New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1876-01-21
rhe Rival sf Gas.

Tho Rival Of Gas.
From the time of the discovery of the
illumina ting qualities of coal gas, up to that
epoch when petroleum was broaght to the
notice IF the world, the former enjoyed un-
divided appreciation. There is little reason
for wonder that this should be 90, for at the
advent Of gas night was relieved of half Ut
ito draw backs and many of its discomfOrts
Bad ss gas has since been found to be, it
was infinitely superior to the wretched
candles or the various oils which were made
to do duty as illuminators before it was
brought into use.
But when the coal oil wells gushed forth
the liquid which has since been found SO
we'll adapted for lighting purposes, carbon
gas at once had q rival, and the soulless
monopolists engaged in its manufacture
saw that it would in . great measure sup
plant the miserable article they furnished,
unless they took steps to provide better
effect, and throughout the country efforts
were made to improve the quality of gas
with marked success in many cities.
The conservatism Of the American peo-
pie was too marked, however, to be over
looked by men of such astuteness as those
are who have the management of the differ
emit gas companies in the large cities of the
Union. They at once perceived the fact,
that their customers would submit to an
astonishing amount Of imposition before
they would be induced to make the change
from gas to oil, and acting on their know
ledge, they, to swell their dividends, in q
very few years fell back into the groove in
which they were travelling before they
were forced out of it by coal oil.
This has been the history of the opera
tions of nearly every large gas manufac-
turing corporation in the United States
and the people are not ignorant, nor indif-
ferent to 1t, as recent events will prove, In
Brooklyn, and several other cities, bold
strike against the nonopolists has been
made by the business men and private citi
zens, who have resolved to discontinue the
use of gas and substitute in its stead, Pc
trOleum.
So much ingenuity has been expended by
inventors in devising lamps for burning
coal oil, that there is now little room for
further improvement. The value of petro-
ally known to be very slightly. if at all, in
ferior to gas. Indeed, IN some respects. the
light of coal oil lie vastly superior to the best
quality OF carbon gas With such an ap-
pliance a. . student lamp, . clear, softer,
and in every wav more satisfactory illuml-
nation is produced than could be by the
agency of the best of gas. So we'll estab
lished is this fact that in many houses in
which gas lie used as the ordinary light, in
invaluable student lamp.
Tue student lamp lie, however, not the
only coal oil illuminat0r entitled to consid
GRAFTON for its excellence. There are more
than . hundred different kinds of burners,
each of them capsule of producing light,
equal in power to gas jet, and as orna-
mental in appearance as the paraphernalis
usually employed when gas is the article
used 10 illuminate. In fact it may be said
been made to serve the purposes of gas, and
that in addition to possessing all the advan-
tagee claimed for the latter, it has the addi-
tiOnal one of cheapness.
Careful calculations and comparisons
have been made to determine the relative
cost of the two illuminating agents. The
result has shown that in all places not too
remote from the great oil producing center,
Pennsylvania, petroleum can be employed
at one-fourth the expense of carbon gas
the comparison being made on the basis Of
the average charges for, and on the quality
Of the gas furnished by corporations in
cities where coal oil is cheap.
There would be no occasion for surprise
if general movement. having for its Oh
ject protection against the ext0rtionate de-
mands Of gas corporations, should be made
throughout the 6eCllOn where coal oil can
be obtained 80 cheaply a. it can be within |
radius of 500 miles of Titusvllle, Pennsyl- |
vania. The spatbetic Indifference which !
has been exhibited for 90 many years can
not continue in the face of the growing ap.
probation of the value Of coal oil as rival |
to high priced gas People will soon learn |
TO ignore their prejudices in favor of the |
lluminator to which they have long been |
and will recognize that coal oil I
g in every respect as we'll adapted to the |
OF storee, dwellings and other |
as gas Washington Chronicle.