THE LOWE INCANDESCENT GAS BURNER.


This burner is in the form of a cylinder made of a composition in which
magnesium predominates, and gives a light of 210 candle power with a
consumption of three and one-half cubic feet of gas per hour.

[Illustration]

The cylinder to be heated to incandescence is firmly held in place on a
metal spindle, which is slowly revolved by means of an ingenious
clock-work in the base of the fixture. The arrangement is such that by
turning off the gas the clock-work is stopped, and by the turning on of
the gas, it is again set in motion. The movement of the spindle is so
slow that a casual observer would not notice it, there being only one
revolution made in twenty-four hours. The object of this movement is to
continually present new surface to be heated, as that which is exposed
to the high temperature wears away, similarly to the carbons used in
electric lighting, though much more slowly.

These burners can be made of 2,000 candle power, down to fifty candle
power.

Pure oxygen can now be obtained from the atmosphere at a cost of about
twenty-five cents per 1,000 cubic feet, and the small amount required to
supplement the fuel water gas in producing this light can be supplied
under proper pressure from a very small pipe, which can be laid in the
same trench with the fuel gas pipe, at much less cost than is required
to carry an electric wire to produce an equal amount of light.