Centre Democrat. [volume] (Bellefonte, Pa.) 1848-1989, 1882-01-26


Mr.. w. Baker, of New York city,
said to Sun reporter the other day:
"The idea of bringing gas from the
Pennsylvania coal fields to this city is
by no means new | have been thinking
over it for twenty years. 1t was a
favorite project with the venerable
Simon Cameron. We have organized
a company under the laws of New
Jersey, called The Gas Light Trans.
portation Company The capital is
s25, 5,000,0 900, but the stock is not yet
on the market. The officers are: j.
Nelson Tappen, city chamberlain, pre-
sident; ]. G. Lucas, vice president of
the Keystone national bank of Phila-
delphia, vice president Isaiah c. Bah
cock, treasurer of the Adams express
company, treasurer. The directors are
John Hoey, Senator John Il. McPher-
son, Henry ID. Moore. of Philadelphia,
and Frederick +. Gilbert.
"We are at present selecting appro-
pirate coal lands on which to fix our
works. The idea is to make gas in
the same way that it is made in ordi-
nary gas works out of bituminous coal.
A false report has been circulated that
we intend to make gas from anthracite
coal. We never had any such idea.
A very large amount of property has
been offered to us, and competent
committee is now engaged in making
the requisite Investigations. We wish
TO put our gas works in a region where
the coal is not likely to be exhausted
within seventy.hve years. We pro-
pose to erect gas works that will man.
ufacture 100000 feet of gas per day
This would require ! 100000 tons of
coal annually. The coal can be bought
at the mines for % cents per ton, but
the gas companies pay S452 per ton
for it, They save something by the
sale of coke, tar and ammonacal
liquor, so that their coal costs them
1914 per ton, or 30 cents n thousand
cubic feet of gas manufactured. One
great saving will be in the cost of coal
and in the transportation"
"What do YOU estimate will be the
saving"
ave calculate the saving in cost Of
coal at sl0,600 per day, or 81, 800 900
per year. In the purifying we save
Sl46,000 per year. 1t is well known
that coal freshly mined will produce
better gas than coal that has been long
mined. Getting and using our coal
fresh from the mines saves us 81 $685.
600 per year. Our receipts for tar and
ammoniacal liquors would amount to
s5S4,000, so that the grand total of our
savings will be S7,30O,000 year"
"Wbat capital would be required to
put up the requisite works p
ave will estimate the entire plant
at s45. .000,0 ,000-twenty.fve millions
in stock and twenty millions in bonds.
If We pay six per cent. interest on the
bonds we have balance which would
pay a dividend on the capital stock Of
14.17 per cent"
"How about the cost of pumping
gas?"
1--WE make no allowance for that, as
the cost will be nominal. As we have
not credited ourselves with estimates
for the sale of coke, we may allow the
coke to Offset the Rumping."
"Will there be- any difficulty in
pumping gas through such a long
pipe p
1--WE do not see how there can be.
1t is we'll known that oil is pumped
through hundreds of miles Of pipes.
The furthest point proposed for our
works is nearer than the furthest point
from which oil is pumped. Our pipes
need not be stronger than oil pipes.
We shall be simply extending the
method of serving gas already in use
everywhere. If we can make arrange.
ments with existing companies to sup
ply them at wholesale cheaper than
they can make gas themselves, we shall
do so. If they oppose us We may be
compelled to enter into competition
with them TO supply retail customers.
Of course we shall find no difficulty
in procuring customers if we can bring
cheap gas into the city"
"Will the gas be as good when it
gets here as when il Is freshly made r
1T is admitted that the quality Of
gas is deteriorated by transmission.
This. however, will be counterbalanced
by the ability to make the gas better
out of fresh coal. The first third Of
gas freshly made is generally so rich
that it smokes badly, and must be
mixed with poorer gas before il can be
used. We can easily, therefore. make
gas rich enough to counteract the loss
BY transportation. We do not expect
10 be obliged to carry the gas more
than 240 miles. We have the right
of condemnation of property in Penn.
sylvania for the purpose of laying our
pipes. We have the right TO carry
a. T..