OIL-LAMPS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

Artificial Light: Its Influence Upon Civilization by Matthew Luckiesh is part of the HackerNoon Books Series. You can jump to any chapter in this book here. OIL-LAMPS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

V. OIL-LAMPS OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY

It will be noted that the light-sources throughout the early ages were flames, the result of burning material. This principle of light-production has persisted until the present time, but in the latter part of the nineteenth century certain departures revolutionized artificial lighting. However, it is not the intention to enter the modern period in this chapter except in following the progress of the oil-lamp through its period of scientific development. The oil-lamp and the candle were the mainstays of artificial lighting throughout many centuries. The fats and waxes which these light-sources burned were many but in the later centuries they were chiefly tallow, sperm-oil, spermaceti, lard-oil, olive-oil, colza-oil, bees-wax and vegetable waxes. Those fuels which are not liquid are melted to liquid form by the heat of the flame before they are actually consumed. The candle is of the latter type and despite its present lowly place and its primitive character, it is really an ingenious device. Its fuel remains conveniently solid so that it is readily shipped and stored; there is nothing to spill or to break beyond easy repair; but when it is lighted the heat of its flame melts the solid fuel and thus it becomes an "oil-lamp." Animal and vegetable oils were mainly used until the middle of the nineteenth century, when petroleum was produced in sufficient quantities to introduce mineral oils. This marked the beginning of an era of developments in oil-lamps, but these were generally the natural offspring of early developments by Ami Argand.

Before man discovered that nature had stored a tremendous supply of mineral oil in the earth he was obliged to hunt broadcast for fats and waxes to supply him with artificial light. He also was obliged to endure unpleasant odors from the crude fuels and in early experiments with fats and waxes the odor was carefully noted as an important factor. Tallow was a by-product of the kitchen or of the butcher. Stearine, a constituent of tallow, is a compound of glyceryl and stearic acid. It is obtained by breaking up chemically the glycerides of animal fats and separating the fatty acids from glycerin. Fats are glycerides; that is, combinations of oleic, palmetic, and stearic acids. Inasmuch as the former is liquid at ordinary temperatures and the others are solid, it follows that the consistency or solidity of fats depend upon the relative proportions of the three constituents. The sperm-whale, which lives in the warmer parts of all the oceans, has been hunted relentlessly for fuels for artificial lighting. In its head cavities sperm-oil in liquid form is found with the white waxy substance known as spermaceti. Colza-oil is yielded by rape-seed and olive-oil is extracted from ripe olives. The waxes are combinations of allied acids with bases somewhat related to glycerin but of complex composition. Fats and waxes are more or less related, but to distinguish them carefully would lead far afield into the complexities of organic chemistry. All these animal and vegetable products which were used as fuels for light-sources are rich in carbon, which accounts for the light-value of their flames. The brightness of such a flame is due to incandescent carbon particles, but this phase of light-production is discussed in another chapter. These oils, fats, and waxes are composed by weight of about 75 to 80 per cent. carbon; 10 to 15 per cent. hydrogen; and 5 to 10 per cent. oxygen.

Until the middle of the eighteenth century the oil-lamps were shallow vessels filled with animal or vegetable oil and from these reservoirs short wicks projected. The flame was feeble and smoky and the odors were sometimes very repugnant. Viewing such light-sources from the present age in which light is plentiful, convenient, and free from the great disadvantages of these early oil-lamps, it is difficult to imagine the possibility of the present civilization emerging from that period without being accompanied by progress in light-production. The improvements made in the eighteenth century paved the way for greater progress in the following century. This is the case throughout the ages, but there are special reasons for the tremendous impetus which light-production has experienced in the past half-century. These are the acquirement of scientific knowledge from systematic research and the application of this knowledge by organized development.

