The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1875-10-23
NEW ERA FUEL.
A Big Thing Up NJ Pittsburgh.
Gas Transportation RBueee9s.s
Fuel Flows into the Rolling
MillH,


a Big Thing Up NJ Pittsburgh.
Gas transportation . success
Fuel Flows into the Rolling
Mills.
From yesterdays DiSFasrh,l
Yesterday marked an era in the history
Of Pittsburgh, Il demonstrated the pFac.
ticability. Of supplying the city with fuel
andlight from the natural gas taken from
the ground. II has been generally known
for some time past that an effort was be-
Ing made to carry the gas escaping from
the wells in Butler county to thu mills in
the city that it might DO used in the place
Of coal which though cheap as II Is here,
Is expensive when contrasted with the
fuel generated u thousand feet below the
surface. Two Of the leading iron manu-
featuring firms, Spang, ChAltalt 4 Co.,
and Graf, Bennett 4 Co., some time ago
undertook the experiment Of conducting
gas escaping in wells eighteen miles
away, 10 their establishments in ShaFps-
burg and Etna, on the outskirts OF the
city. lit were successful the fact wOul d
30 demonstrated that even the coal sup
piled here, the Cheapness Of which has
mainly given Pittsburgh It's supremacy
In the iron business, would be an I'M
necessary expense. OF course public at
tention was largely directed to the scheme,
for the result, Il successful, opened q vast
range Of possibilities exceedingly adyan-
tageous to the city's prosperity. Work
was commenced at once Of laying pipes 10
the wells, and has been progressing With
the energy that might be expected from
The men who had undertaken 1t.
Day before yesterday the work Of pipe
laying was completed, and yesterday at-l
ternOOn the grand test Of the practicable
ity Of the scheme was made, The fur
naces Of neither OF the establishments
were ready for the change, for whether
the gas would aow with sufficient force
was naturally to be demonstrated first,
but, ut the ends Of the main pipes at both
places smaller pipes were attached ready
10 DO touched With flame when II was
shown that the gas really came through |
in 4 corresponding quantity. Al four
o'clock II had been arranged that the con-
HtGbluU buuulu W AuNug ~ bLu WON ehA
the air having been exhausted from the
10 miles line, this was done. In twenty
minutes gas was rushing through the ter
mini Of the pipe, and being lighted, far.
cd up forty feet.with volume sufficient
10 supply double the quantity Of heat re-
quired at each mill. A large number Of
the prominent gentlemen Of the city we're
present, and when the entire utility Of
the plan was fully demonstrated, there
was much rejoicing. Last night the
boroughs Of both Ftna and SharpSburg
were brilliantly illuminated by the vol |
ume OF fame leading from the pipes.
II will take about week 10 1t the tur-
uaces in the mills for the new fuel, but by |
that time both will DO using II exclusive
ly, with saving to each Of about $50, 900
annually. The heading Of this article 10
appropriate. II Is new era for Pitts
burgh. II means that every rolling mill
In the city Is no longer to be dependent
upon the coal producers, and that any
prestige that Pittsburgh has lost In the
manufacture Of iron can be regained with
little further employment Of capital. And
Pittsburgh need no longer TO, be the
Smoky City. With her manufactures
burning gas, no more dense clouds from
her innumerable chimneys will obscure
the air and dinge her stately structures.