Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1866-06-23
GAS and GaSOmeterS.

The New York Herald has n long
article on Cas- in fact it has many
gassy articles; but this is ostensibly
so, though it is evidently in the in
tcrcsl of Petroleum. 1t, however,
contains quite history of the pro
gross of gas light among the illumi-
natl of the reunited States. 1t
gives u long description of the mode
of making gas-nOt the newspaper
and political article, but that which
sheds truer light-for which (not
to speak equivocally) we find our
space too limited. We, however, ex-
tract few paragraphs from the ar
ticle:
Cali animal and vegetable sub
stances, when subjected to heat, will
yield an eriform fluid that may BIO
converted into Illuminating gas
Chemical experiments have shown
that gas can be made from water by
separating the hydrogen, but with
out any practical results. The on
ly article extensively used for the
production ofgas is bituminous coal,
although rosin and petroleum will
mako beautiful gas; the former
having been used to some extent,
while the latter is just being intro
duced."
According to the Herald, zone
pound of coal will yield AZ cubic
feet of gas; one pound of rosin will
yield 10 cubic feet of gas; one pound
of tar will yield IL cubic feet of
gas; one pound of tallow will yield
is cubic feet of gas; one pound of
wood, S cubic feet of gas; one pound
of petroleum, Fl cubic feet of gas;
400 pounds of petroleum (about six
ty gallons) will make as many Gu
bic feet of gas as 2,24O pounds of
the best coal"
William Murdoch, resident of
Cornwall, England, is entitled to the
merit of being the first to'introduce
in practical manner artificial gas
for the purpose OF Illumination
He used it in his own house as car
ly as l792;but it did not attract much
notice until 1905. In 1909 the char
tered Gaslight Company Of London
was formed, for the purpose of light
ing London and Westminster. In
1918 Westminster bridge was light
cd for the first time. st. James
Park was the scene of a beautiful
exhibition of gas lighting in 1914,
when the allied Sovereigns visited
London, and a general illumination
took place in commemoratiOn of the
peace of Europe. In the following
year it was introduced into Balti-
more; in 1917 into Philadelphia; in
1922 into Boston, and 1926 into
New York. There are at present
nearly four hundred miles of street
mains laid on Manhattan Island,
while in Philadelphia the number
is four hundred and seventy-fve,
which takes in Germantown. There
arc now 452 gas companies in the
United States, Of which there are
but three in Texas. The price Of
gas per one thousand cubic feet in
twenty five of the largest cities, in
Guiding the Government tax,
varies from SO 33 to 5 SO per 1000
Housekeepers and all interested
can easily tell for themselves the
amount Of gas consumed. At the
top of the meter is a small tin case
which contains a plate with three
small dials. The circle of the dial
is divided into ten spaces numbered
around the edges with figures, like
the dial offs clock. The dial on the
extreme right indicates, by means
Of its pointer, the burning Of 100
feet of gas, the middle one 1000 feet,
and the other the burning of 10000
feet, now to ascertain the exact
amount Of gas consumed in a house
during the month, inspect the dials
Oftbe meter on the first Ofthe month.
The pointer on the LEI hand dial
perhaps stands between the figures
{ and z. Indicating $1,000 feet. The
pointcron the middle dial may stand
between sand s, indicating 5000
feet. and the right had dial stands
between : and s, indieating7 200 feet.