The first and most notable improvement in the oil-lamp was made by Argand in 1784. Our nation was just organizing after its successful struggle for independence at the time when the production of light as a science was born. Argand produced the tubular wick and contributed the greatest improvement by being the first to perform the apparently simple act of placing a glass chimney upon the lamp. His burner consisted of two concentric metal tubes between which the wick was located. The inner tube was open, so that air could reach the inner surface of the wick as well as the outer surface. The lamp chimney not only protected the flame from drafts but also improved combustion by increasing the supply of air. It rested upon a perforated flange below the burner. If the glass chimney of a modern kerosene lamp be lifted, it will be noted that the flame flickers and smokes and that it becomes steady and smokeless when the chimney is replaced. The advantages of such a chimney are obvious now, but Argand for his achievements is entitled to a place among the great men who have borne the torch of civilization. He took the first step toward adequate artificial light and opened a new era in lighting.

The various improvements of the oil-lamp achieved by Argand combined to effect complete combustion, with the result that a steady, smokeless lamp of considerable luminous intensity was for the first time available. Many developments followed, among which was a combination of reservoir and gravity feed which maintained the oil at a constant level. In later lamps, upon the adoption of mineral oil, this was found unnecessary, perhaps owing to the construction of the wick and to the physical characteristics of the oil which favored capillary action in the wick. However, the height of the oil in the reservoir of modern oil-lamps makes some difference in the amount of light emitted.

The Carcel lamp, which appeared in 1800, consisted of a double piston operated by clockwork. This forced the oil through a tube to the burner. Franchot invented the moderator lamp in 1836, which, because of its simplicity and efficiency soon superseded many other lamps designed for burning animal and vegetable oils. The chief feature of the moderator lamp is a spiral spring which forces the oil upward through a vertical tube to the burner. These are still used to some extent in France, but owing to the fact that "mechanical" lamps eventually were very generally replaced by more simple ones, it does not appear necessary to describe these complex mechanisms in detail.

When coal is distilled at moderate temperatures, volatile liquids are obtained. These hydrocarbons, being inflammable, naturally attracted attention when first known, and in 1781 their use as fuel for lamps was suggested. However, it was not until 1820 that the light oils obtained by distilling coal-tar, a by-product of the coal-gas industry which was then in its early stage of development, were burned to some extent in the Holliday lamp. In this lamp the oil is contained in a reservoir from the bottom of which a fine metal tube carries the oil down to a rose-burner. The oil is heated by the flame and the vaporized mineral oil which escapes through small orifices is burned. This type of lamp has undergone many physical changes, but its principle survives to the present time in the gasolene and kerosene burners hanging on a pole by the side of the street-peddler's stand.

Although petroleum products were not used to any appreciable extent for illuminating-purposes until after the middle of the nineteenth century, mineral oil is mentioned by Herodotus and other early writers. In 1847 petroleum was discovered in a coal-mine in England, but the supply failed in a short time. However, the discoverer, James Young, had found that this oil was valuable as a lubricant and upon the failure of this source he began experiments in distilling oil from shale found in coal deposits. These were destined to form the corner-stone of the oil industry in Scotland. In 1850 he began producing petroleum in this manner, but it was not seriously considered for illuminating-purposes. However, in Germany about this time lamps were developed for burning the lighter distillates and these were introduced into several countries. But the price of these lighter oils was so great that little progress was made until, in 1859, Col. E. L. Drake discovered oil in Pennsylvania. By studying the geological formations and concluding that oil should be obtained by boring, Drake gave to the world a means of obtaining petroleum, and in quantities which were destined to reduce the price of mineral oil to a level undreamed of theretofore. To his imagination, which saw vast reservoirs of oil in the depths of the earth, the world owes a great debt. Lamps were imported from Germany to all parts of the civilized world and the kerosene lamp became the prevailing light-source. Hundreds of American patents were allowed for oil-lamps and their improvements in the next decade.

