Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-09-27
THE CITY WITHOUT GAS.
A HITCH iN TUE MACHINERY AT
THE Works.

IHl Works.
The s'sorubbers" CIogged and the supply
Of Cas- shut OR-rhe Reserve WORK,
Stnytso Up bur Too Late To he os ser
vics Las, Nirht-Sceaes on the streets
a.a AT the Market
ne eNhoie market had DOOM lus
night. The gas meter was idle and the
eity was IN darkness. Gas consumers
ware NOT idle bovevar When niuhl
- -. .,,.,-..,,, ~,
V'''"o '' an" ~"7 went ou'' '"' paine
tie company went 10 WORK Oh tAeI'
n4etrcs aud filled them ~ wiki ater. NJ
rtste each consumer Thought he was the
ouly one ,y,tbout .,as In little while
an fonnd ONT tl,8t there was NO gas ON tho
market. Every BODY that had telephone
called up che WORKS IL ind out the cause
oftbe trouble. one man was kept busy
nxriaiuing that the supply was eX-
htilsttd.
II was a novel scene in the business
part of The CRY. Many Of the leading
stores winch usually Keep open late on
SATURDAY night had 10 close up. Those
that did keen upsn were dimlv lighted by
lamps and rows of candles stuck here
and there on the counters aud showcases
The grocery houses had the most trouble.
Saturday night ia busy night for gro
eerYmrn. aud with the stores crowded
with customers, the clerks were kept on
the jump. Short weights and measures
compensated for the stuff lugged of by
petty thieves. The hotels and telegraph
offices were very dim. Candles artisti-
cany mounted in champagne bottles
burned on the dining tables and in the
corridors and Offices. Passengers arriving
on the night trains wondered what was
the matter as they registered by the uu-
certain light Of a tallow dip.
At the Western Union and Sauther
Telegraph offices the operators struggled
with the press reports, occasionally throw
ing in an adjective byway OF emphasis.
Tue Southern Express Company's Offices
were dark as pocket. At the newspaper
offices and tue railroads lamps and
candles were brought out, ana the office
work was got through in the best way
possible.
Families that depended on gas stoves
had TO make the most of what was left
over from dinner The attraction at the
theatre was declared of, and the PRO
fessor' did not lecture. In the barber
shops. the brush boys had TO hold candles,
and there was no trouble in getting
shave without waiting. The usual sat
urday night rush was not on. In private
residences candles and oil lamps were
got out and lighted. a few windows
were stuck Iull oil candles, reminding
passers Of Cleveland illumination and
parade.
Language forcible, graphic and vivid
was heard everywhere. The most speedy
meter in the city would have made
failure at registering the profanity. Pc
destrians bumped against each other in
the darkness, where the electric lights did
not penetrate, and the streets were
strewn with vegetables intended for
t0-day's dinners. The electric light was
the only thing that redeemed the city
from total darkness.
10 the saloons rows Of candles were
stuck on the bars, and bartenders gener-
ally used too much water and too little
lemon and sugar in the lemonade. The
billiard and pool rooms were closed. In
the market the stalls we're dimly lighted,
and clearinghouse keepers could not
tell apullet from an antediluEian duck.
Rumors Of coming cyclone had been
circulated all day and citizens were hop
ing that in the darkness it would not
Ind savannah. The signal officer, how
ever. ran up the red storm signal to pilot
II right to the city.
IL was officially stated at the gas office
that the ''scrubbers" at the Bay street
works were choked up with solid cakes
q lamp black so that no gas could pass
from the generators TO the purifier. Eigh-