New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1851-01-03
GAS CONTRACTS.
Report Of the special Committee In rclafiea
TO Gas Contracts.

printed in all Of the newspapers employed by the
Corporation. ID .VALEsrIsE. Clerk
The following Report of the Special Committee
in relation 70 Gas Contracts. SC was received.
laid on the table and ordered 70 be printed
ID. T. VALENTINE, CLERK
The Special Committee OF the Board Of Alder
men, to whom WAS referred the annexed several
petitions OF inhabitants Of the City Of NewYork.
in relation to the gas supplied by the gas light
companies OF this city, and praying the Commoa
Council to annu the contracts made with SAID
companies, and to adopt the necessary ordinances
70 form public Gas Department. for supplying
the public lamps and buildings and also the clti-
gems, with gas, respectfully
That your Committee have given to the investi-
CATION Of the subject matter OF the said petitions
the consideration which they deemed its great
importance demanded
The supplying Of cheap as well as good gas, not
only for the public lamps but for the citizens gen
orally has engaged for long period the earnest
attention Of the citizens and municipal authorities
of our own as well as other cities and, IN the IN
vestigation of the subject gas produced from yart-
Gus substances or materials, as well as by chem
ical and electric agents. with respect both to It's
cheapness and illuminating power or brilliancy.
has been considered. But the result OF such in
vestigations as well as the experience OF the nu-
merous gas companies in this and other countries.
has been that coal possesses peculiar properties
which enable gas to be made from 1t cheaper. as
well as of equal brIlliancy, than from any other
known material.
Gas from oil and resin was formerly made by
several companies not only in this country but IN
Europe. Its manufacture, however, from these
articles has by many OF them been abandoned, and
the works Of the same have been converted 70 the
manufacture OF gas from various kinds OF coal.
Other gases, however, than those made either
GIN hr0uQht q
attention of your Committee; but as there has
been no experience in their manufacture on
large scale for supplying cities, and as the mass
of scientific learning of this and other countresi 10
adverse to their practical use IN comparison with
coal they do not deem it necessary or wise to
abandon known material, generally admitted to
be equal if not superior to Others for any OF these
new agents. Several of these gases now present
ed as new have-so your Committee have been
informed-been known, used and abandoned
years ago, as well on account OF the expense OF
their manufacture as the impracticabllity OF their
use in comparison with coal gas.
In making these gases, 1t Is necessary, 10 order
10 give them sufficient density and Illuminating
power, that they should be charged with carbon.
extracted either from OIL resin, coal or some other
material. To supply these articles In the proper
ton required, together with the additional com
plexity Of the works, will cost in their manutac-
ture on large scale as much as gas made from
coal
Beside the inc Xhaustibe quantity ofcoal, suita-
bic for the manufacture OF gas which abounds not
only in this but in other countries will always rem
der it an ample as well as cheap material tor the
purpose. Oil, resin and other materials from
which gas may be made, are comparatively lin
tied in their supply and, therefore, If either or all
of them should for the present be cheaper than
COAL their general would so Increase their de-
mand as to soon cause the abandonment OF them
in favor OF coal
A.. IL. Ii 81 has
al present coal gas can be manufactured and FUR
nished az cheap and as good as any other manufac-
tured, either from other materials or substances or
by any chemical or electrical agents.
Both of the Companies in our City--the New
York and Manhattan-use coal in the manutac
ture of their gas. The New fork formerly used
oil aterward resin, and now coal altogether.
Coal suitable for the manufacture of gas, Is %
different qualities and consequently varies 10 Its
price or cost with respect TO its comparative
value for the purpose Inflammation, and the time
required for the consumption OF equal volumes. az
well as from the proximity OF the works to the
mine from which the coal is taken.
England, in this respect, possesses peculiar al
vantages over this country, as coal, rich In its
properties for gas is produced from its mines In
great abundance and this together win tue
cheapness of the materials and apparatus ior the
works, rs well as the low price OF labor, enables
the numerous companies for the manufacture o.
gas established there, to afford the article at
rate much below those in this country.
The principal Goals used in England Tor the
manufacture of gas, are the New Castle and Can
mel Of various qualities-the Newcastle pro-
ducing an inferior, and the Camel a superior AZ
ticle.
Most the companies use entirely the inferior
coal, and consequently while they afford the gas
very cheap, its quality is far below that produced
BY those companies which use both kinds OF coal
The price Oigas also varies there in accordance
with the quality OF coal used, the locality OF the
works to the mine, and the quantity manuiac'
tured and sold.
By reason Of these advantages, the companies
in England are enabled TO furnish gas at from 50.
cd. to les. per thousand feet, the average price
throughout the metropolis Of London being 6s.
Sterling. The numerous companies. however.
located there, make their gas almost entirely
from the Newcastle coal, which costs about 81
Al per chaldron.
places in this country use Newcastle and Can
mel Goals, in the proportion Of one.third OF New
castle to two-thirds Of Camel, and furnish
quality Of gas equal 10 that made by any, and sa-
peror to most OF the English companies.
In consequence, however, OF the higher price
of Goals here than there and the increased amount
paid for materials and apparatus, as well a. for
wages for those engaged in its manufacture. the
cost of the article is greatly increased.
The coal being the principal material In the
manufacture of gas its original cost will OF course
have great effect on the price at which 1t can be
furnished.
And therefore. while chadron OF coal costs
here, say:
or Newcastle 70 20 ~
on Camel ..........,. ............... 7 50 TO -
The same article costs in England, at Liverpool
and London.
OfNew castle. y ~
OfCAnnel.. .......................''.''''. 300
Being difference of nearly two-thirds in the
price of the coal alone. in favor OF the English
companies.
There is another advantage in respect to the
coal which the English companies possess over
our own--,hat is in the article of coke produced
from the coal. This, in several places. they are
enabled 10 sell at price beyond the original cost
OF the coal, while here IL is sold at price far be-
Law IN