The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-08-28 00:00:00

THE GAS INQUFRY.

TEt E special -committee of the Town Connell ,appointed to
inquire into -the local supply of gas -met on Friday ; present
Messrs. Clint, Hornby, R. Gladstone, Dover, Crosthwaite, Sheila
and ,Bradley.
The communications between the,town-elerk and the gas-
company were read.- The town-clerlewrototo-Mr: Carson, on
the 18th, saying :—" The speeial committee on the gas ques-
tion have retained the, services, of Mr. Clegg,: gag-engineer, tc-
assist them in_ their inquiries).- and he informs- -them that for
this purpose he should have access •to the -company's works,.
plans of pippage, Sre.. I am, instructed by: the -committee to.
request that Mr. Cleggmay be afforded the facilities he reqnires,..
He is stayingut the Adelpa
This letter havingheen laid before the directors on the 2Gth,„
together with the report, they.came to the- following resolue
tion :—" Resolved—That it appears fromthe above report, that
the officers of this who attended the meetings of tho•-
committee of the council, have clearly expressed the willingness-
of the directors -to meet any charges-that may be made agtaet.
the company, and in the absence. of any charge being estate-
liShed, the officers are hereby directed not to attend any further
meetings of the committee). and that, as-the directors' are in
ignorance of what the objects of those whouwar to be urging
the inquiry before the committee areithe directors .decline
permit any person to have access to tb.eir• works, plans of pipe- .
age, &e.."
In transmitting th resolution) Mn.-G...7/. Lawrence the
chairman of the company, said :7--"Ltak,e the opporturdy of,
assuring you that omobjeetion to continuo the attendance
of cur officers at yorx• eornmittee,,antl to throwing open our
works, &e., for pubEse. inspection, does net arise from any want
of -...espect to the council, and, least of all. from any apprehenr
sion of our inability fully to meet the eletrges which havebeen
insinuated against us. We are conscious that we have a com-
plete answer to them, which we reserve until they reach us in
amore definite foam. Meanwhile,. we shall continue •to, ,dis-
charge the duties• entrusted to us, in conformity wAh our act
of parliament and to the best of our ability.
The •Crisinswesaid that after the promises which they re-
calved from the• company, at a,former meeting, the committee
were now scarcely treated fairly. In withdrawing from the.
inquiry, he theught that the-company had preaaded the coin,
mittee to a considerable extent from obtaining that informa-
tion which they ought to have. Placed as they were, hewever, it;
would be the duty of the committee to take the most advisatde
course, in order to make the -best report they could under:the -
circumstances, and, ultnateky the following resolution. was
passed :—"'The Town-clerkreported that he had written to Mr.
Carson requesting that Mr,. Clegg might be permitted to ex-
amine the works of the-company, and be -afforded facilities for
making:: his report, and:, submitted the, following replies re-
ceived by him. ResolYed, that the committee learn with deep
regret and surprise• that the directlrs decline to, give the
facilities necessary tunable Mr. Clegg- to institute such au
inquiry as will enable him to make a full report as to the
works of the company, and that they also decliae to permit
the continued attendance of their• officers et the meetings of
the committeei, thus depriving the committee- of the means.
and facilities of obtaining that information which the officers--
I of the, company had previously expressed their willingness to
effort!' - - -

In answer to Mr. Reay, Mr,,,TAnNxo-s. stated that the- dry
meter was better than the wet. meter, and more corre2t in
registering.
Considerable discussion next took. plaeo as to retaining the
services. of Mr. Clegg ; and:his:report,. so far as he had been
enabled to draw one up,r, was. read, It stated amongst other
things—
"-I do not think there. is. much. the matter with the meters.
themselves, either as, regards workmanship or v.taterial ; and
as to a respectable company selling short measure knowingly,.
I cannot believe it.. Should any such fraud, however, be
detected and proved, it ought to be thoroughly exposed and
traced to those who, authorised it.
" Gas below ks. standard in illuminating power will fully
account for all the discrepancy in registering more gas than
they ought. Gas below the standardnets in two ways in pro-
pelling the meters faster than they should. First, gas of
inferior specific gravity will flow with greater velocity through
the openings; for instance, the average London gas, specific
gravity 400, will flow through an opening i-inch in diameter,
pressure 1-inch head of water, at the rate of 80 cubic feet per
hour; but bi-carburated hydrogen from cannel coal, specific
gravity about 700, will flow through the same opening only at
the rate of about 70 cubic, feet per hour. It therefore follows
that, all circumstances being the same as adjusted for the
standard gas, the meter measuring inferior gas will go quicker
in proportion to the inferiority of the gas. Then there is
another cause for increasing the velocity of the meter, and
that is the increased velocity of the inferior gas, and conse-
quently greater consumption, still falls short of the illuminat-
ing power of the standard gas. To remedy, this, the openings
are increased until the illuminating power is at the standard,
and us the inferior gas does not give out so much smoke by a
higher flame as the standard gas, the difference to an inexpo.
rienced eye is not perceived ; so that, taking both causes toge.
ther, the meter may mark on 15 per cent. more gas for the
same light than it ought, without the consumer seeing any
perceptible difference in his burners. I therefore recommend
that the gas be tested at least once a week by' a competent
person, but at no stated times; and, if the gas is kept up to
the mark, there will not be found, I apprehend, much the
matter with the meters, except being over-filled with water by
the consumers themselves, in ignorance of the consequence.
This defect can soon be remedied :—a defective one now and
then, out of so many, there is sure to be.
" I examined the illuminating power of the gas at the office
of Mr. Newlands, the borough engineer. It is a most elaborate
apparatus. But one of the essential tests was not there, and
and that is, a thermometer to tell the temperature of the

water that the meter works in. A difference of from 40 deg.
to 70 deg. will make a difference of about 6 per cent. in the
quantity of gas delivered by the experimental meter; but as
it was, I found the gas- equal in illuminating, power to 17.89
sperm candles, each consuming 144 grains per hour, and the
gas consumed 4 cubic feet per hour.
" Your gas inspector, Mr. Taunton, has explained to me his
manner of teating the correctness of the gas-meters, which I
entirely approve of. Many of the meters so tested le finds 5,
6, and even 10 per cent. fast, and that the meters are
mostly filled too high with water, and generally by the
renters' servants in ignorance, being told by the gas com-
pany's servants to fill them well up. But upon this point
Mr. Taunton will give his own report.
" If the old gas company persist in producing an inferior
article, I can see no other remedy than by a new company,
who might erect works and lay mains, equal to the present de-
mand, for £300,000. But if, on the contrary, the old com-
pany will do their duty, I think it better to let them continue
their monopoly than to break up the streets again, but of this
the town is the best judge. A new company would be able
to sell gas of 20 candles per 4 cubic feet per hour for 3s. 6d.
per 1,000, and make a dividend of 10 per cent.
After some discussion, the committee adjourned till to-
morrow (Wednesday), when Mr. Newlands, the borough en-
gineer, will be examined as to the pipes and breaking up of
the streets.