The mass of incandescent fuel in the furnace chamber,
surrounding the retort, keeping up the temperature of retort and iron
sufficiently long to enable the decomposition to be completed.
The hydrogen and steam valves are now closed and the air blast turned
on. The hot carbon monoxide passing over the hot magnetic oxide
quickly reduces it down to metallic iron, which, being in a spongy
condition, acts more freely on the steam during later makes than it
did at first, and being infusible at the temperature employed, may be
used for a practically unlimited period.
What more simple method than this could be desired? Here we have the
formation of the most valuable of all fuel gases at the cost of the
coke and steam used, a gas also which has double the carrying power
for hydrocarbon vapors possessed by coal gas, while its combustion
gives rise to nothing but water vapor.
In this course of lectures I have left much unsaid and undone which I
should have liked to have had time to accomplish, and if I have been
obliged to leave out of consideration many important points, it is the
time at my disposal and not my will which is to blame. And now, in
conclusion, I wish to express my thanks to my assistants, Messrs. J.A.
Foster and J.B. Warden, who have heartily co-operated with me in much
of the work embodied in these lectures.
* * * * *
STEREOSCOPIC PROJECTIONS.
The celebrated philosopher Bacon, the founder of the experimental
method, claimed that we see better with one eye than with two, because
the attention is more concentrated and becomes profounder.
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