Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-03-18
CITY COUNCIL.

70 plnlieheu.
The, the eiusens have opportunity to express th.
wishes on The subject the eeetiOns;--
1 10 hs Cozraoa CosReif Of The CITY Of R'sAaoEd.
Tie onders gued Comm ,s.oacr, Bppoint BY of
the General Assembly passed the 2st Of January 1886.
aud approved the following day By your honorable body
ennued IAN act TO incorporate the kchmond Gas Com
pany deem 1t their duty to make the following statement
and suggestions;
In puruhnee OF the rst Of tho Of iGcorpori
TOR, the undersigned having gsea da,s previous
nee 'hereo by publication tho city newspapers
eSeted on the eth OF February last office Of James
Bsher, TO books &c suoserpnoa the stock Of the
Company. Since that period those bcoks have been con-
ssny accessible to all persons wishing suhscrbe but
very small number OF shares Of stct have been
Ken And the undersigned eonuineG say. that in
Their opinion there is very little probability that
siderable amount O. the stick will be subscribed by ird
Nduals under present circumstances. This they think
may fairly be attributed To cause.-the trst. and per-
hsps most powerful ct thes is the very small amount Of
information possessed by citizens generally, OF the
tent snd probable e The works produce
suheea quantity OF gas supply the present and
peehve wants OF our city, the Of which would
be required tor that purpose; the expense Of manufacturing
The after the works erected the price which
could be tarnishsd consumer and the probable PROFIT.
which would accrue to the Ccmpsny from the earrrrse
Another cause OF the reiGsal OF individuals subscribe
toe stock Of the Company. scarcely. Ts, all less potent in
lie influence be found In the ot the charter,
which authorize CITY Council Subscribe
osioek which taken would enable the Ciy;o
pee control the administration vi the Coppanys al
ias End furthermore, alter the expiration OF ~
oseoa the owner OF the whole stock OF the Company at
| it' par value.
ppwer 20 direct the Affairs .. Company
10 the city, objected O. by persons who other
wise be induced sub be the stock the obvious
reason, that the interest the city a
and probably would be- oppaed 10 that of tn private
holde' Fer example, itIs believed N, cit authorizes
would be dsfo Ell % distribute the gas generally and
cusivey through the city, would be c.nsiS with the
pOiuetIon OF annual pf, II SiN upon
Of manufacturing II, Including the OF III, works; while
the ntcu.t o the private sockh Ios would prompt them.
idai the operators Of the Company should b. limited
to enure lo gesi nmoapt OF dividends upon their stock;
ana that, ference the
OF eeR,ral interest at the community Again the Sht
rese.vsd TO the Common Council tecomc any time
- the fourth January, 1862 the purchaser % the cnr
stock ol the Company, objected rendering the
vs;risnt % IN the underI. less permanent tas
u generally desable aud above ALL couf,ug upon tho
Con the OF f taking the stock should Prove
Be ptohab!c or IL Ginning TO take ~ II IL should he other
wi-c;thus vcl,ing upon the private Stockholders all tho
hazard Of the tutep;ize, while lis profits, II any u
mate,y ,ccuTod u tine city.
Very after the passage OF the OF mcorpora-
iHn the un.er grtd. with view obtain such iutJrma
ton a. Wa necessary 10 enable them properly discharge
the duy " Comm'ss orers, commenced series OF III
our q the method OF generating and dsr butug us
nlw in general Lse IN the Northern and
Of such works would probably DO rcquited fyr1ish
sufficient quantity Tor the demands the city
Several OF them addressed letters he'd sons
al the NoT,h who were Known TO lie fsmiIiar with the
subject; and Of thcn during visit eu,s
OF Philadelphia 40 New York awaited himself of the %
p1Ttuniy inspect Gas Works in boh these elite $
and to hold free and full conversations with The Euain es
urdrF whose lpsfinondGnce they constructed ami
with the persons connected with these esab hmens
Besides these Of information hey have examined
the annual report Of the Trustees Philadelphia Gas
Work, Ia the Select ana Common Councils If that city
from the OF the works present time
together with sundry reports at Committees the Coun
cis prior their establishment, and the report Of s. v
MeFriek, so upon the Gas Works OF Europe, msde to
the councils Vi Philadelphia They have ais, converscI
with persons desiEous bGd the proposed
works TO. tbs city, and by comparing their proposals and
estimates have enabled OBJ much INF rma
lion In this investigation, their enquiries been chief
| " directed 10 hree points.
l. The quantity Of gas which would be required TO supply
| the present wants 4 our city
. The natuT" paciy and Of the works Necessary
TO furnish this qunntiy, witt any larger quaint v VIII ch the
inc wants Of the city might be reasonably expected
! 10 demand.
