New-York tribune., 1885-02-08
THE BURNING QUESTION.
A TALK ON GAS WITH ONE WHO KNOWS.
TIE PROPER PRESSURE AND BURNER-AN INDIG-
NANT CONSUMER.

|
There from early in the morning until late at night the
officers OF the company receive and answer the queries
| and complaints of gas consumers.
H as good as play to watch the procession Of indg
pass each with his ad of vice. and all
breathing out threatening and slaughter" against the
| gas companies.
"Is this the Office Of the Anti-Gas Leaguep asked an
oddlookng little man with corporals guard Of red side
whskers that charged almost to bald spot top OF
his head, which was garsoned by few struggling hairs,
and then retreated in confusion behind his "be-
| cause II 1t is I'm with you"
| mot exactly. but try to gas for the
| sumer said Manager Richardson, Of the bandest
and most sympathzing Of men, "Well, then, jump In
and save me. But first cast your eye these gas
bs and he dealt out handful OF yellow receipts and
his coat at the throat that he could talk
without choking "My is s. Creaner, of Lexington
| avej lived there since It cut through.
For the last ten years my gas bills kept between 81 and
S15 n month Last November my wife lost an aunt The
gas bill came in week after tho funeral, $l75O
10000 cubic feet at 81 rs. ssel Well, that 5000
feet moro than last year. We thought my wife and
1t singular you understand there work
or sitting with Aunt Jane. She just went up like
| pinch OF snuff But didn't begrudge 1t NO sir
charged 1t to the funeral expenses But my wife said
| to me, said she Sam, there's lot In
the papers about the gas companies nowadays suppose
beard the lion in his den take him by the horns
1t were, buy lamps. So did and I changed the
|
what with using and having company at all
calculated gas bill wouldn't be more than
| nine dollars
"Now what do you suppose 1t was for DecemberP
The little gared his audience. by this time an
interested circle Of listeners all consumers and all
| indignant No ono spoke but matter-offactman who
had been figuring on botter. He replied In positive
tone. $22 75.
"who told you May be you're in the businessi"
| The matter-of-fact looked aggrieved.
al didn't mean to hurt your feelings said the first
speaker apoogeticay, but you guessed 1t to cent,
and-well, II looked curious"
$50 is" answered the matter offact briskly.
"But reckon we're all tarred with the same stick
Now 80 per cent just what the same company raised
me, and 1 calculated you wouldn't bc treated any
better"
While his hearers wero dsvoting themselves solu
ton OF their grievances real aud fanced the TRIBUNE
reporter asked Mr. Richardson IL such scenes were OF
common occurrence ia his Office.
"why, bless you, yea The people arc just waking up
to realizing sense oi the importance of this ques-
tion.
"Let us consider IL for moment.
New-Yorks gss bill last year about go 100000 or,
say nine dollars for every man. woman and child on
Manhattan Island. This amount would have paid the
expenses OF carry the city government ntcrest on
bonds and all, FOR whole quarter OF the hscal year.
maintain that fully third of this, S3,00OOOO or An
average OF $3.50 FOR every meter was utterly wasted ana
lost to citizens. mainly by their own neglect. In
| other words that one thousand million cubic feet
OF gas recorded 10000 meters returned a less
equivalent Of light than single candle burning until It
| was consumed
"Thi, enormous waste might have been saved IL every
consumer the first day OF January, lssl, had at
tached to his governor. don't mean any gov
ernor leather rubber trap to rot, spring or lever
contriyanae 10 run down. a machine hlod with mer-
curry or some other atmospheric poison but common
sense machine constructed simply and on scientific pTn-
cple. to cqualize the how Of gas TO the burner
The high bills OF which these people complain is due
almost entirely the high pressure at which gas IL sup
piled 70 tho consumers IA this city. Bear in mind this
fact which has been demonstrated by multiplied tests By
the foremost s neers In ths country and abroad.
The maximum Of Hight with the minimum OF cost Is
secured by pressure not exceeding hye-tenths OF an
inch ut the burner.
"uva. shown at the meeting OF tho Gas Consumers
Association other evening that tho average maximum
and minimum pressure Of all the companies during the
last quarter OF 1854 22S and 1876 inches respec-
lively These the official ngnros furnished BY
the city gas examiner and taken at one
and a half miles 10 three miles from the works,
during the hours OF greatest consumption. Remember
that the pfrssure decreases usually with the distance
from the works and increases always with the altitude
In this office my indicator now registers two inches
and at under reduced consumption due 10 the time and
cleare. Of the day. have known the pressure to be
three inches a little later than this"
uro aud tho recent reduction In prioei" asked THE
TRIBUNE reporter.
Not necessarily. Consider that the mains OF tho
companies now supplying NswYork City would, II laid
end ~ end make conduit from here to Chicago that
the conformation OF Manhattan Island Is
very irregular with respect to eeva-
ton, that tho consumption Of gas increases
about Is per cent a year. and varies with every
hour OF the day with such conditions OF supply and
distribution you expect the companies to main
tain low average pressure they % cD,u No ", %
street No. SIR there must be wide fluctuations ana the
only point at which the remedy can be applied n AT no
consumers meter. 10 give you prsS garernnr
ton OF the operation OF a periecII, go goyelnor' h
Jets represent the supply OF an house
II, re is "a row OF twofoot and above another OF tour
burners that is burners when are supo,e con
The pressure Is now, according to TINS pressure
column, Jnst two inches without the governor Oo'etye
ing a light OF about ten candles rms poverty o, liu %
mgaLon is due to the iPsr'''t Per ggGH Of t tRe
air because OF the high pressure under Wmsh tno gus GU
,srs the burner That no 't roG DsI 20 @
ton will attach this register to the twooot UP;
nine Your tsofoot burner Is now consuming nine |
feet Of gas, which ut present prices amounts u ne'
Now will turn the governor valve The gas enters at
uniform pressure Of yeenths OF an nen Zee tG e ,h
change from scky blue TO eiedr; steaS 49, ~' tbe
illumination is perfect at least sixteen eanales'no no
finger falls to throe feet aud Instead OF TWO Gents % n
hour burner Is actually adding To your gas pls guy
one half u cent an hour 80, .. -. ,.,.
A" For economy and light reeomnenu Hc uho Vl ,
feet and the governor pressure 9slocay win
The consumption Is constantly i3r ie sail "I
the illumination from twenty to thirty eahu3s. onHi
burners do small bills, as is lOpuIary sup
posed ~, . .....,t-o sr,iIo
:" or course" said Mr.. Richardson with tentave se.
'I should like xpatiae NJ length on the oohstriGto
and superior merits of our governor Say Its simplicity
and durability but these suppose had better leave 10
the advertising columns OF THE TRBUSE The reporter
agreed with him fully this point ana ne cohthueu, II,
reply question. No. the gas companies are not IN ~
tagOnistic to though We undoubtedly aecae@s" nI
revenues far as individual bills are conosrnor,
but such dimnution is more than compensated 10, -
their Increased sale OF gas 10 new PatIonss
who would otherwise electric llght or cheap OH.
Inc n Delmonjcos when Mr sullivan, representing me
,rtalt al