The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1869-11-01
ls'.io Gnn Nmesfinn.

''gas engineer" contends that the gas companies
dc not do justice TO the FIRST Second ana Third
wards. lie SAYS that during the last twelve months
he has repeatedly tested the consumption Of gas at
different street lamps In the above wards ana has
found 1t TO vary only from and half to feet
per hour, with an illuminating power varying from
two and half to four candles. tested on q
Bunsen phoEomster. The pressure of gas taken
from ave TO nine O'Clock \. NJ. varying from Two TO
three and Aalf tenths. the average consumption
OF each lamp he considers about one ana nail feet
per hour. The gas companies receive fifty dollars
per lamp per year they undertaking to supply three
feet OF gus per hour TO each lamp There are about
l,60o lamps In the First, Second ana ihrd wards,
winch al MY dollars per lamp amounts To $4,000.
AS they supply only half the quantity Of gas con-
tracted for they are only entitled TO naf the con-
tract price-namely S3T, 500 on the presumed 500
lamps. But this Is NOT the only way IN wnich the
public suffer IN The matter. Every gas engineer
who understands the proper method OF Obtaining
the most light from given quantity OF gas
knows that there Is twenty-five per more night
got rom burner burning four feet per hour than
from two burners consuming each Two feet per hour.
when gas Is burned In less quantte s Than from
amount OF IT'S Illuminating power by the over
oxidation OF the carbon IN The gas. THIS can be
proved IA an instant by joining and then separating
TWO soch small flames. lie asserts that he can
prove that the gas companies destroy twenty-five
per cent OF the Lighting properties OF their own gas
by supplying it to each lamp IN such diminished
quantities. The gas companies ought TO stand the
loss oil this twenty-five per cent, destroyed through
their not supplying the amount OF gas to each lamp
rs Carboiic Acid Explosivee
ar. Z. W." writes us foiows:-ln Mr. Robbins let
ter OF the 2eh ut, IN the HERALD he says that scar
bolic acid Is not explosive under any circumstances
and that 1t and the other products derived RON coal
tar VIII condense back into oil as certain
pressure - reached In the tank which holds it,
W Mr.. Robbins inform the public the amount OF
pressure required u produce this most eXtraorli-
nary results Again, Mr. Robbins says, In explanations
tnat the cause Oh explosion IN Mr. VOORHEES, appa-
ratus was that he naG converted his rouWood
chamber INTO steam boiler. and that the sap Il ow-
ing from green wood le upon the surface OF OIL
heated 10 400 degrees OF Fahrenheit aad was
immediately convortet into steam, then mo
superheated steam, hence the explosion which
followed In the further consideration OF this catas-
trophe the inquiry is pertinent, dow far IL possible
TO produce suca result IN the manner described by
Mr. ROBBINS? 1t appears TO the writer that il SUI
ncent heat was evolved from The oil at The bottom
OF the tank to eHpel sap from green wood, 1t would
be converted mo steam and held IN vapof there
lore instead OF aIling 10 the bottom o. the tank IL
would rise TO the TOD, rom The TACT tAas Watery
vapofs are lighter imam tie vapors oil OIL lie most
probable ana plausible cause OF this deplorabe
destruction OF human lie Is that Mr. VOORHEES, was
eudeavofln. TO demonstrate the theory OF Nh.
Robbins tlat the YaDorS OF carbohc acid can be
condensed by presSure out since Lii. NoprhleS "a
not here to fully explain all the circumstances VI
this melancholy catastrophe IL must remain more or
less conjecture.