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1850 - 1859
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| 1850s |
Manufactured gas selling at about $4.00/Mcf. Lime purification in US declines due to disposal problems for spent Blue Billy and dangerous back pressure from the nearly uniform low resistance of the moistened purification mass. Expansion of manufactured gas to most larger American cities; spread of gas lighting up and down the Mississippi River. District gas holders and modest compression of gas extend distribution outward from original City gas plants, especially in America. New state of art for coal-gas illuminating at 14-20 candle power; standard for remainder of the manufactured gas era. Industrial water gas (blue gas) developed in UK by Siemens. Several small firms engaged in fire insurance mapping; Mainstay of historic gas-plant research. |
| 1850 |
Clay retorts strongly replacing cast iron retorts at coal-gas plants; Could be operated at higher temperatures and produce more gas per ton of coal. Carburetting tanks containing light oils attached to lamps on some major streets, to admit and enrich coal gas entering the tanks from street piping. 1850-1890; Total of 17 manufactured gas companies in Brooklyn and Queens Boroughs of New York. |
| 1851 |
Crystal Palace Exhibition at London; Manufactured gas is emphasized. William Perris begins making fire insurance maps at New York City; Gas plants prime subjects. Le Journal de l'Eclairage au Gaz (Journal of Gas Lighting) begins publication at Paris, France |
| 1852 |
Three Irish brothers Donohue form first gas plant in far West, at San Francisco; employ Australian coal. |
| 1853 |
Cast iron retorts begin to be replaced routinely by molded fireclay or brick retorts. Cast iron known to absorb carbon and would expand from nominal 7-ft retort length to about 7.5 ft, thus destroying supporting brickwork beyond practical repair; under such conditions, the useful life of a retort was about 200 days. |
| 1854 |
William Henry Perkin, England, discovers first coal-tar dyes. Water gas (blue gas) installed at Brooklyn, NY; Gas produced by steam injected into hot coke. A Mr. Imes believed to have built the first wrought-iron framed gas holder, with columns of boiler plate, at the Phoenix Gas Works, Kennsington, London. Barrett Company formed in U.S. to manufacture tar-saturated muslin and coal-tar pitch for roofing. |
| 1855 |
Discovery of petroleum-distillation refining into component fractions. Robert Wilhelm von Bunsen invents the "atmospheric gas burner" at his Heidelberg laboratory; Opens the way for gas to expand from illumination to wide range of heating applications. |
| 1856 |
Formation of the coal-tar dye industry, in Britain; Soon to spread to Germany. First worldwide instance of by-product coke ovens constructed in France. |
| 1857 |
Third economic depression in U.S. Approximate introduction of Thompson system of oil-gas lighting for railroad trains. Fages water-gas system employed at Narbonne, France, for municipal lighting. Le Gaz begins publication in France. Perkin founds an industrial-scale dye extraction plant at Greenford Green, near Harrow, UK. |
| 1858 |
Establishment of Journal fur Gasbeleuchtung, at Munich, Germany. Formation of Fredonia Gas Light Co., Fredonia, NY; First natural gas company in U.S. |
| 1859 |
American Gas Light Journal appears at New York City Discovery of successor coal-tar dyes, in Britain. First U.S. gas association organized as The New York State Gas Light Association Gas cooking begins in U.S. on small scale Edwin Drake completes first producing oil well in U.S., at Titusville, PA. More than 900 independent town gas companies are operating in Britain. |
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