New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-12-05
INSIDE FACTS ABOUT GAS.
THINGS WHICH TIE COMPANIES KEEP BACK

, ,,oer To THE CONSUMER AND THE COST ~
ruv N,xrR-rrFrCrs OF CONSULTATIONS
=, talking with an old and experienced gas en-.
ripcer and contractor a TRBuNE reporter U.s..
that he often referred to note-oooS WIZ - rr,,
-, T., o,s,verine the look of curiosity.
.'," c..a., fornulas are the backbone oi
49,. h,s;noss and when | run down u now '"o' w
'' ,t,, r,otice that THE IRiBUNE is gener-
-. -, va, tonics That is the moro creni'"-
~, 40 ,h,r, arr few subjects more mlstepicSo"''u' VI
misleading. ,.,,.,r,or Tho cas man read
,,,,stics. the latest additions ~ hl' mann,
en-, tss., the consumption OF gaS per he'n w INV
-, ,rc,te.t cit,os Of the world was ns follows;
Ia London $3.50. Paris i.oio. and N'W-lorR
u sso cubic feet The gas companies ot the'e
- ro,r,sont a c,pital of about 100000. 600.
etao noOnO aud $4,000 900. respectively Inc
ga comn,nv of Paris divides with the CITY tho
nroGts above two aud half millions; the London
oonpnnics. bv lowering the price oil gaS' dir"c
with Tho consumer nll ptohH over 10 per cont on
their capitpi. ny this means the price OF London
o,a has gradually hron ~ luccd from III % to 40
cents nor thousand. The ak Ncw-Nork compnhc"
made net last year about ~ ,doo,ooo'
"uow was their revenue dNidcdF'
Tho sns man smiled. "Ncw york's gas hlll wnS
actually over 80 600 0OO,' he replied. The city re-
exclusive of cost of manufacture ana contingent
c,es' was divdol among the stockholdcrs,'
''What do YOU mean by contingencies y
That covers extraordinary expenses whlch are
Notwithstanding. regular as the seasons s"'h ~
fins for Aldermen and Asscmblymen, and remei-
brances salaries and wages TO men OIL stra" h''no"
nv persons of 'nlooence about the CITY man, iecS
for getting out injunctIons against the rlVai co'i
pa,y. free gas to officers, friends and experts ana
OH are
the existence of every we-re gulated gas company.
hnt .b,cb are not itemizcd in the annual report"
IMPURITIES IN THE GAS.
81 omitted 10 Staten continued the expert, that
an addition TO limiting the dividends and prlce OF
gas in London the city authorities exact a certain
standard of purity and Illuminating power. Inc
sulphnr must not exceed seventeen grams III loo
cublc feet the ammonia four grams IN lVo cuoIc
feet Under such sanitary regulations as THESE our
Metropolitan Company with its average Tor 1888,
according 20 Dr. Love- the gas examiner. of 22.2o
grains of sulphur 10 100 cubic feet, and the Harlem
COMPANY with 36.43 grains. would be disqualified
,ro,n serving the public The restriction would
also bear heavily upon the Manhattan Company III
the ammonia test An analysis of its gas by Dr
Love showed an average for the last year OF seven
teen grams IN 100 cubic feet.
"Observe that the three New-lork companies
which fall short of the London standard an manu-
tacture coal gas. Water gas contains nut u slndli
onount of cit her sulphur ammonia, bur III con-
taIus present manufactured from =, 10 -
per cent of bonic oxide, subtle ana oca1H
blood poison. All gas Is unit TO lnhaie, nul l"tdI
effects are almost sure 10 follow the brea'lng even
for a short time of gas with so much caroohlc
oxide. Since water gas mas come to he mann,
featured extensively in this country tout of $50
Gas companies, believe about lO2 make ms gas
accidents generally resulting tatally hd nr pfTn
since the introduction OF water gas ABOUT .hI4
cases a year have been reported nave Jotled
Io,l fut1 al
ton by water gas occurring during March, April
and Nav oi this year. Mas 7achusctts has "a law
of carboulc oxide to 1J per cent $50
What prevents the passage of law in this
state regulating the gas industry in these aud other
particulars y :,
Money answered the gas man laconically
now The GAS COMPANIES GROW RICH.
"Cheap gas" he continued, revering to his orlgi-
nal text. rs great boon. In this city there are
about 120, 900 meters. representing gas OIL OF
say S75 a year to each householder. by the recent
reduction of 80 cents thousand, he NAV save SIG
wear and not curta his supply. say he may save
that amount the gas company permitting
II has been observed however, that slight in
crc1se of pressure at the works neutra'lzes con
siderable decrease in the price OF gas at the COM
panvs Office 80 that the householder may not hope
TO Qrow rich at the company's expense. | might
add hat u lower price for gas will undoubtedly m
crease its use "a heating gent. London gas
company has IN use over ZDOjU gas StoNc'' HlduN
of which are let at small annual rental This
would Seem good investment for the Ncw-York
companies
"rhe wisdom of the consolidation IN this city can
on, be decided by the event. without doubt It's
strength will b, well tested In the inevitable war
oi taies that must follow the new company9 opera
tinns. All hinges on the absolute OF partial Ruo-
tess 81 the oXrrtnruis now being made iH the
Woke ~ Che Equitable Comrany"
"Nhai dn you calculate the cost ui Now f"iR Eh'
in hn ia tho huldriF'
that is as hard 10 nnHWct "a the old uncsiion,
what "a tho Ritn oi - lumpoi thalkF M tWu olm'
pauios make up thnit uatimbtua alike Ia NtnnhNh
] have horn Aumo hgnri which arc hiHnitrhni |
ono company there manufactures MAtf giR ftt tho |
ir,t aud deliyefh ia thor holders, lhrN ate NJ
lowed "A piuht at - prr cent and with that rioHi |
On They nell gas for z. cents thousand, do not
hclirNo that coal gas eau lbs III do IA thi1 county
under the Same conditions az less than 20 per cont
advance on these hgures. With the large pfohlc- |
lion of the Manhattan Company their gas cost over
81 "a thousand delivered Ga account of the mag |
nude and RISKS of "a gas un lert taking II is entltloi
90 larger profits than an ordinary manufacturing |
business Ii should be allowed at least 10 per cent
On these terms do not believe that ~ could be |
sold here much under 81 so Thousand
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