Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-04-11
A NOVEL NOTION.
A New Field of Operation for Ma.
tural Gas.
A Proposition to Use It For Cooling the At
mOsphere and for Refigerating
Purposes---its introduction
in Wheeling.

There ia a considerable amount OF talk
going on in town in relation to the recently
organized natural gas company, and, as Is
usually the case with such decided innoya-
tons, plenty Of reasons are urged both for
and against the introduction OF the new
fuel. The adverse opinions do not arise so
much from any disbelief in the desirability
of a cheaper fuel, as from a fear that the
element Of danger, found to exist in other
cities, may make its appearance here. But
it is found that this fear proceeds mostly
from those people who are not aware OF the
pr~ecautions proposed to be used should the
pine lines come to our city, nor how shame
fully the parties introducing gas into cities
where explosions bsve resulted violated the
p~lainest dictates of common sense, and
treated the volatile yapor as though 1t were
water.
Manufacturers are very jubilant over the
prospects for at last putting our local In
dustries on something like an equality with
up.riyer competitors and merchants ana
otbers naturally share this feeling. One OF
our leading citizens said yesterday:
THE fact Of the matter is, Wheeling has
got to do something, and that pretty quick.
Why, look at the way we have gone to
pieces of late years. Years ago, even back
before the war, we we're better off as a man
ufacturipg centre than now. We had three
more glass works, one or two more foundries
and more machine shops. If you will stop
and think, you will be forced TO admit that
the only growth, of any account, has been
in the nail mills, and they, in self-detense,
have been compelled to put in extra ma
chimes in order to compete with
other cities. Our capital has been
gong for years and Is yet
going to build up other points. A few
years ago. the other side of the river was
barren of manufacturing establishments.
Now, it is one teeming hive from Bellaire to
Martins Ferry. Our population, too, is go.
ing down, disguise the fact as we may, and
in another year, unless something ike the
introduction Of gas is accomplished, we
will lose three thousand people. Our citi-
zens have to live, and the hundreds of men
now idle will soon have to 60 elsewhere IN
less we have a revival. l firmly believe the
introduction OF this gas will awaken our
city to a renewed lease of life. But aside
from this, think of the convenience and the
cleanliness to result, even to the housewife.
No carrying of coal, no lifting of ashes, no
falling Of soot,-why, its worth $50 a year
to every man, woman and child in the city
in the single item of clean clothes. Bring
on your gas"
In this connection the following testimo-
ny taken by the Pittsburg gas com
mission, yesterday, will be Of interest,
the gentleman on the stand being
Mr.. Bennett. He said: II would first of
all drain the salt water out Of the gas near
rbe well, and convey it in pipes under high
pressure to the city, taking care that such
pipes were Of the same area at the numer-
Gus curves as hat Of the main body of the
pipe. Then let the gas flow freely into one
or more rigid tanks and there expand until
the pressure is only a few ounces above that
of the atmosphere. In these tanks, which
may be called terminal receivers, the gas
must be warmed until its temperature
is above that of freezing
water. It is understood that gas ex-
panding becomes intensely cold. This heat
ing Of the gas may be done by coils of pipe
through which steam is flowing being placed
in the terminal receiver, or BY filling the
receiver with large copper pipes through
which atmospheric air is passed. The air
yielding up its heat to the gas becomes itself
intensely cold. This cold air may be util.
lied for all refrigeratory purposes, as, for in
stance, cooling the heated air in theatres,
for packing purposes, etc. 1t would proba-
oily yield enough cold air to do away with
the use office. After the gas is in this man
ner expanded and warmed it may be
admitted into the ordinary oscillating city
gas holders, which are 10 be drawn upon for
consumption"
The company proposing to bring the gas
to this city, will sink Its well at some point
near West Alexander, where it has large
leases of supposedly good land.