Washington sentinel., 1854-04-02
o. 0 NJ 1T II lnitatf0
For the Washington Sentinel.
WASHINGTON, March 30. lS.

Messrs. EDIToRs: An editorial in the ,Senti-
net OF this morning, in relation to the Washing
ton Gas-light Company, though ungenerous and
illiberal, demands perhaps some notice from the
managers of the company.
Why the company should at this time be as.
sailed, and the particular object in view, are in
quiries naturally arising in the mind of the
reader, but which the article in question does
not answer.
Repeated assertions are made that COM
plants frequent and almost unanimous are
made against the Gas Company, and you declare
| that your judgment sustains them. What are
those complaints? ? 1t is the duty of the super
intendent to attend to the practical operations
of the company, and he is not aware Of any
grievance being overlooked which has been
brought to his notice. Nor is he or any one
else concerned in the management cognizant
of any general dissatisfaction among the very
| numerous consumers with whom he is regularly
and frequently brought in contact On the
| contrary, from the pressing demands for gas
light in all parts of the city, reiterated with an
| urgency unparalleled and in advance of the
| ability OF the company to keep pace with the
demand, the inference is unavoidably otherwise
But some persons are not satisfied" and
two grounds of their dissatisfaction are stated:
first that the leakage from their pipes is al
most always offensive on Pennsylvania avenue;"
and, secondly, the iron pipes along said
avenue were wrongfully given to the gas CON-
pany." OF course, from the nature of the
business, leakage will happen at times from
variety of causes, in spite of exertions to the
contrary; but it is an entire misapprehension
to suppose that any leakage is suffered to ex.
ist, OF. has actually existed, for any length of
time longer than what is required to effect
remedy. Self-interest, ,selfpreservation requires
the most speedy deliverance from such an evil,
particularly while the company is paying, as
at this season, $l2 and $l4 per ton for gas
coal. The offensive odors on some parts of
the avenue, as was found recently near Third
street on careful examination, are created by
other causes. 1t is not known that there is
any leakage of importance at the present time,
from any part of the whole twenty-three miles
OF pipe in the city belonging to the company.
The old pipes along parts of Pennsylvania
legged. They were bought and paid for ibcrally
been mostly removed from their old locality;
and such as were found suitable have been
laid in less important streets-a measure indis-
pensable in its inception, and of unquestion-
able benefit to the government, and to the city.
What were the facts?
At the period referred to, when new works
were about to be erected for the accommoda.
tion of the city generally, the only pipes in the
avenue, between the Capitol and Presidents
house, were of four-inch bore only, Just about
sufficient, if in good condition, for the use of
these two structures and the intermediate street
lamps But they were not in good condition
The leakage was SO great, affecting wells, hy-
drants, and cellars, as to be the subject of con-
stant wellfounded complaint, and Of serious
pecuniary loss to the company; and the pipes
were laid at so slight inclination, the drainage
was imperfect, and consequently deposition Of
tar had filled, in many places, more than one
half their bore, rendering it pretty certain that
the process still going on, a complete obstruc-
ton would ultimately ensue. In these circum-
| stances, and with the view to the extension of
gas-hghts to the Executive square and depart
ments, and through Pennsylvania avenue to
Georgetown and to the First ward generally,
and also an ample supply to the Second, Third
and Fourth wards--all dependent on this main
artery, more particularly as Congress had made
no provision for relaying the avenue with a
larger main, and it was believed none would
ever be made-the proposition was made and
accepted, that the company should substitute
a ten.inch main, carefully laid at their own ex
pense, along the wholeline Of the avenue, around
the departments, and even on to Georgetown,
thereby effecting saving to the government Of
sixthousand dollars sappropriatedfortha portion
Of the avenue from 18th to 18th streets, and
guarantying full supply of gas at all times
to government at q rate nerer exceeding SO so
per thousand cubic feet; the company to have
the small privilege Of using the old pipe, not
half of which, after being taken up and burnt
out, could be used for refaying elsewhere.
BY this arrangement, the government has
had the gas-lght for nearly three wears since at
a rate less by fifty cents per thousand than in
dividuals; and the company has already paid
more than ten times the value Of the old pipe
taken up. The negotiation was submitted to
the ATTORNEY General and President and IN |