Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1880-02-24
WHEELING'S WANTS.
IMPROVING THE GAS AND WAFER
WORKS.
The Want Of Increased Producing and
Storing Capacity at the Former
The Railroad scheme-The
Pump Project at the
Water Works.

oswitched OF ron b train OF progress
and was lying on the side-track OF old
fooyism." was once very common on
our streets, but OF late years has been
seldom heard. The cause is apparent.
Some of her officers have picked up n
pride in her welfare, and are endeayor.
ing To oyertake the general onward
moyen. ent. Well for her If the same
| could be said Of all. In the minds OF
many Councilmen there is q continual
struggle between a desire for the light
est burden, in the shape oil taxation,
and for a general Improvement In every
city department. But there is a differ
ence between what might be called gen
eral improvements and what are actual
necessities in the improvement line, and
under the latter head, the proposers
class the wants TO be discussed in this
article.
The Trustees of the gas works have
represented to Council that it is impera-
lively necessary, before the coming
winter sets in, to make certain improve
ments to the works. The producing
and storing capacities must be increased
or the winter will find the present gas
supply inadequate to the demands
which will be made upon it. Council
deemed the representation OF sufficient
Importance to appoint o special joint
committee to examine n report. Inc
committee met on Friday night ana ad-
iourned to meet, yesterday afternoon, al
the works, the better TO decide upon the
character Of a report to Council.
About two O'Clock the meeting took
place, the members OF the committee
dropping in until four were present:
Messrs. A. Caldwell, Hall, W~olvington
and Horkheimer. Trustees Wheat and
dillingham;, Secretary Harry Caldwell
and Engineer b. w. Peterson, with
Superintendent Dillon and u brace OF
reporters, made up the party. To tell
what they said and did would be an al
most interminable task, indeed almost
impossible, unless a reporter were ON.
nipre sent. The visit was merely one OF
inspection, and no action was taken,
(the committee separating TO meet at the
call OF the chairman) though the subject
was thoroughly discussed.
THE PRODUCING CAPACITY.
We published, some time since, a com
parative statement of the mount OF gas
consumed during the past four years,
showing the increase OF every year
over the one directly preceding it.
Taking for granted that this in
crease will continue land the reduction
in the price adds to the probability the
works cannot supply the demand next
winter. Added TO this, several OF the
-. -, Al, ar.ar hnnan nra ahnnf
worn out and must be replaced. To
remedy this, the Trustees recommend
the building OF an additional retort
house. The first consideration is the
ground, OF which two spots are availa-
| BILE. On the south side of Nineteenth
street are two pieces belonging to the
| city, and between them lies a parcel OF
ground, of about $50 feet front, belong
ing to Ed. Reid. On the west Of tina
works lies the property Of NJ. w. Amick,
extending to the corner. The choice
must lie between them. The prices
asked are, We understand, 5000 and
$4,000 respectively, though in case the
city desires to purchase, these figures
are subject to change. The proposition
is to erect the retort house on one or the
other of these pieces OF ground, aud
have it of sufficient producing capacity
TO meet the wants. This brings us to
THE STORING CAPACITY.
III the works must produce a supply
of gas equal to the estimated demand,
the present storage capacity is INSULT
cient. There are now three tanks or
holders, two of 20, 900 and one of 100000
cubic feet capacity. The large tank was
erected by the city at a cost OF $4,000.
From some defect in the cistern there is
a leak which has defed all efforts toward
prevention. One OF the small ones, the
one in the yard Ofthe works, also leaks,
and is seldom used, and then hot to its
| full capacity. 1t is thoughts new tank
| of at least 100, 900 cubic feet capacity
will be necessary. There is some talk
Of a telescope tank, which increases the
capacity, but modifes the pressure OF
the gas. The estimated cost OF a straight
tank is 10000; what the telescope tank
would cost is not known.
THE AILROAD PROJECT.
The third feature OF the Trustees
recommendation partakes more of the
nature of an economical move than a
necessity. 1t is the building OF q rail-
road switch from the depOts to the
works. The coal used in the manufac-
ture of gas comes, for the most part,
from Pittsburgh there being toe much
sulphur in our native coal. Coming by
rail or river it becomes necessary 10 cart
it to the works at an average expense oil
a cent and q hall per bushel. To save
Nlta IA anil 10 amount Ia 10 NM in ahn
course of a year, the switch is proposed.
And there is another argument: When
coal is brought by river it receives sew
eral landings, each time becoming
smaller in size. The result is thatmuch
OF the gas locked in the carbon escapes
by evaporation. II the railroad were to
be built the coal would be loaded at the
mines and not handled until il reached
the works.
The construction OF this switch is
somewhat OF a problem, though the
Trustees think they have so arranged
as to reduce the cost to the minimum.
The plan is to tap the b. K o. and p.
W. x X. roads at the mouth OF TWEEN
tieth street and run the line up that
street, along the road under the Female
College, to a point opposite EOtf street,
and from there, across the creek on
trestles to the works. Mr.. Caldwell has
figured on this and estimates the cost
at s, 900 or 5000, which, with the an
nual saving OF $1,000, may he easily met.
Two objections which stand most con-
spicuously in the way are-the grade on
Twentieth street and the crossing of the
creek. From Market TO Chapiine on
Twentieth is good, stiff up grade, and
from there out to the machine shop
about the same down grade. Mr.. Peter
son is OF the opinion that this may be
remedied by working a cut on one
side OF the street only, but this would
seriously interfere with the dwellings on
that side, and owners would be likely
10 enter a serious protest
Crossing the creek will also be a costly
proceeding. At the selected point is a
portion OF an sbutment, begun and left