Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-10-11
srArTlE Gas Iucur sexrAxr.

sEATTIE Gas LIGHT COMPANY.
Not the least extensive and important
among the necessities Of cities is the
demand for cheap and efficient illum-
mating agent. Il In second only TO the
need Of fuel, food and clothing. Thus
far. or up to a comparatively recent pc
nod, coal gas has been the cheapest.
safest and NEST satisfactory material
for lighting. Especially 10 this true Of
streets, public buildings, halls, church
q, etc, where strong and powerful illu-
minating facilities are requisite. Wheth-
er electricity is 10 supplant for these
purposes the coal gas of the present, is
yet an open question In some locali-
ties where material for making gas is
expensive and the price correspondingiy
high IL will doubtless find favor, but il
will yet be some tims before electricity
will come into a. general use for ligh:-
ing purposes, IL indeed IL ever does, az
coal gas. The city of Seattle has today
finely equipped. well managed and ac-
commodating company engaged In gas
manufacture. This company has an
absolute monopoly of the business but
unlike many similar organizations uses
its privileges with justice and nodera-
ton. Acting upon the principle that
the best policy is in the long run to di-
vide profits with its patrons, the com
pany has reduced the price Of this al
most indispensable product until today
in proportion to the size of our eity and
its consumption. gas is sold here at a
less rate than in any city Of the United
states.
The manufacture Of illuminating
gas in this city dates back to 1873,
when Messrs. s. L. Burroughs, John
Leary and II. l.. Yesler formed com-
pany for this purpose. The original
capacity of she works vas two benches
Of tools, which under stress could make
l5.O00 feet per day. The price at first
was 81 per thousand feet, from which it
was gradually reduced to IS in 1881. On
February LIST, 1881, the company was re-
organized ID. Horton d Co. and Capt.
Renton having purchased majority OF
toe stock. assumed control. Dexter
Horton, Esq, was then elected Presi-
dent Of the Company, and N. Penfieid,
ESQ.,, superintendent. The first move
made by the superintendent was to re-
commend reduction of price, from IS
70 "a per M, which was done, and
which was at once followed by large
increase Of consumption. Measures
we're then taken to enlarge the works,
to provide for the increased demand,
and in the summer of 1881 a new stor-
inc tank or easometer 50 feet in diam
eser, with lift of Is feet, and capable
Of holding 10000 cubic feet of gas was
constructed. Early in 1882, the COM
pany finding their facilities for manu-
facture, storage Of supplies, etc., entirely
too small for the rapidly increasing
consumption, erected. new fireproof
brick building in which they have
placed the various appliances and ma
ohinery for gas manufacture now in
use, including every requisite and mod,
ern improvement for manufacturing a
superior article. This main building is
100 feet long, 30 feet wide and has q feet
walls. The partition walls are brick
and freproof, and the roof lie
covered with iron. It Is about as abso-
tutely firepr0of as II il possible to con-
struot a building. II Is divided into
several ompartments,c called respectively
tho rotort house, meter room, lime room
and purifying house, each separated
from the other, as before stated, by fire.
proof walls. In the retort room are 10
retorts now in daily use, with room for
ID more. These retorts are made Of fire
clay, are 14x22 inches in diameter, and
feet 8 inches long. They are placed in
groups of 8, in what is technically called
Q "bench," which is In the shape Of an
open furnace with arched top, and is
double lined with English fire brick.
The fire clay used In construction of re-
t0rts Ia an American product. These
retorts each will contain, when fully
charged. $50 pounds of coal, and are
never allowed to become cool. They
are, of course, a. soon as charged her
meticaily sealed. From the retorts the
gas rises In pipes to large main ex-
room ON the top of the benches, !"
which Ii partly filled with water,
through which IL passes on its way to
the meter room, where the work of puri
hcation goes on. Here are two large
cylinders, like steam boilers set on end,
into which the gas Is conveyed and
through which il flows, leaving behind
Il a large percentage of non illumina-
ting Substances aud quantity of coal
tar. Here also 1t Is measured by large
meter.
Thence following complex course
through series of large and small
castiron pipes il makes its way to
the purifying room. Here area large
tanks having covers, whose sides fit in
side the tanks, 30 arranged as to pre-
vent the escape Of gas. In these tanks
are trays filed with line. over aud
through which the gas passes from one
70 another, until IL comes out from the
fourth, pure and ready to 90 into the
gasometer TO be drawn upon for use.
4 bushcl of lime Is used In these tanks
70 every 5000 feet of gas which passes
through them. For the various chemi-
al changes involved in the manufac-
ture OF gas our readers must look to
text books on the subject, our
object being merely to give an
idea Of the processes involved
and the facilities Of the company for
manufacture. The present daily c8pac-
ity Of the works, II crowded, Is 5000
cubic feet. The company have about 4
miles Of pipe, ranging from 6-inch
main down to service pipes, frem 2
inches to -inch in diameter. The
daily consumption Of gas in the city
nov averages about 5000 cubic feet,
including II city lamps. This con-
sumption will largely increase as winter
advances aud nights become longer. A
street lamp In mid winter, IL 10 estiina-
ted, will consume l6O0 to 100 feet gas per
month. The pressure and consequent
consumption Of R<s In much greater in
the city lamps because the gas goes
direct 10 the burner, mot passing
through meter. Tho company IL
nov using an average Of foar tons
Of coal per day, which Of course will
increase With the amount manufactured.
They have erected This summer q large
coal house, 5Ox80 feet, capable of stor-
ing 1000 tons Of coal. Bituminous coal
h uasd In gss manufacture, the supply
hoing obtained AZ South Praire, which
costs, delivered. 81 par ton. Lignite
eoAl b totally unit Tor gas mapufac-
tuyo.
Tho company has also built new
dock during the summer, and . new Of
dee at the weet end Of the main build
Ing has Just been completed. In this
meters afe stored. q part Of il being also
ussd for hunks, where some Of the em-
ploysss deep. Changes Of grades and