Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1858-03-02
Observation-Disclosures.

seem to be epidemical. 1t was but short time
| ago that we noticed some complaints which
were urged in New York against the monopoli-
zing aggressions of one of their companies; aud
to-day we quote from two more Of our exchan-
ges some remarks upon the way the business is
supposed to be carried on in Cincinnati and
Baltimore. There certainly is . screw loose
somewhere in this business Of gas making; for
it's contrary TO oil experience, to hear much
suspicion and complaint where there IS no fuun-
dation. To deny that there is something wroug,
! is simply absurd First, then, We extract from
the Cincinnati Ga-efte:
! COMPLAINTS ABOUT GAs-It IS somewhat sin
gnIar that i'll most Of the leading cities Of the
United States, gas consumers have for some
time past, been complaining loudly and bitterly
because of an unexpected and unaccouutable in
creas in their gas hills Every where il Is said
! the greatest economy has been pTacticed 10y con
sumers, but this did not check the advancing
tendency in tine charges of the Gas Companies.
| Down went the lights. ana up went the bills
! In Cincinnati, cOmP.nntS of ti.iS character are
universal. Niue-IenthS OF the consumers, We
| have reason To think believe they are payiul,
| for more than they consume. They CanuVi b.
made to believe the consumption increased ia
proportion to the charges. Nett Icr can they
explain the apparent discrepancy.
| The stale oi the metres was carefully noted
| from moI,ih to month, and the figures were
| found TO agree with these rendered lay the Conn
paHy. So far, therefore, rs the metres Indicate,
every thing appears tO he correct. What then i
the unattcr? There is something wrong Ii IS
useless 10 deny this. II Is hardly possible that
private families and others, witiiont any increase
! in the number of burners, in spite Of every ei-
| fort to ecOnOmiZc, ana with the aid of nj the
modern cOnIriylnceS, for reducing the flow Of
gas, could consume from thirty three fifty per
II
| lust yCaT. W nat, therefore, We repeat, is the
matter? Is there scientific man Among us
| that can throw light on tie Snhiect2 Viii the
Gas Company favor the Puolc with explain
alton!
| GFrsra the Haitir,ore Arnericanl
Tie 'ray Gos Consumers are Goage,' out ef t9eir
3@aey.
The complaint OF largely increased gas bills
for the last quarter is universal that il is all
nonsense on the part oI tie Company to under
take to explain the matter by attibuting il to
textruvagance, or ma increased pressure That
VIII not satisfy me, for have the turn-on kew
in iny Parlnr, and only allow sufficient gas TO
pass to supply the necessary light When The
| cocks are turned To their full capacity
! In the first place will state how the public
may be deirauded b. falsc register of the me
ter, and as the Company have beeH charging for
the amount of whisky put in the meter / aiu
inclined TO think (uIle>S they have charged the
2rogSeIiea profit on it, the fault may hc there
| | do not profess 10 be an expert in the manu-.
! i.ictuTing of gas, or to have thorough ku0wl-
! edge of the construction of the metclS now in
general use, bTt viii endeayCr to adhere TO facts
and at the same time try and make the I,,ibIic
comprehend the principle am coming at al
though ! fear, in the absence ola cut, 81 .,Ee me-
ter, ith the inside OF tie coistruciic --,sxpVscd
/ il will be no easy undertaking. ID. -
! However, 10 illustrate me principle 1 viii
! take the ordinary wafer wheel with boxes: SUP
pose ne wish 10 ascertain Low much " alter " ;il
pass by the hummer Of revolutions; 30 do 50. we
must know the contents of each box, and there
fore the fuaiitity discharged by one revolution.
! With The propsa machinery attached 90 theaxle.
! wc easily ascertain the number oi revolutions
within certain time, and allowing each box 80
be tniL &C readily find the quantity Of water
that has passed. But suppose faS IS the case
WIKI mctcrS,i the wheel revolvc With the boxes
only hat! tuiI of water. how stands the case then
with the register: Why, only c-haif aS much
has passed will be indicated 10y the ina..,--
. Now, suppose the Company, or their agen,s in
stead ct only hiHg the meter to the Proper
point, 10 get the iuii caracity Of The q $
box, they fill the metre with the .rog, IuaViflc
big proii0 10 point that viii reduce. tle cal,7i
~ of the gas boxes OHe-hali; or in other words
instead UI the mouth of the box lust lpnitr, il,
the gr0g, 1t j. half immersed. The same 100
luton l. performed, aud just oue-hali the gas
has passed, as will be shown by N.,. ina
| with the watcr-Whcei.
So much for the meter. Now tLsi, | ,,;ll
speak something of the gas, aud state !rnyy the
consumer may be defrauded BY a tn;xtur. oC
gases obtained from even tie best nualitv az
coal. In the first place It will b. nccessarv 10
state to what substance the Eliminating r,,yver
tei gas is owing, and hat i can be easily s.luf
,terated with WITHOUT any intention of fraud ON
the part Of sh- company. The sole illulniu,tib.
power OF gas depends upon the ptr ceniaoe II
o.ehaAt gas or heavy carbide Of HYDROGEN ret-
reSsLted IN chemistry by the following symbols
-, ia. or fear atoms Of carbon and fouf atoms
OF hydTogrni and by weight as folioys-24
pats Of carbon and parts Of hydrogen. srld
has tie specific gravity ofO,9sO, or very r,err
Me same as atmosphere hir, aud burns w,th a
brilliant white light II should be Ina.i, from,
the Camel coEi, iree from sulphur (re5.rh I sop
rose the company viii not pretend % say : the
case with the present coal theY are IsincJ and
as fOr as possible of oxyge9. as both Of these
cci:oire aHd with greater affinity to the hvolro-
gen and thereby Treyegt tic combination with
cal bon si.ich aloas furuIS the Illuminating gas
as has been Sh2HB.
The Constituents q coal may &c eiasssd IS
follows; solid, iiquI and gaseous, aud Is. "
proper maniPulations or management st
tyrores LARGE ana rfff,. cf, 80 -.