Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-03-24
ITO THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF

Il RICHMOND:
GESTLRNEx-The Committee on Light, to whom was
referred the resolution directing that expert should
be employed to look into and make an examination OF
the CITY Gas Works and report on the causes of the
large gas bills, have performed that duty by en-
plOying Ambrose l. White, Esq, Engineer of the Me-
iropolitan Gas Works, in the city of New York
He came to Richmond, and after two days spent, in
which he made Il thorough examination OF the works,
the Goals used, and the gas made he came before the
committee aud to the various questions propounded to
him by the committee, in relation To the works and the
causes OF the large hills, he reported to them, i'll sub
stance as follows: That heretofore the gas probably
had not been thoroughly purified In which condition
IT contained large quantity Of sulphur, which would
increase its density, thereby becoming nearer the
weight of the atmosphere in which condition, though
the pressure would be the same as 1t Is now worked
the gas would not issue from the burners with the same
velocity, thereby showing lees consumption, but In
which condition il would be very offensive and to some
extent injurious in confined apartments.
The gas having recently been made pure, in which
condition found It, having been made entirely Tree
from those noXious combinations by proper washing
and lime publication, the gas necessarily would be re-
duced in density, 80 much below its impure condition.
the would be that without the proper care being
exercised by the consumer in keeping the flow on the
burners properly regulated, that being entirely under
the control Of the consumer the bills would necessari
ly be large He stated emphaeally that the illumina-
ting power of the gas here would compare favoraby
with anv gas in the United States made from Goals In
answer he further stated that the quality of the coal
which he saw below the standard of gas Goals gen.
orally used, besides that they contained large guam
tty Of slate and sulphur, which rendered the gas made
from those Goals very difficult to purify indeed, he
expressed surprise to good a gas from the
IiAl used.
In relation the metres at present adopted they
equal If superior any other metres used this
country, and entirely reliable, being the same as
used very generally in the principal gas works in the
United States.
In relation the pressure he, upon examination and
enq uiry found that the pressure at the holders or
governor, was really below that of standard works
generally notwithstanding that the gas had be de.
pressed or forced below the starting point Of dstribu-
lion but that AT more elevated portions Of the city the
pressure must necessarily be greater Than Desirable
This however, was matter over which the superin-
tendent could exercise contr-l.
stated the committee, from what he could learn
in relation the former condition of the works,
their present condition, he satisfied that everything
had been done that could be done indeed he expressed
surprise that much had been accomplished the last
winter with 90 limited condensing and purifying ca
pacity He urgently recommended that the condensng,
purifying and holding capacity be increased
The committee, full investigation OF all those
matters relating the gas bills the manufacture Of the
gas pressure and distribution OF the same, believe the
Superintendent is entirely free from blame. In
deed il is the opinion of the commute that the works
have been : well managed they could have been,
under the circumstances, by any engineer.
E. A. J. CL0PTON,
Chairman Committee on Light.
n-s-City papers copy one time. mh24-lt