Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-03-20

necessary to repeal here. We extract the follow
inc interesting passages from their report, by
which il viii be seen that they recommend The
erection Of Gas works, as City enterprise:
"Wi,aou, here entering into tedious details, the
under. igned will stale in general terms, ,na' me
information they have obtained has salsted mem,
| /. That from $1,000 10 10000 cubic ieet oil
gas for each night would be an ample supply ior
| the present wants of the city.
| ?. That Gas Works Of cspacityto manuac-
,nre and distribute more than twice this quantity,
and planned as readily 10 admit OF enlargement,
az comparatively small expense, should larger
cnanti,y be required may be erected and put in
operation al cost not exceeding lOO,O 600 dollars,
exclusive OF the site upon which they are built
g. That The expense Of manufacturing this
quantity of gas, after the works are completed,
would not exceed one dollar and fly cents for
each thousand cubic feet, and that The price al
which i, could be supplied 10 consumers, SO as 10
Weld fair prof; uan he cost OF production and
distribution, including six per cent interest upon
the cost OF the works the salaries OF officers, &C.,
should be about three dollars an fifty cents per
thousand cubic feet.
The works for winch The above estimate IS
made, should comprise
L. A gas-ho!der sixty feet IN diameter, and ca
pable of containing So, 0O1 cubic feet oil gas.
3 A Retort-Housc containing five benches or
furnaces. with three Reions each, with room 10
add FIVE more benches, il necessary.
3. a Purifying House.
T. A Meier House.
s. Station Houses, Coal Sheds, &c.
g. Four and a hall miles of main pipe, be-
sides The service pipe, which may be further ex-
tended at The additional cost only OF The pipes
and the expenses OF laying them.
The whole complete, and capable OF producing
and distributing ECO feet Of gas and
!. One hundred and sixty pubic lamps.
1t may Ne remarked, that the estimated quantity
Of gas 10 be manufactured and stored in each day
by those wcrds, greatly exceeds The amount
which would probably De required 10 supply The
present wants OF the city. But it is always i'm
porani, in order % guard agains; accidents,
which will sometimes occur in the best reeuia-
TED establishments OF This character, that The
works should be erected upon a scale caPaoie oil
producing a supply greatly beyond the immediate
demand. |! is ascPnained that each bench OF
three retorls will produce about 10000 feet OF gas
each day; So that two benches would furnish
more than enough for the probable consumption
Of lhe city for the first year or two after the works
wen. inio operation. But as ihcy might &c: out
of order, and in that event the city w"nd be de-
7liyed OF light until they were repaired, il there
were no others ready for use, il is thought expe-
dent that at least five benches should be compile
led before any quantity OF gas is supplied TO con-
sumcTs.
rs evidence tia, coal gas, furnished to con-
SINNERS at The price above stated is greatly
cheaper than any o,he! material for illumination,
i, may De stated, that il has been asceHained nv
actual experiment, that gas, q! three dollars and
fily cents per thousand cubic feet, is equal 10 The
best sperm OIL atsixly-six and lwothird cents per
sallon-a price at least thirty ror cent. cheaper
than The usual cos. Of that article ii This marke
II is found that the quantity OF Gas estimated 20
be ronsumed by each public ard private lamprer
hour varies from fourio FIVE ieet; and taking as
the basis Of the calculation the Intermediate
quantity, or four and halt feel, 10 be The actual
amount consumed and the aggregate length OF
time The public lamp. would BE required 10 re
lighted each wear, 10 be one hundred ana unity
five nights of twelve hours each, Che estimate 10
the Northern ciies,) the Co.'S Q! Lighting each
public lamp with gas Al The price above slated,
would be IS dollars ard 81 cents per aHnum, or
1851 dollars and 81 cents Tor the whole number
OF public lamps proposed 10 be furnished in he
works JUS; described. Blu, if the gas was furnish
ed the p.blic lamps al the cost OF production,
which would, OF course, be done if The city were
The owner &c the works, he cost OF lighting each
public lamp would be only 10 dollars and 93 cents
ner aunum, or ,7iS dollars and 50 cents for the
Whole number. According 10 this estimate, the
cost al The gas 10 the pirate consuILers al ) dol
lars and 80 cents rer 900 cubic feet, would be
onlv fraction over one and hall CENTS per hour
Tor eacn burner, of the size OF the public lamps.
As further evidence OF the profitable nature OF
Gas Works, ii NAV be proper 10 add. that while
those erected in the different cities Of the Union
have neariy all ICON built al cost greatly ex-
ceeding The original estimates, gas stock is every
where above par.
Upon The whole the undersigned feel no hesila-
ton in recon meDdira 70 the Counciltee proprely
OF erecting Gas Works OF the scale and deserip-
ton above mentioned, at the cast NJ The city. They
beIicye that the profits arising from the consump-
lion OF gas by private individuals, would al ones
uay The interest upon any sum that might be ex-
pended in erecting the works, and in short time
would greatly exceed six per cent upon The entire
cost Of manufacturing and distributing The gas.
HENRY L. BROOKE,
SAMUEL S. MYERS,
henry LUDLAM,
JAMES BOSHER,
JAMES C. CRANE.
see the second Report of the Trustee # the Phla-
deInh. Ga Works, from which II appears ai lh- nfst
section Of those works cost only S21OOO, ahuneh up
nm much larger scale than the works Tor whch TINS es
tjmste |. made and were buiit time when labor and
materials were much more costly IMAM now.
On the I2h insl on motion Of w. w. Crump,
Esq, in the City Council, il was ordered thai The
Report be published. SO that the citizens may
have an opportunity to express ;her wishes on
the subject at the ensuing ward elections on Wed
nesday, the lst April, when poll will he opened
for H.. nnrnose. The whole matter IS therefore,
once more before The people. We hope that the
ouestior Nil, now be settled, cnce tcf all. The
civ has been 100 often tantaized b. bright pro-
niscs, never 10 be fulfilled All admit, that il is
Of vast importance that our darkness should be
illunua,ed-and that it is most nnaccouniaole
that in the metropolis oil the Oldest state 40 'he
Union, with large and Increasing population
with rich mines Of bituninous coal al our doors
(which ie actually ranspor!ed to Baltimore and
Philadelphia for the production OF gas,) we should
NOT have a single hu'nar 10 make darkness vis''
BILE In spite Of these strong facts, The sole ques
lion is, whether The construction of the works al
the exclusive expense of the city will he justified
b. The probable receipts Each citizen willjudge
for himself, alter weighing the facts set forth BY
The commissioners "Wi,h the lights before US,
We are inclined 10 vote for slight" We regard
il as OF such vital importance, that we would run
the risk OF little loss 10 he city, provided cir
cumspection be used in employing The agents and
in the management &C The FUNDS
The City Council have restored to the Nigh
Watch their pay o! 81 25 per night from The
Is, Anil TO the Isl December, which had been re-
duced.
An ordinance allowing 10 each member Of the
Civ Council four dollars per diem, for each
days attendance at the meetings Of said Council
has been rejected, by lie voie-ayes +, noes D.
We are no, sorry Tor il. The honor of manag
ing city affairs should bea sufficient reward.
To tie Editors OF the EnqatrT'
Mcssrs. Elilors-A. our March court The peo
pie of Louisa had the pleasure Of listening 10 lhei
yonng candidate, John Poindexter, j., in shor
speech about half.an-hour in length. he enter