LAMPS OF A CENTURY OR TWO AGO

The crude petroleum, of course, is not fit for illuminating purposes, but it contains components which are satisfactory. The various components are sorted out by fractional distillation and the oil for burning in lamps is selected according to its volatility, viscosity, stability, etc. It must not be so volatile as to have a dangerously low flashing-point, nor so stable as to hinder its burning well. In this fractional distillation a vast variety of products are now obtained. Gasolene is among the lighter products, with a density of about 0.65; kerosene has a density of about 0.80; the lubricating-oils from 0.85 to 0.95; and there are many solids such as vaseline and paraffin which are widely used for many purposes. This process of refining oils is now the source of paraffin for making candles, in which it is usually mixed with substances like stearin in order to raise its melting-point.

ELABORATE FIXTURES OF THE AGE OF CANDLES

Crude petroleum possesses a very repugnant odor; it varies in color from yellow to black; and its specific gravity ranges from about 0.80 to 1.00, but commonly is between 0.80 and 0.90. Its chemical constitution is chiefly of carbon and hydrogen, in the approximate ratio of about six to one respectively. It is a mixture of paraffin hydrocarbons having the general formula of CnH2n+2 and the individual members of this series vary from CH4 (methane) to C15H32 (pentadecane), although the solid hydrocarbons are still more complex. Petroleum is found in many countries and the United States is particularly blessed with great stores of it.

The ordinary lamp consisting of a wick which draws up the mineral oil and feeds it to a flame is efficient and fairly free from danger. It requires care and may cause disaster if it is upset, but it has been blamed unjustly in many accidents. A disadvantage of the kerosene lamp over electric lighting, for example, is the relatively greater possibility of accidents through the carelessness of the user. This point is brought out in statistics of fire-insurance companies, which show that the fires caused by kerosene lamps are much more numerous than those from other methods of lighting. If in a modern lamp of proper construction a close-fitting wick is used and the lamp is extinguished by turning down and blowing across the chimney, there is little danger in its use excepting accidental breakage or overturning.

In oil-lamps at the present time mineral oils are used which possess flashing-points above 75°F. The highly volatile components of petroleum are dangerous because they form very explosive mixtures with air at ordinary temperatures. A mineral oil like kerosene, to be used with safety in lamps, should not be too volatile. It is preferable that an inflammable vapor should not be given off at temperatures under 120°F. The oil must be of such physical characteristics as to be drawn up to the burner by capillarity from the reservoir which is situated below. It is volatilized by the heat of the flame into a mixture of hydrogen and hydrocarbon gases and these are consumed under the heat of the process of consumption by the oxygen in the air. The resulting products of this combustion, if it is complete, are carbon dioxide and water-vapor. For each candle-power of light per hour about 0.24 cubic foot of carbon dioxide and 0.18 cubic foot of water-vapor are formed by a modern oil-lamp. That an open flame devours something from the air is easily demonstrated by enclosing it in an air-tight space. The flame gradually becomes feeble and smoky and finally goes out. It will be noted that a burning lamp will vitiate the atmosphere of a closed room by consuming the oxygen and returning in its place carbon dioxide. This is similar to the vitiation of the atmosphere by breathing persons and tests indicate that for each two candle-power emitted by a kerosene flame the vitiation is equal to that produced by one adult person. Inasmuch as oil-lamps are ordinarily of 10 to 20 candle-power, it is seen that one lamp will consume as much oxygen as several persons.

In order that oil-lamps may produce a brilliant light free from smoke, combustion must be complete. The correct quantity of oil must be fed to the burner and it must be properly vaporized by heat. If insufficient oil is fed, the intensity of the light is diminished and if too much is available at the burner, smoke and other products of incomplete combustion will be emitted. The wick is an important factor, for, through capillarity, it feeds oil forcefully to the burner against the action of gravity. This action of a wick is commonly looked upon with indifference but in reality it is caused by an interesting and really wonderful phenomenon. Wicks are usually made of high-grade cotton fiber loosely spun into coarse threads and these are woven into a loose plait. The wick must be dry before being inserted into the burner; and it is desirable that it be considerably longer than is necessary merely to reach the bottom of the reservoir. A flame burning in the open will smoke because insufficient oxygen is brought in contact with it. The injurious products of this incomplete combustion are carbon monoxide and oil vapors, which are a menace to health.

