021 (Winter 1973) - National Speleological Society

COLLOQUY
Chuck Pease sends the following to be reprinted from Tri-state Trader,
23 December 1972, reprinted there from Popular Science Monthly, 1896
(doesntt say what issue):
tlThrough the accidental discovery: in the electric furnace, of carbide of
calcium, there has appeared (in 1896) a new lighting gas, acetylene. Up
to this time the gas (C2H2) had been simply a laboratory product, discovered
by Davy in 1836. It was found;. however that when calcium carbide
a peculiar spongy material, was plunged into water, acetylene was given
off in abundance. It burns with a steady snow-white flame of great brilliancy
and high candle power.
"M, Trouvre, says La Nature, has recently invented a practica11 1aInp
for generating and burning acetylene. The reservoir of the lamp is of
glass and contains a metallic box in which is placed the calcium carbide,
The box is connected with a stopcock, leading to a sInall glass burner
which projects froIn the top of the reservoir, and is So arranged that as
the water in the reservoir is allowed to enter and act on the calciuIn
carbide, acetylene is generated and passes out to the burner where it Inay
be ignited. The admission of water to the calciuIn carbide has to be
carefully regulated, so as not to cause a too rapid evolution of the gas.
The laInp reseInbles an ordinary drop 1aInp in appearance, and Inay be
Inade in a variety of forIns lending itself readily to decorative purposes. II
* * * *
Jack Speece (R.D. 4,· Lewistown, Panna, 17044 - box 352) is still working
on a list of all caver newsletters published in the United States. He is
looking for copies of Caves of California, Caves of AlabaIna, and Caves of
Ohio. Also cOInInercial cave folders, a special ty of his.
o
I need Caves of Ohio Inyself!
He has sent a nice tabulation of eight iInportant historical reprints in
SpeleotheInes, newsletter of the Northern New Jersey Grotto of the N"S.S ...
Will try to run theIn as space perInits. Sept. 1965, for exaInple, contains
the 1905 Cook survey of liInestone caves of eastern NY.
* * * *
McClain Publishing COInpany, Parsons" W. Va. 26287, is selling its
reprint of Hu Maxwell:s History of Randolph County (W. Va.) for$15" 00.
Other iInportant items also - send for their list.
.. * * *
Ross Eckler long ago sent several iInportant iteIns, including:
"Mammoth Cave in Indiana. - A great InaInInoth cave has been discovered
seven Iniles north of Leaveenworth, Indiana. -- A party of men at first
discovered a cavern or room large enough for a Inan to enter, and deter-
Inined to e:xplore it. The New Albany Ledger says: They found that this
rOOIn opened into others, and these into others still, and that apparently
24
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