Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1885-11-06
NATUK KaL GAS.
Valuable Inflammation on tho Subject
Its Uiiliiy nnd thcnpness.

-Is bitiitl Nnu hrhpUtss.
An intelligent correspondent N Pittsburg,
who seems to have thoroughly Investigated the
natural gas question In nll Its relations to the
manufacturing interests Of the country, Its gem
eral utility for heating purposes, cost, durabil-
ity, etc, and many other iacts that particularly
interest the people OF this section at this time,
furnishes tho same to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
lie says:
The total milngc OF pipe thus far laid is in the
ncghborhood Of six hundred miles, Of which
the Philadelphia Company owns $40 miles, with
considerable more under contract. This pipe
ranges in size from six to twonty.four inches In
diameter. Tho mains leading from the wells
consist Of two ten-inch, seven cight-inch, three
six inch all wrought.iron pipe; two twelve
inch cost-iron, and one consisting of sixteen
inch wrought iron and twcnty.inch castiron
pipe The lines used through the city arc TWEEN
ty and twenty -four inch Mains which surround
the city. From these mains are now being laid
anet-work Of six, eight, ten and twclve'inch
service lines, and for supplying domestic con-
sumers.
These pipes have been laid principally by two
companies, the Philadelphia, with capital OF
s5,oOOO0O of which 10000 900 is paid up, and the
CHARTERS Valley Company, capital 1000 900, re.
Gently increased to that amount from sGo0,00o
Natural gas is now used in the great majority
OF the iron, Steel copper brass and other metal.
working establishments, in every glass factory
here, about seventy In number, In all the hotels,
and is coming into use In all stores, office build
ings, etc. Manufacturers pay from Sl20,O00 per
year down to 81 ,0e0. gauged by the amount OF
their product the rate being for iron and steel
much per ton of finished material turned
out. OF private consumers there are now some
1900, with 1000 to 1900 applications In, and
preparations making TO supply from 10000 to
25 600 dwelling. houses. Rates to this class OF
consumers arc not yet fully regulated, fixed
sum per house being charged In Pittsburg, while
In Allegheny City the rate Is ten cents net per
1000 feet. Meters will be introduced as soon
as they can be manufactured, giving consumers
an opportunity to economize ns much as they
please. At present rates II costs about 500 per
year for an ordinary dwelling, say OF ten or
twelve rooms. 1t costs about 500 to fit up n
house of this size for the of gas, or at the
rate of about sl2 per fireplace. This includes
all the improved safety appliances and frst-class
fittings throughout.
The new fuel has now been In use a sufficient
time to demonstrate several facts: The first of
these is that there is little further use for coal
here. The amount OF the latter displaced daily
by the consumption of gus is about 10000 tons,
or go, 900 bushels, equal to the amount mined
by $500 miners averaging 100 bushels per day.
A number OF mines heretofore worked to supply
the Pittsburg market have been temporarily
| abandoned. The retail price of coal in this
market has fallen about 80 or 40 per cent. and
the dealers are glad to make even greater con.
ccssiOns to secure customers. The next fact is
that with the heat from natural gas better
quality OF iron, steel and glass can be made,
a. marked
local manufacturers great advantage over
their competitors away from the gas belts.
The cost of natural gas plant, outside of the
royalty paid for land, is about as follows: For
drilling wells of average depth u.S5O feeo at
Sl.2j per foot, say 81, ,7Oo six'inch pipe, incud-
ing laying, 10 cents per foot, or 1896 per mile
cight.inch pipe 81 20 per foot sG,S3d per mile
ten.inch, i.50 per foot. Ss,3I6 per mile; twelve
inch, 81 per foot, $40 go per mile sixteen inch,
inch, s5 per foot, or s26,46 per mile. Expendi-
lures for safety appliances, etc, will amount
probably TO 10 per cent addit tional, so that gas
pipe line is about as expensive as Il railroad
with steel rails, ballasts, etc:
The wells upon which this city depends for
its supply of gus are generally maintaining their
production very satisfactorily. This Is especial
ly true i'll those of the Murrysville (Westmorc-
land county, field, the pressure having in some
cases. materially increased since the wells were
struck. The drilling of wells in close proximity
to each other does not affect the pressure, rs 1t
was thought would be the case. In the. Taren-
rally are maintaining their average pressure
though some have fallen away materially, ow-
ing to the accumulation OF water. In all such
cases the wells have not been properly 'cnsed'
or attended to, and the water has shut oil the
gas or, rather, weighed it down SO that the
pressure is not sufficient to gain its release.
The Murrysville field, while the most prolific
yet developed, is also free from trouble from
water. The pressure at the wells sometimes np-
proximatcs three hundred pounds per square
inch. Under the Westinghouse improved sys-
TEN this is reduced in the mains to n pressure
OF five pounds, and i'll the service pipes can be
still further lowered to an ounce 10 the inch If
desired.
The natural gas, being largely composed of
marsh gas has great heating properties but Is
not sufficiently rich in carbon for illuminnnt
Unless carburcttcd it is unsuitable for lighting
within buildings, though it is used quite ex-
tcnsively where no other gas can be obtained
People, when once accustomed to gas fuel,
will be opposed to returning to anything so
crude and unclean as coal. In case the wells
should fail, of which there is no present pros.
pect 1t is already settled that some sort of fuel
gas will he manufactured to take its place. The
Westinghouse Company has had such n contin-
give forth the intangible fuel, their large pipe
lines can be used in the transportation of the
artificial fuel gas: Western Pennsylvania has
millions upon millions of tons OF refuse coal
or "slack," which can be had for removal, suf-
ficient in quality to give nm adequate supply of
gas for years to come. 1t can be manufactured
at the mouths OF the coal pits at a very. small
cost, and with proper machinery forced through
the pipes to the consumers. This gas, in con-
nectlon win water gas, can be manufactured
and delivered to the consumer at a cost but lit
tie in excess OF the price now charged for natur-
nj gas, the estimated cost being about ten cents
per ], 900 feet. Gas made by vaporzing crude
petroleum with superheated steam also affords
| a irst-class fuel, and, 1t is said, can be made
and sold at profit at 5 cents per 1000 feet the
price at which water gas Is now being delivered
III London, England. number of patents for
these fuel gases arc held by the natural gus men,
so there is little danger OF anything more than n
temporary interruption in the supply OF what
has, not inappropriately perhaps, been called
1.-THE escence of sheol"
That natural gas will draw hither many new
and old industries. seems to be already settled.
ers who desire to locate here, asking rs to cost
of fuel. etc. Eligible building sites within
easy reach of the river are being eagerly sought
for, and every train brings visitors intent on in
| vestigating for themselves. In fact. the people
| here expect the new fuel to turn into their Of
| fcrs perfect stream OF wealth.