To supply the necessary amount of oxygen (air) to the flame, a forced draft is produced. Chimneys are simple means of accomplishing this, and this is their function whether on oil-lamps or factories. Other means of forced draft have been used, such as small fans or compressed air. In the railway locomotive the short smoke-stack is insufficient for supplying large quantities of air to the fire-box so the exhausted steam is allowed to escape into the stack. With each noisy puff of smoke a quantity of air is forcibly drawn into the fire-box through the burning fuel. In the modern oil-lamp the rush of air due to the "pull" of the chimney is broken and the air is diffused by the wire gauze or holes at the base of the burner. These metal parts, being hot, also serve to warm the oil before it reaches the burning end of the wick, thus serving to aid vaporization and combustion.

The consumption of oil per candle-power per hour varies considerably with the kind of lamp and with the character of the oil. The average consumption of oil-lamps burning a mineral oil of about 0.80 specific gravity and a rather high flashing-point is about 50 to 60 grams of oil per candle-power per hour for well-designed flame-lamps. Kerosene weighs about 6.6 pounds per gallon; therefore, about 800 candle-power hours per gallon are obtained from modern lamps employing wicks. Kerosene lamps are usually of 10 to 20 candle-power, although they are made up to 100 candle-power. These luminous intensities refer to the maximum horizontal candle-power. The best practice now deals with the total light output, which is expressed in lumens, and on this basis a consumption of one gallon of kerosene per hour would yield about 8000 lumens.

Oil-lamps have been devised in which the oil is burned as a spray ejected by air-pressure. These burn with a large flame; however, a serious feature is the escape of considerable oil which is not burned. These lamps are used in industrial lighting, especially outdoors, and possess the advantage of consuming low-grade oils. They produce about 700 to 800 candle-power hours per gallon of oil. Lamps of this type of the larger sizes burn with vertical flames two or three feet high. The oil is heated as it approaches the nozzle and is fairly well vaporized on emerging into the air. The names of Lucigen, Wells, Doty, and others are associated with this type of lamp or torch, which is a step in the direction of air-gas lighting.

During the latter part of the nineteenth century numerous developments were made which paralleled the progress in gas-lighting. Experiments were conducted which bordered closely upon the next epochal event in light-production—the appearance of the gas mantle. One of these was the use of platinum gauze by Kitson. He produced an apparatus similar to the oil-spray lamp, on a small and more delicate scale. The hot blue flame was not very luminous and he attempted to obtain light by heating a mantle of fine platinum gauze. Although these mantles emitted a brilliant light for a few hours, their light-emissivity was destroyed by carbonization. After the appearance of the Welsbach mantle, Kitson's lamp and others met with success by utilizing it. From this point, attention was centered upon the new wonder, which is discussed in a later chapter after certain scientific principles in light-production have been discussed.

The kerosene or mineral-oil lamp was a boon to lighting in the nineteenth century and even to-day it is a blessing in many homes, especially in villages, in the country, and in the remote districts of civilization. Its extensive use at the present time is shown by the fact that about eight million lamp-chimneys are now being manufactured yearly in this country. It is convenient and safe when carelessness is avoided, and is fairly free from odor. Its vitiation of the atmosphere may be counteracted by proper ventilation and there remains only the disadvantage of keeping it in order and of accidental breakage and overturning. The kerosene lantern is widely used to-day, but the danger due to accident is ever-present. The consequences of such accidents are often serious and are exemplified in the terrible conflagration in Chicago in 1871, when Mrs. O'Leary's cow kicked over a lantern and started a fire which burned the city. Modern developments in lighting are gradually encroaching upon the territory in which the oil-lamp has reigned supreme for many years. Acetylene plants were introduced to a considerable extent some time ago and to-day the self-contained home-lighting electric plant is being installed in large numbers in the country homes of the land.

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