I remember way back in the 60s and 70s "real" cavers all used carbide. I still
have my lamp (probably a real antique at this point) and my hardhat with its
jury rigged holder. Most thought that people who used electric lamps were
wooseys. I can remember somebody saying that caving with a carbide lamp was
like caving with a bomb on your head. But we sure thought we were tuff stuff.
The worst was when you were way back in some cave and had to change your
carbide. Where did you put the used stuff? Some of us took plastic bags and I'm
not to sure that was safe. ("Bomb-in-a-Bag," because usually there was still
some acetylene being made from the last little pieces of mostly spent carbide.)
Also, sometimes you turned up your water too much and had a slurry mess to
dispose of. I think more efficient electric lamps and longer lasting batteries
are probably the most ecologically beneficial. I can say that now from aging
wooseyhood.
Louise
> Date: Thu, 23 Aug 2012 22:47:30 -0400
> To: [email protected]; [email protected]
> From: [email protected]
> Subject: [Texascavers] Re: Cave articles in Spiegel (German weekly)
>
> I agree. Calcium carbide is mainly used for production of
> acetylene for welding where it is not available in tanks. In the
> West that is increasingly rare. My guess is that carbide will soon
> cease to be available at reasonable cost. (It is already hazardous cargo.)
>
> Mark
>
> At 10:07 PM 8/23/2012, DONALD G. DAVIS wrote:
> > >Mark,
> > >You'd be the best to answer this, wasn't calcium carbide a byproduct of
> >something else, and used to produce commercial acetylene gas quantities? What
> >is the current practice to get the gas?
> > >john Lyles
> >
> > No, calcium carbide was never a byproduct. It was, from the late
> >1800s, and still is, produced by reacting calcium carbonate and coke in
> >electric furnaces. Its major use is still for making acetylene, but where
> >petroleum and natural gas are plentiful, most acetylene today is derived
> >from those instead. The Wikipedia article "calcium carbide" explains it.
> >
> > --Donald
>
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