The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1872-04-05

last winter a gentleman on Market
street, between Monroe and Quincy,
ordered his meter to be taken out, as
as could not get gasligbt enough for his
Office business. On examination, /
found the gas fitting defective. 1 had
the necessary improvement made, the
meter was replaced, and he has since
had sufficient gaslisht to enable him to
attend to the business Of his profession.
While insufficient or foul tubing
and defective burners will cause
very bad light, it by no means
follows that the gas is bad. Good
gaslight may be seen in come parts Of
town, where there is the required pres
sure, and the gasftting in the houses is
properly executed. We cannot send
ont, at the same time, two kinds OF gas
from the same source of supply and
through the same conducting tubes.
1t is, therefore, manifest that many OF
the complaints are caused by local de-
fects. Further, it has been ascertained
that from u to 60 per cent Of light is
obstructed by the use of glass globes;
also, the state of the atmosphere has
itsj effect on gas. Every mercurial
inch diminution Of the barometer pres
sure indicates 5 per cent loss Of Zig bit,
aud the luminosity OF gas varies with
changes of temperature. A Berlin
chemist has acertained that at 81 de.
grees Fahrenheit gas loses on an aver
age 20 per cent OF it's Illuminating pow.
er; and recent experiments have proved
that New York gas lost by exposure
to cold OF 6 degrees below zero,
Fahrenheit, some So per cent ofits can.
die power. So a continued uniform
degree OF luminosity in gas cannot OBJ
tain. The exposure Of portion OF the
principle gas main on John street to
the intense cold of last winter may
have had deteriorating effect on the
gas. An article headed "Shoddy Gas,
taken from some Eastern paper, appear.
ed in the REGISTER a few days ago.
The writer of that article was evidently
ignorant OF the subject. He says;
Assuming the specific gravity to be
) and that Of rich gas 20, the former
will increase the bill Of the consumer
from 50 to 80 per cent" There never
was coal gas made, the specific gravity OF
which was 5, much less 30. The
specific gravity of coal gas is usually
estimated in comparison with that OF
atmospheric air, which is taken at uni
ty, and varies from 100000 to 100000,
according to the quality OF the gas, the
former fraction indicating poor, the
latter very rich gas. Assuming the
figures quoted 6 and 200 to have been
intended for decimals, not integers. they
would, provided there was no carbonlc
acid present, indicate gas OF rich
quality-of l9 and 80 candle power
respectively-not "shoddy gas; but
this difference in the specific gravity
would not cause the alleged increase
in the consumers bill OF from 80 to 90
per cent" For as the flow Of gas
through any oritice is invcrse'y rs the
square root of the specific gravity,
(other conditions being the same. } the
increase in the consumers bill would,
in the above case, he about l6 per cent.
But whenever there is disposition to
assail the quality Of the gas, the gas
meter, &c, &c, there would seem tohe
a disregard for accuracy OF statement
Our gas meters are, for the most part
dry meters, almost new, manufactured
by the American Meter Company, and
as regards accuracy in measuring, ma
terial and finish, they are at least
superior TO any gas meters made in this
or in any other country.
Apologizing for this trcapas' on yonr
time and space,
am, respectfully,
ARTHUR BR0wSE. Sopt
\nril 4,h 1872