The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-04-19

Gas Msssrs-Impsrtant % the Publle.
On the day that reporter visited the two gas
establishments Of the city he also visited the establish
ment Of Mr. Samuel Down, Twenty street near
Tenth avenue, where meters manufactured exclu-
sively for the Manhattan Gas Company, considerable
number the New York Gas Company, and extern
fvey for other gas ests blishments throughout the
United States. The New York companies charge the
these meters and also for service pipes in
Philadelphia there Is charge made for either For
long time the public have been dissatisfied more less
with meters and many have very little confidence in
them and that for two reasons first very few under
stand their operation and in the second place, those
who do understand them cannot determine whether
they may not have been constructed togo too fast,
and though their movement viii be uniform and
regular, they may register too much gas against
the consumer, just like watch that will re-
gister time faster than it passes. If the meter is
made true the dial to the sum- the can
be wronged by it. On the contrary the gas
nufacturer most liable to suffer when the meter
properly attended to. 1t ascerained short time
ago. that the meters at Washington went twenty per
cent too fast. and they were taken down in conse.
The only security the public have at present
for the truth Of the meter is the character of the
cure and the honesty Of the gas company who supply
them to the private consumer But this is not always
satactory, and it necessary to have the meters
tested and stamped by engineer under the State
city authorities before being used meter is a mea-
like any other measure, and ought TO be regu
lated by law, and subject to the surveillance of
an inspector. The works OF meter are like those
II clock watch, except that instead of the wheels
being moved by springs weights, they turned
by the action of the gas in passing through the
meter, and the quantity or bulk that thus passes
is indicated by sets of hands the dial plates
poIding to the hour, minute and second hands Of a
watch numbering thousands hundreds, and tens of
feet and in the larger meters millions and hundreds Of
millions But how does the gas turn the works Of the
meter 1t can only be done with the assistance of water
Ii the is admitted into the meter without water it
produces no effect at all and will move neither wheels
nor hands 1t will only be like so much air in it. In the
interior Of the meter is large tin wheel called drum
The space around this wheel is filed up with water to
certain height called the water line which ascertaned
by taking in the side of the meter and al
lowing all the water above that aperture to run out
The screw i then inserted and the is let on the
surface of the water The pressure from the gasometer
caused by weight sends the with certain degree of
through the meter All around the drum are fas-
tened diagonal shaped hollow pieces of tin somewhat
semblirg the buckets Of the wheel Of steamship; and
many Of these the surface of the
ccve the pressure and turn the drum as the gas passes
out into the pipe leading to the burners The revolution
Of the drum all the other wheels connected with
IT to revoye and thus the quantity ascertaned The
action Of the gas upon the drum may be seen at Mr..
moment the gas Is let on, the drum reyovcs the
moment it is shut off. the drum stops.
If the pressure is great the drum will revolvc the fast
and greater quantity will pass through in a given
time If the pressure is small lesser quantity will pass
through. At the meter menufactory there is gas
ometer made with great precision, its contents be-
ing ascerained by filling it with distilled water and
weighing it, This gasometer is graduated by scale in
dicatng the quantity Of that passes from it through
the meter For every inch it falls much gas must
have left it, Thus the meter is tested and If IL is not
right, il is altered and made right.
This Is exactly the sort OF thing public officer
ought to have by which he might test meter brought
to him for examination by private consumer. We do
not mean to question the integrity or accuracy Of Mr.
Down. any other manufacturer Of meters in paricu-
lar, but the public ought to have guarantee that
they not cheated in this description OF The
the of che gass manufacturers which have clock
connected with them, and measure half million
feet in the day the smallest size used by private
consumers The price Of an ordinary meter is 50 80
If meter has too much water in it, and the wheel is
too deeply submerged the pressure Of the gas will be
efficient t. turn it, IL the other hand there is
in the meter If the water is too low the gas will pass
through without any effect upon the meter and without
being registered. Hence, often when the employees Of
the companies come round to examine the meters
and make their charge for the quarter or half year they
find according TO the meter that there has been little
gas consumed. How do they act in this emergency
They set down average quantity Now it often hap
pens that they deceived, and they charge this
quantity when there has been little perhaps
gas at all consumed. Hence disputes arise which might
be prevented. If the gasmen would always inquire
whether any gas has been burned when they find that
the meter indicates none. Again, they often make grave
mistakes Of another description They enter the figures
which they find the dals for thousands instead Of for
hundreds tice and charge accordingly, either
too mnch too little But this is, ought to be-
titled the next time they examine the meter for it is
constructed that 1t rectes these errors and by looking
at meter at any time you ascertain all the gus that
IL -
together make the total indicated by the das then
the charges correct in the man though there may
have been errors to particular quarters or half
Every man ought to look after his meter, aud
derstand IL for himself.
There Is very important secret In reference to
tiers TO which the public would do well to attend Often
nearly double the quantity Of is consumed that ought
to be- or is necessary owl TO the full being
allowed direct the burners instead Of regula
ting by regulating before passes into the me-
ter. When the pressure Is great much If the gas Is
wasted by passing through the burner without being
consumed and the air Is mpregnaed with dee,erious
matter The true way Is to have two cocks regu-
ator at the meter by which just sufficient gas TO light
the establishment is let and to this person ought
to have access but the proprietor confidential
person that he can depend upon The other cock may
he e in the charge Of to shut OF let the
gas daily. The quantity necessary for any estab
h. ascertaned by experiment and the best to
find what quantity will give sufficient light with the
burners turned to full cock BY adopting this course
never be wasted by using too much In particu
lar burner for IL requires the whole Of the tube
to give enough II light under the diminished pressure
As illustration Of tn. Importance of reducing the
pressure at the meter may mention fact that has
siding In Twenty ninth street has adopted that plan
and recently comparing his gas bills with those of
his nsghbor who has exactly the number Of burn
and gas the length Of time, he found
that he not charged more than half much by the
gas company IL Is bad enough TO have TO pay very
high price for gas IL Is still TO waste It. People
complain of gas tmohIg and say II IL bad impure.
The Of the fmok. Is not the inferior impure
quality Of the gas but the excessive quantity pressing
through the burnermore than II properly
The best kind Of burn.rs-those which show most light
In proportion to the gas they consumc-are the fish
IL to BE- hoped that this statement will be useful to
many Of fellow ctixens and that II will throw light
up, subject upon which much prevails owing
want u information.
Spiritual Manifestations In Otsego County.
TO THE EDITOR or Tue NEW YORK HERALD.
SIg;-As the columns of the Herald are ut all
times open to the public for the investigation Of sub
jects which interest it, readers, cannot pass over