The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-01-09
A FEW WORDs ABOUT GAS.

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Anew WORDS ABOUT GAS.
We hope that the City Council this
evening will adopt some plan, or take
some steps toward the adoption of a
plan, for the improvement Of the city
gas works and the laying OF larger
mains. There is no city in the United
States that has greater natural facili-
ties than Wheeling for the manufacture
and supply OF good Illuminating gas,
and there are few cities so poorly
served in this respect. Especially dur
ing the present winter, which has, thus
far, been an unusually dark one, has
the gas been sadly deficient. The sup
ply seems to be inferior to the demand,
and the pressure at the burner is insult
ficient to produce a satisfactory jet.
The cause OF the trouble seems 10 be
that the gas holders have not the re-
quisite capacity, and that the street
mains are too small to distribute an
adequate supply. The total capacity OF
the gas holders in use at the works is
only 10000 cubic feet, while the daily
consumption of gas in the city is about
100000 feet. 1t being impossible under
these circumstances to keep the holder
full, the pressure is variable and, at
times, almost entirely ceases. There
is also a vast amount of leakage from
the old pipes, which have been twenty
years in the ground, and are in some
places eaten through by rust, and at
others clogged in various ways. The
works are situated upon ground that
is below the level Of most OF the con-
sumers of gas, and the natural buoy
ancy of the fluid does something to over
come the disadvantages Of too slight
pressure at the works and too email
mains. But. as this winters experience
has shown, this is insufficient to give
us, especially in the lower parts OF the
city, asmuch light as is needed.
Itmight be well for the council, as
preliminary to the adoption ola definite
plan for remedying the evil OF def
Al
cient supply Of light, to obtain the
services ofan engineer who is an expert
in the matter of gas supply, and let
him, after examining the works and
learning the size and condition Of the
mains, tell us what is wanted. Such a
survey and report will not necessarily
be very expensive and we doubt not that
a suitable man for the purpose could
easily be found. In view OF the fact
that the people residing in the Seventh
and Eighth wards are not yet supplied
with gas, but must be before long; and
of the further fact that there will be a
great deal more gas burned after the
necessary improvements and extensions
are made, and consequently a better
revenue will be derived from that
source than now; it is important that
the works be put in good condition
without delay.
And, while speaking on this subject,
there is just one other matter to which
we desire to direct the attention of cit
liens and members Of Council. The
gas that is used for lighting the streets
and public buildings is charged for at
a price less than half that which is
charged to private consumers. The
effect Of this discrimination is simply to
compel the private consumers OF gas to
pay more than their equitable share OF
the public expense, or in other words
to impose an extra tax upon them for
city purposes. Such an arrangement
is wrong in principle, and unjust es-
pecially to the tenant class Of our cit
liens. Let the city be charged for the
gas it consumes for public use at pre-
cisely the same rate that is exacted
from the private consumer, and let
taxation be equal and uniform. The
poor man is charged few cents extra
on each thousand feet Of gas he burns,
in order that the streets and public
buildings may be lighted, and he IS
afterwards required to pay for city
purposes his full share of the regular
tax. This inequality existed while the
works were still in the hands Of the
former Company, and the Council had
not then as good an opportunity OF re-
dressing thewrong as it has now. We
hope that the consumers OF gas Will
continue to urge their claims for justice
in this particular until reform IS
a.