The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1868-01-20
OUR GAS MONOPOLY.

OUR GAS MONOPOLY.
i -~~~o>~~--~~~c~~~>>~.~~~
| Manufacture and Distribution of Crs in tho
| City-Lond0n and New York Stnfistics-
What Ii Costs to Manufacture and Distribute
l the ArticIe-CalculntiOn from Facts and OBJ.
| servatiOns-Pr0Hts of n Gas Company.
From every hand, wherever gas mains have pcne-
trated, arise complaints both regards tho cxtorons
OF gas companies and regards the inferior quality OF
the article manufactured. Gas nsuficiently purified
and imbued with offensive doors let loose in every
paor and sleeping in the city while in tho vici
| nifty Of the gas works themselves the exhalaon OF
offensive and uoxous odors Is absolutely inolerabe
year ago the Sanitary Commission took the mat
ter into its hands, and from late report IT appears
that little mitigation OF the nuisance has
effected. The number Of complaints has boen materi
ally lessened aud their frequency has become somewhat
more intermittent than formerly The streets not
otoD filed with deetcrous gases: theinhabtants in
the vicinity of gas houses not often compelled
to shut their doors and windows and immerse them
selves in dungeons to prevent sufocaton and gone
| rally people enabled to breathe with COM
parative comfort The evil has continued however, in
somewhat mitigated FORM and after short periods OF
rest the complaints renewed. Intervals there
In which complaints not made and the fact that the
nuisance IS abated for a. time proves that were the
/ proper pains taken by gas companies 1t might be OBJ
/ Waited. The purifiers permitted to become
| loaded and coal In which heavy percentage Of
sulphur exists being less expensive, is used In tho
process Of manufacture. An inferior quality Of gas,
imbued with sulphurous odor is thus produced, dis
/ trlbuted and consumed. The Sanitary Committee has
invited generally to assist in tracing the
nuisance to It's aud in ascertainng which CON-
pany is the olendor but this only be done by
tracing the odors to the place whence they emanate
The Board has also directed OF its inspectors
look into the NATTER though nothing of Importance has
| yst been developed. II may seem strange that
supervision of this sort should be necessary; but
necessary is for tho reason that every company when
| accused denies point blank and makes effort to
| abate the nuisance, insisting that the owners
OF some neighborng factory are the guilty
parties There is company, however, which
is not perfectly aware Of the condition OF
its factories engineers being In tho habit OF reporting
daily and there is no company which could not at q
triirg expense obvate every difficulty. The Manhattan
Gas Company has made effort absorb super1uous
gases and thus render its works inoensve but by the
New York Company -o.ang has as yet been DONE
though many complaints havo been preferred and
frequent promises Of reform have been made bo
venien,ly forgotten at the earliest opportunity. Tho
ABSORPTION Of tho refuse gases matter attended with
little expense and yet from week TO week companies
delay to act and put or the public by promises to DO
kept ut the Crock ca!cnda.
The difficulty in dealing with gas companies is from the
fact that the public Is less dependent and
further that the gas companies less n-
dependent having really monopoly OF tho lighting Of
| the city. There no means OF correcting tho evil
except appropriate legislation and IS to induce and
supply the data for appropriate legislation that cocc
ton OF facts far they could BIO obtained has
boen made in relation to the subject New York is sup
/ ped with gas principally by three companies-viz the
| Manhattan, tho New York and the metropolitan.
| fourth company-the Harlem operates on the upper
end OF the island and must therefore, be included in
tho list AS nearly as can estimated relative pro-
|
| lows:-
| Manhattan. J. 9J 900 600
New York ........................... 100000 600
Me.ropo'ah' se ooo ooo
Total 2 9gi go 900
Deduct thirteen per cent for wasage.. 1885, $50 900
| Total distributed Q soo 10 ono
The d ,strlcss relatively supplied by these four COM
panies embrace the whole island, and are distributed
about as foows:-
New York Company. City below Grand stree,
ianhattan. From Grand Tnriyiourth street
Metropolitan. Tbrtyourth St, north to Seventy ninth ST.
Harlem Company Harlem and the north OF the Island
The number OF street lamps relatively lighted
responds with tho territory which the gas
tribued, and stands proxnaely rs subjoined:-
| Manhattan. .................. 0,s2Z
New YORK quo 10 600
metropolitan o.uoo 10 900
Few Of tho leading hotels a; Iressn. DSoulae,e
their gas. and companies rcticcnt there is
possibility Of determining the exact cos; of mauu-
aa,cn1,s bosear w. a,peir =, ~, uroxi,,o , ~
~ ~ gs hn'tne", The ,a,s,",,e d. cnos l 80
,.,aac 80 80 80" . "a, "a, "a, 49,
~, ~ 20. -, ,sn.ss ~ -, Lo sa,,,,o i ~
49, enn, 1,.,',,- ~ 80. :, -, n,S
~. ssI.hS 81 = c'sr,a,,, 81 as ,o,I,srs f'0N
| c.. ,,Ta',sc,to, f' " f 90 ' ! 10, n,o m,
nst,cii,n, ror ,..s,,.a Ia 40 oo1
| " '''''.''''''''' '1'VOD
| So, ,,oa,c,i,r o1o 40 10,
oaao,i" Of c,al ,.:a % ~, 900
| Number Of cubic icet per tou... ........ 9,6iJ
Is r ne- , ,b P2 c ~ H. - S'S ~ ca
aVetaeS "a y, ~ ~ ~, - ~ , % ".. ~, -,
ont o. which u9c 1901 o. gas is prodseei an'ua 10
lust iour.tenths OF 1, "hh' !,c Soss y. 'uc nanu-
Iactgrea article to the 80 - 'Ech 49,, ~
hundred. a margin OF ."thtylour cant~ "uu ~.
enths - therefore left up3n which to base IN. cost