gasworks. Water- gas is made by the aid of incandescent coke, steam, and mineral oil, the latter being a residue obtained during the distillation of petroleum. The coke is raised to a bright white heat by means of a blast of air. A jet of dry steam is then turned on to the incandescent fuel, and upon coming into contact with the glowing coke is decomposed into what is known as “blue-” or “ water ”-gas. This gas is of no use for lighting purposes, because it is non-luminous. The hot gas is subsequently brought into contact with a fine spray of the oil, Carburation takes place, and in this manner car- buretted water-gas is formed. The latter is then mixed with the pure coal-gas and passes into the gas-holder. The main advantage of water-gas is that it cheapens the cost of manufacturing the article which is supplied to our houses, factories, shops and streets. The fact, however, that the illuminating agent is no longer the pure article derived from the coal has led to a modification of the generic name of the product, the article now being known as “ town-gas.” Although the illumination by coal-gas upon its first appearance was described as of “ the most