The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1882-10-05
GAS vs.. ELECTRICITY.
we" rrocess that Will be OF Enormous
'ai"e-Making Gas at Twenty-Five Cents
TO Fifty Cents Per thousand Feet-The
Process Of the Excelsior Gas-Light Conn.,
pany.
New York Scientific Times !

On Monday, September 4th, the scheme
OF Mr. Edison for supplying electric illu-
inlnatlon upon wholesale scale became an
accomplished fact. The electric current
was turned into the wires OF district that
measures mile square. At the moment
.nls was done the gas companies oi the
United States were confronted with a new
problem. heretofore they have declared
the electric light an impracticable thing for
household use; now that argument Is no
longer tenable. The gist OF the whole
matter Is here. IL people can obtain the
electric light at the same or about the same
price as gas they will prefer the former on
account OF its greater brlliancy and it, nov
city. III they can obtain gas considerably
cheaper than the electric light, then they
VIII use gas, but not otherwise. So il is
clear that the one thing necessary for the
gas companies Is a reduction in the
COST or PRODUCTION.
so that they can lower their prices one
third or one half and still be able to make a
good profit. Under the ordinary methods
| OF gas-making il may be conceded that this
Is impossible, but here science steps in TO
their aid. After years Of study and eX-
pertinent Mr.. Magnus Gross, Of this city,
perfected and patenteda new method OF
gas-making, which is now controlled 10y
the
EXCELSIOR GAS-LlGHT COMPANY,
corporation having its Offices in Posts
building. 1G Exchange place, New York,
and works at Astoria, l.. |. The officers
Of the company are Magnus Gross, presi-
dent; Manuel Peasant, yice-president VIII
liam II. de Kraft, treasurer, and William l..
Hubbard, secretary.
In accordance with an invitation from
Secretary Hubbard, n reporter for the
Scientific Times has recently made care
ful examination OF the system Of the COM
pany, as result OF which il can be hon
estly said that it is the one thing that the
gaS-making interest Of this country now
needs. 1t renders possible the production
Of strong and pure light (as well as cheap
fuel for domestic uSe) at cost Of from 2jc.
to 50c per 100 feet delivered TO the hold
ers. At this cost of production there is
plenty Of margin for profit if the gas is sold
to consumers at S1.2J to $3.50 per 1000
feet. With no other weapon will il be pos
siblc for gas companies TO fight the electric
light.
Mr.. Cross process consists generally in
bringing together in n rctort heated TO
tOU~ OF lSbu~ dll. iHc NdpOIS Oh HdIIu-
tha and OF supcrheatcd steam. BY this per-
feet mixture OF the VapOrs Of naphlha and
water mutual decomposition takes place
and the resultant gas, composed OF Oleiiant
gas, marsh gas, carbonic oxide, and free hy-
drOgen, needs no purilicatiOn or further
treatment beyond passing it through the
condenser TO precipitate any excess Of
vatery vaDOr mcombined wi h constituents
Of the Gas. some of the leading scientists
OF the age have investigated and tested hlr.
Gro>s's system, and as result speak
Of il in the highest terms. 1t was pointed
out that its adoption will enable the gas
companies to fight the electric light TO the
last. In the system is also 10 be found the
solution Of one of the most important COM
mercial problems that people Of this cOun-
try have had to face in great many years
paSt-namely,
WHAT Is TO BE DONE
with the product Of our Oil-wellS: Presi-
dent Gross has been investigating this sub
icct and has compiled a mass OF figures
showing that the more oil is produced the
poorer the producers become. The fol-
lowing is extracted from an able article
prepared by him:
The following statistics will show that
the majority Of the oii-produccrs getalmost
nothing for their pains, but are constantly
losing and finally ruined, one after an
other. This startling fact is made plain by
the following exhibit Of four successive