Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-06-15
THE UTILITY AND oHEAPNEss OF GAS
LIGHT

OF the privilege thus guaranteed them, Of
supplying themselves with cheap, safe
and brilliant light, we submit the following
intelligent communication, which we find in
the Muscatne Journal to our readers
! MEssRs. EnIToRs: As the subject of light.
ing Muscatine With gas is before your clti-
zens, it may not be smiss for one who has
| devoted considerable tim and attention to
! the subject OF gas works, gas manufacture
1 and gas lights, and who has personally in
spected the gas works in the principal cities
of this country and the Canadls, to present
to your people, and especially to property
! no ders and capitalists, some considerations
I illustrating the benefits to city oil gas lights,
/ the relative cost ofgas lights compared with
other lights, and the character and product
/ Yeness Of the investment involved in the
construction OF the works and purchase and
laying Of street pipes.
lst. As to the benefits of gas lights
Whatever contributes to the greater secur-
ity OF life and property, Is OF vita! concern
to every city. Murders, assaults, riots,
theits, burglares and arsons are usually
committed in darkness, for they are deeds
of darkness-and light is always terror
to evil doers. Where the streets and places
| OF business are well lighted with gas, the
perpetrators Of the above and other crimes,
are deferred from their commission or, if
they do commit them, they are pretty sure
of detection.
When fires occur, (snd our cities suffer
immense losses by this destructive element
in spite ofevery precaution,) the streets be-
ing lighted, tiremen and citizens can repair
a, once TO the place and can apply their for
ces to the best possible effect for the speed
~ extinction of the flames, which is far 9TH
erw1se with the city and people enveloped
in darkness. Tneits and rob5eries, COM
mitted upon goods and property thrown into
the streets in times OF fires, can be more
easily prevented or detected Gas lights
protect life AMI property, for the reason that
they are not explosive, as are camphene, aud
other futd lights, nor do they emit sparks;
and are ALWAYS located at a safe distance
from any combustible material. Gas lights
reduce the rates Of Insurance. which il quite
an item in the expenses Of large, or even
small business ~ diminishing the dangers
Of fires ami aiFording facilities for Their de-
te zion nd extinction. They are far sup
erior to any other lights in strength mud
hriIliaucy; in facility of lighting aud ex,in-
stores and dwelling; n d are genefsi con-
cenienfe, as we'll as protection TO citizens
" no have occasion TO travel the streets dur. /
ing the night time.
Gas ,iahts tend u aivanee the price OF
real estate and rents in city, and give TO
every CITY eRjp5nr them decided aJvan- !
t1res over places not thus lighted. business
men, ard specially capitalists, who have /
4 a.. I.s,to ID
tn, adyu4tag Of gas are very reluctant to /
locate in city which j. enpeloped darkness
on the going down of the sun. The intro
duction oi gus lights into cities il this cuuu-
try has uniformly had the effect 10 increase
the population, to advance the price Of real
estate, to Great demand for business ten.
ements and dwellings, and to give an i'm
pulse to trade an business operations in all
departments.
I'd. A. t. the cost o gas lights, compared
with other lg IS The cos, OF gas depends |
upon tie cost of the materials Tor making !
il at any given place. Gas is iy sold 10y
the cubic loot, and may be accurately mea-
surcd BY meters tor that purpose. Gas can
not be afford d 1t Muscatiuc at PRESENT for
less than four dollars per thousand cubic
feet The price in the different cities oil
this country varies from SO 90 to 81 90 per
900 feet. Burners, or single ligh. con-
sumo from four to six feet an hour. Burners
consuming five feet an hour are more gen.
cr4lly used. At five feet IN hour, and $500
per 600 fest tor gas, the cost OF single
lig' t would be two cents an hour, or six
cents fur IN evening fthr.e hours. From
this bias s, the cost Of any number of lights
for auy gwen time can be easily computed.
The light OF one five feet burner is equal
to the ght produced y ten sperm candies,
some practical gas MT n may Fay Twelve. 1t
will BE- readily perc iged that tn cos of %
much Of ten sperm caudles az Won d b. con.
sumed in an hour, woull be two or three
times the cost OF gas for the same quantity
OF light. Ii is the testimony If those who
have substituted gas lights, for lights by
,allow candles or lard or sperm oils, that the
former il not more expensive than The lat
ter, while it produces stronger and more
pleasant LIGHT. When the expense OF lamps, !
breukaee, and labor of cleaning them and
keeping in order is taken into account, gas
lights are decidedly the cheapest Gas fit
tings are not necessarily expensive, and
when once put M they are permanent fix
ture, needing little or no repairs The gas
company carry the pipe to the front side OF
the building TO be lighted free ofexpense to
the consumer, who pays the expense Of ex-
tending the tubing through the building to
the points where lights are desired. The
usual cost for tubing put up, Is twenty five
cents lineul foot, and plain style of pen
dint with single light or burner costs t~o
dollars. Ffom the above data each con-
sumner can make his own estimate OF the
probable cost of the fittings he may require.
The price of street lights bears no pro-
portion to their benefits. The average lime
of burning of he street lights in Cincinnati
for the year a fraction OF six hours night
A single str ct light using five feet an hour
would N six hours consume thirty feet OF
Gas, which at 81 90 1000 would cost IL
cents.
3rd. As to the produstiveness OF the in
ves,ment required for the construction of
the works: Ii is sufficient to say under this
head that no gas company in this country
has ever been known to fail, that gas
stock. of oil well regulated companies To-
Gated 10 cities that are advancing, are at
premium and regarded as a choice, and
among the safest forms OF investment, anu
are not to be bought in he market; that
in city large enough to require it, ga.
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