The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1853-07-26
THE GAS WORKS.

THE GAS WORKS. :,
We have shown, on almost every gro"nu
Imaginable. tbat the gas works ought moi 70 De
removed-thAt is, we think We nave
ly we have seen no argument 10 '"e .o""
The last circumstance which has oeeh pa
x.asd "a treason for the removal OF the works
-, .fi,h. ere At Burr 81 Ettinger's foun.
dry. which, it was alleged put the WORKS 10
;mminest danger from the expiosion OF the gas
hoIas,s Now we have shown, from incontro'
..,;hls scientific facts, that there was no such
a.nser: but suppose there was, the force OF
the argument is diminished TO the extent of
the cost Of the present gas holders; for henev.
sr the cost of the reconstruction of the holders
at Rockets is included in their estimates by
those who oppose the removal, !, has been an.
swcred that il is NOT PROPOSED TO REMOVE
TIE GAS HOLDERS. The present gas holders
then are to remain in their jeopardy from fire
in the neighborhood, and to continue the jeo-
Dardy of the neighborhood by their explosive
tendencies '
If the friends of removal, however, should
now, TO get the full benefit Of this new argu
ment, contend that out of humanity for the
neighborhood, as we'll as for the safety of the
entire. works, it becomes important to remove
the whole, then they must maintain th.ir
ground under the heavy weight of the enor.
nous expense involved The question then
comes up: are the citizens of Richmond will
ling and prepared to demolish their present ad-
mirably built works, which cost such an enor-
NOUS sum, and build others They certainly
have not the money TO waste in that manner,
and will hardly be led into such an expendi.
ture by the bug, bear of explosion!
But, still referring TO this argument about
explosions-wiIl the works be safer at Rock.
etts than where they are The present lot is
protected in the rear by the dock, in the front
by the street, and on either side may be pro-
tected by walls, which can be raised as high as
may be deemed necessary. If MIR. Tait's lot is
purchased it will have street on the West,
and thus be as completely protected on three
sides as is possible in any loo alton, while on
the fourth side it may be so shielded as to pre-
clude the idea of danger, even admitting the
business of the apprehensions about explosions.
can be no better located. If this be SO, when
we consider the works themselves, what is the
view in regard to the neighborhood The
present neghborhood has no houses filled with
sleeping tenants at night, TO be taken unawares
by casualty and killed in their beds. The ope-
ratives and Iaborers in the vicinity at night go
to their homes some distance away from the
A. - -
be so, and in case Of accident to endanger the
vicinity, there would likely be more lives en-
dangered there than where the works now
stand.
This argument as to explosions then can be
of no force. But to rob it still of even the
shadow Of danger in the most timid mind, it is
the easiest thing in the world, at a most triRing
cost, to construct pipe from the gas holder
into the river, by which, in case of danger
from fire in the neighborhood, or in the works
themselves, the holder might be drained sud
denly of lite contents. What would be the cost
of this pipe, compared to the great outlay OF
building new works? Besides, the boundary
walls may be raised SO high as to keep out
heat altogether from the holders.
What will the city gain by the removal @
Why just nothing at all. While the distriou
ton of gas will. from the increased distance
: it will have to travel, become more difficult and
more expensive, all the purposes of intercom.
municaton between the city and the gas works
will be attended with greater delay, trouble
and cost.
If the city decline to buy Mr.. Tait's lot, we
have yet room for the present. We have sto
rage for BOG, 900 cubic feet Of gas, and by eco
nomy of room may enlarge the generating and
purifying apparatus, so as TO meet the de-
mands of the city for some years to come; and
who would venture to predict that, in two
years, in one year-nay, in one month from
this time, there may not be an invention which
will entirely revolutioniZe the whole proc ss
of pro ducing gas We cannot tell, in this
age of discovery, what changes may or may
not occur in the economy of gas manufacture,
aud should certainly not undertake now to
build and arrange gas works to last through all
time TO come!
Then, ARE THE CITIZENS OF RICHMOND
WILLING To BUILD NEW GAS WORKS?
MExICo.-The New Orleans Picayune, of
the 10th, has late news from Tampico but
there is nothing interesting in it. The Ell Co.
mercio has some savage remarks about the
Mecilla Valley; at the same time declaring