Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1869-06-10
FACTS ABOUT GAS.
How 10 Read the Meter---How to Detect
Escaping Gas.

There is no one cause of complaint, as
"a remarked some time ago, so universal
in cities as the short-coming and eXtor-
tions of gas companies. This Is a COM
mon ground upon which all who use gas
can meet, and many and venoInous are
the anathemas hurled against the comPa-
MES in every city from the st. Lawrence
to the Rio Grande. we are no
to the rule here in Memphis; indeed, we
seem to think ourselves peculiarly cursed
with the present gas monopoly, and we
| have vet 10 hear a good word spoken for it.
The causes, or rather ground for COM
plant, are, o~fcourSe, different in different
localities: in one the gas is of a poor quail
ity, in another it is insufficient IN guam
tity, elsewhere it is too dear, ETC., etc. IN
Memphis the complaints are against the
quality, quantity, price per Thousand ieet
and irregularities ia charging.
This last is the most frequent and ser1-
ous charge brought against n company
not. perhaps, because the wrong coIn-
planned Of is the most ~grievous, but be
cause it is the most inexplieable. The
people cannot understand how it is that
burning ten lights a night one week they
are charged five dollars. and the next,
while burning but three or five they are
charged twenty dollars. We have known
of exactly such cases. A friend of ours
not long ago shut off his gas and did not
use it at ali for a week. When h bill
came round he was charged the average
that he had been paving. The mex week
he let most of his lights burn all the time,
and vet the bill was about the same thingl
Next 10 the gas companies the meters
get the most numerous and the heartiest
curses, and to them are attributed, as a
general thing, the entire fault of the ir-
Irregularities in the charges made. This is
an error, n results from an ignorance OF
the principles upon which they are made,
and consequently of the accuracy with
which they measure the gas which passes
through them.
The truth is the meters, both wet and
dry, now in use by all reputable gas COM
panies, are almost absolutely infallible,
and the fault lies in the reader, who either
wilfully, or through carelessness, takes
the meter " wrongly.
Now there is no valid reason why cOn
sumer should not be able to read the
metre themselves, and thus know eX-
actly the amount of gas that is used by
them. If this knowledge was general, il
would remove silly prejudice, that great
" bone of contention " between those who
pay for the gas and those who receive the
paw, for it is a faithful arbiter and gives
no favor to Il more than another.
HOW IT Is DONE.
The meters Doth wet and dry in ordi-
nary use viii be found to have three in
dices, the hand on the first or right hand
index moves to the right as the figures
read, and each index begins at a cYpher
(O) at the top and reads, l to , to 3, and so
to the cypher again, which is 10. When
the hand on the right index has moved to
l ii indicates that 100 cubic feet of gas
have been used or pasSedthe meter; when
ii points to 3 il means 500 feet, and after
completing the circuit al t0) it is 1000 feet.
Each Ofthe induces are ten fold multiple
ers ofthe one preceding. Single figures
are used for want of room, but the multi
plier is generally placed above the index,
thus the right hand is one thousand"
the mex to the left or middle index is
" ten thousand, T" and the last or left hand
index is zone hundred thousand" There
fore on the first or right hand index, l on
the dial stands for 100; in h middle index
! stands for 1000; and ! on the right hand
index stands for 10000, and so in this ra-
ito with the succeeding figures respect
lively.
To read the meter, begin with the left
index and write down the figure last pass
ed by the pointer; then write down the |
last passed OF the second index,
and proceed in like manne with the third
or right hand index. Now add two cyphers
200 and it will give the amount Of gas reg |
istered in cubic feet. Suppose the first in
dex was 2, the second index s, and the
third index 6, making 2j6, now add two
and you viii have 256,00 being
he amount OF gas nsed at that time.
At the end of the month COR at any other
.ime) read the meter again and the figures
will read-say $500 after adding the |
o deduct the first sum from
the last and YOU will have the difference
POO, which indicates the number Of feet
used since the first reading.
HOW To DETECT ESCAPING GAS.
If your gas bills seem too high, or you
have the evidence Of escaping gas by sense
Of smell, but not positively SO; take a
of the meter when no burners are
N use, and after an hour or so repeat the
reading, and if gas is escaping il will he
shown.