Carbide Lighting Views
Carbide lighting is a form of illumination that was used in rural and urban areas of the United States which were not served by electrification. Its use began shortly after 1900 and continued past 1950. Carbide pellets were placed in a container outside the home, with water piped to the container and allowed to drip on the pellets creating a gas. This gas was piped to lighting fixtures inside the house, where it was burned, creating a very bright flame. Carbide lighting was inexpensive but was prone to gas leaks and explosions.
The tradition of raccoon hunting, colloquially known as coon hunting, has appealed to nocturnal types for generations. Whether the reward is the hide, the meat or just shrunken populations of this often troublesome animal, a surprising subculture of coon hunting aficionados takes to the night to seek and eliminate its quarry. Raccoons are evasive, however, using the darkness as an ally. The use of dogs in this activity helps to counter this advantage, but variable lighting is also a key to success. Although a somewhat old-fashioned relic from an earlier mining era, the carbide lamp is proving effective in locating raccoons in their hideaways.
Carbide Lighting Images