,. TIE expense which this quantity could be m7nu
sctured aud distributed aud the price which Il could
/ be Turn she'd ~
Without here entering tedious Details The undersrn
&C will state IN genera terms, that the inform
have Obainei NJ these heads has ned them
l. That from $4,000 10000 cubic feet ga ioT each
night, would be ample supply present wants Of
the ~.
. That Gas Works Of a c,paci,y 10 manufaetur. and
distribute hsn twice tins quantity, aId planned Is
readily admit OF enlargement, comparatively small
expense, should larger quantity be required may be
| erected and put IN operation at not exceeding
! SlVOOjO. exclusive o! ths seie upon which they
| built
;. That the expense Of manufacturing this quantity Of
gas after the up eted would moi Kceed on.
dollar aEd fifty for each thousand cubic feet aa q at
price ~hi It could be supplied cyrsuners 50 &,
to yield fair pEoh upon the cost of production Gad d'tr-
OulSt ItCluullB interest up the 81 Ut
works, the sanr.es C officers, & should b. about three
collars and fifty cents per noIssLd cubi' eet
The works for which tie above estimate made skoul
| eoTprse-
|. A gahoder sixty feet IN diameter and capable Of
containing $1,000 cube feet OF cas.
2. ReOr;-H House containing five benches furnaces
with three ReiOs cash. with add hye bench.
! es, If necessary.
| 3. A Purifying House.
| !. A Meter House.
! ). Station HOUSES Ccal Sheds, &c
o. -Four end hall miles Of main pipe, besides the
wee pipe which may be further extended the additional
co., only OF he pipes and the expenses Of laying them.
The whole plete end capable Of producing and dis
! tntuung 10000 feet Of gas, and
I. OEe bundled ard sixty pebble amps.
ltmay be r6ml kod that the c.mated quantity Of gas
b. Manufactured and stored IN each dy by ihos wrrks
greatly exceeds the fmount whIgh would ~ b.by he fe
a. red supply IL present wants Of th city. But il IS
always imroFtSni, IN order gu-rd against dents
which will sometimes ia the best regulated esab-
lie mems o tbs character, that the works sould be erec
ed upon scale, capable VI .ducng supply greatly be-
You'd the immediate demand Il aseeuaneJ that each
bench OF three retoFs vi produce about 2GO0 feet
e-ch day; that bench woulI furnish more t,an
enough Tor The potable consumption OF ne city Tor the fl 81
year after tie work went into o9eratiou Bot ~
'hey might &c; at order and in lha, ey1n .he Gay
would deprived cf light unt thcy were r,p4iroi II
there were Others ready for Is thought eEpetieni
tit least fe butches st,udbe compl,ou b, fore uny
qua stity Cf gas IS sup2lel O. consumers.
As evidence thai coal gu furnished to consus rs II tho
Pce above stated, greatly cnraPer an am other
rI ilum na!ion ma stated Of It m. bscn aser
"a ned by actual experiment tina ht-s d. .aTs aud nj
" cents PEI ti usand cubic FEET, is equal he best sperm
I'll xy-six aud lwa-thrI lcnE per "a ona price 1t
least percent che per than tie ual OF that article
IN this m,rket. IL found that the quantity gas csi.
med be consumed by each public and amp per
Or, varies from feet; and taking the b.sis Of the
circulation, the intermediate quantity, four aud half
ieet TO be the tciupl amount consumed aud the aggregate
cng' cf tine the pubic lamps would Dc iequ ed 10 be
lighted zach year, {, be n.feJ and thy. vc nglD
Of twelve houis osch, lhe estimate in the northern ci
tie ccst o shing each puJi. lamp with gas. ice
90 We 't',ef, Nood bs 80 81 per a1ugm, 54O5 81
Tor TIC whole number Of public lamps proposed be for
NJ h't n works Iut dcfhod. Bot the gas was fur
niBh,d the pUblc lamps the o. Production which
would cQnrtc be done il tn City the oWneroi the
works. the oi Lgh eicE pubic hump would be only
so y per annum, or SlfIs 81 for Toe whole nunJe
According ~ ibis estimate, the Of the gas the ptats
consumers o. - 81 per 1000 cubic feet wOuid he only
facu over one ah &c per hour Tor ID burner u
he ire o. The public 'mp-. a. further ~, 'onco OF tho
~. ii1b!s nature Of Cus Wwk' mty 10 proper aid
het wbic those ccd 3D. tho cis lies o iLe Union
have reary o. ,n bad; NJ cot g'eliy exceeding the