The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-11-18
THE GAS QUESTION.
Why the Gas is Bad and Why tho
Consumers Are To Blame.

FOR some reason or other best known to them
selves the gas companies do not care to let the gen.
era public know how It Ia that IN certain porsions
OF the city the gas supplied Is Of an exceedingly in.
ferlor quality. 1t v particularly noticeable in the
thoroughiares that are comparatively little ne
quented that the gas Jets give forth but faint
name, while In the streets where crowds most do
congregate and whore MHal.f
DIMLY LIGHTED LAMPS
would attract greater attention. little better show.
ing Is made for the peoples money. IL IL claimed
by the gas men ~ the manufactures that thew are
not to blame for this. and that II the lamps were
Kept IN proper order things would be different.
However, This argument was given its due
weight in the HRxALD yesterday, and
1t Is hardly possible that many people
have or viii put much faith IN 1t. When the lamps
In the sparsey settled districts Of the city, ana In
out-o the way streets. simultaneously at certain
period OF the year show the same signs OF weakness
ana give scarcely enough light 70 keep the darkness
away nom the lampposts themselves, there must
be . screw loose somewhere In the gas pipess
which the companies could easily tighten II they
were not so feverishly anxious to make moro money
than the law OF right and justice allows. IL should
be borne In mind that the companies, one and oil,
lay great stress upon the alleged fact that they get
TIE BEST KIND OF COAL
they can TO make good gas, and thaA
therefore, Ii the coal they use Is good.
the gas, II properly made, must be good
likewise. Moreover, 1t Is claimed that they all usef
Newcastle coal, with slight mixture OF some DINER
Kind much Inferior. and that they cannot an0rd 70
use camel coal, for the reason that they would
have to pay SIS TO $40 ton for It. Now. then. foB
the actual facts. A HERALD reporter yesterday
made tour OF the gas houses. ana In conversa4
ton with some OF the men employed about them
learned that very little, any, Newcastle coal " as
used by the COmpanics. He also aScertaAned 0t the
Custom House That only about D. 030 tons Of foreign
TWO Years. These 5000 IONS were DISTRIBUTED TO
private parties as well as 70 Puollc estaDitshments
80 can easily Dc Inferred NV va macn o. Inc
among The COMPANIES = Cane Breton, winch met.
yards for from So 60 50 50 per ton. Tns COAL u Y
said by experts, produces an illumination equsl
THE RATE OF TWELVE CANDLES,
and that Y is very little used Tor gas-makng pur'
iul. A dealer says that cannel coal can 70 had
for from s. to- 80 and all Inc -, grades o.
equal n 70 tny csnds and rom iaooc %
oS esd q ps them me sSe e
only about ninety cents per 1000 feet. X " SAID
that the Metropolitan Gas COMPANY use more can,
mel coal than all the other companies combmeo AND
little more expense they are the gamers in Inc long
In obtaining, II not greater quantity AZ least
much
than II they did camel. the great secret OF
the unwilngness OF the companies TO use coal that
they know will make better gas than that they
do use PROBABLY revealed IN conversation had
some time ago. between the President OF llie Man.
haitian Gas Company and another gentleman
who was posted In the gaseous merits q
the various Goals. said he 1--WE know tnat the
camel coal produces better gas out our contracts
do not require US to give briiancy OF over Iour-
any certain high degree Of light Even surposlng
we could, by using camel, OBTAIN Driaitncy o.
thirty candles it would not be polite I0r
us to 40 So" THAT Was plain language
and to the point 1t Is not 'pollic" to
give the people gas over cerain Dflliancy .
so long as by not giving greater one The profits
are larger The people don't care . DIN what KIND
OF coal Is used. but they do insist that whatever
kind produces the best gas should be used even II
the companies should not be able to make rs big
dividends as they might make under different cir-
cumStancea.