Juniata Sentinel And Republican

The Gas Gun for Fog Signals.—A very ingenious application has been made by Mr. Wigham of the explosive nature of a mixture of ordinary gas in air. He establishes, at any point on the coast where a fog signal is desired, a gas gun. It is simply a tube of iron, connected with the gas-holder by the proper pipe; the latter, of course, may be at any convenient distance. The gas-holder is filled with a mixture of one-fourth air, and the remainder coal-gas and oxygen, and this mixture is allowed to flow into the gas gun, when it may be fired off by touching a match to the proper orifice, taking care, of course, to close all communication with the holder. By using an electric spark instead of the match, the service of the gun may be made still easier. The flash from this gun is said to illuminate the fog much better than that from a discharge of gun-powder.