Pintsch gas

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Pintsch gas was a compressed gas derived from distilled naphtha for illumination purposes during the 19th and early 20th centuries.

It was invented in 1851 by German inventor and manufacturer Julius Pintsch (1815-1884). Its primary use in the latter half of the 19th century was for illumination of railroad cars, and in several railway accidents added fuel to any fire which started. Lamps using Pintsch gas burned brighter and longer than the existing oil lamps they replaced. These lamps could also withstand vibration and rough usage without extinguishing the light. These features made Pintsch gas a popular solution for illumination of buoys, beacons and unmanned lighthouses, which allowed these devices to have the capability to remain lit for several months without servicing.

Electricity and other artificial means of lighting eventually replaced Pintsch illumination. However, it was still used in lighthouses and beacons long after it was replaced elsewhere.