New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-29
THE GAS INVESTIGATION.
AN EXTRA SESSION HELD YESTERDAY
TESTIMONY ~ DIR. WALLER II. JACKSON RLGARp-
w e a. A.rrRs. BUKNER-. TEsTs. ElC.

ING Gas N 1TERS, BURNER. TESTS ETC
The Scrate Gas COMMITTEE, laViIg op'4l|~H
notice Of some ad5iti0na! testimony, I''lc. aiay,
assemble yeste .cay for sh"lt eKs'~ '''''D'
Scnotor Robinson had not como d"Wn from tbe
country, and Senator Murphy d.! not appear until
the .ffernsou. Senator Uilc.-:t, however, was AT
his post aad heard he ;cStlJ 'py OF Gui'"y h0h9e
the only -ii-es at the 'dri''h@ session; M.
Ko.ho testified that he L,j zen hlFoi D. az.
oficer IN tbe Consolidated Gas Company 10 "Ii'c
four snort editorials, TWO snI&pe icr pun tS".iy"
IN Democratic cOuItrY paperS ad Two IN he'dO-
hcnn country papers, dccrJing OH lot 80
commission. Tins lie had Gonc. Ihr0ugh ihe
agency If ". ". sharpe Il Co., these editorials
had been published ~ at least twenty 'eFen paPr.s
IN the STATE, being PAID Tor 1t t the agreed I"e Vi
Inc prnciI~I witness III the afternoon was Dr.
Walter NJ Jackson, president ~ ne GaS Con
sinners Benefit Company Of the Cnned states
He was Examined az considerable isu&ih Oh POINTS
connected WITH his profession, Whicn = mat oi a"
expert IN patterS CONNECTED WIN I.eh'' net. nIu
power. He Logan by attrlbutlAg the pre- liiiut
complaints of gas consumers 20 theI genera ltoI-
anc, of the subject OF gas supply ana uStrlDuti'h
! he companies. lie said were to oaHe IN IL ~ MIN
ing the people. FROM whom they received Va!hdDlo
CONCESSIONS sharors III their large profits. lhtetlo
gated by Senator Gilbert on the SUBJECT oI gas hc
tcrs. lie said: -
I know OF no instrument in such universal use, which
can favoraby compare WITH u gas meter Tor iitt,ui
work AT the factory, before 1t Is permitted 10 ieaNc
il is adj with the utmost care ana operates As
accurately tho temperature % adjustment as oro
noneier OF course it must vary IN general use as
temperature contracts expands oubo foot but since
1t usually IN coo rl9ee ts , te ar he con-
SINNER as the manufacturers gas. Take il tue year
move its machinery without How Of gas through its
substitute cylinders and valve" than can steam chg5
with no steam. Tho dial hands OF meter are cOhntGel
10 ne actu mechanism ny positive gearing ana tncH
cannot move uIless the engine be pat In hoohi IlS
urtOn cannot take place uhiosS ne s'lS ,i ~
out a; the meter The mctricai device may o. nnrcd IN
such that gas may pass through wltnont aei'.
ing the engine, in wGich case the inleX - s1h a o
consumer receives his gas Gratnit"uSiy; b1t oa DC
50 broken tnat will pass ana thc INDEX continue
record To be plain the lnces OF met1rS iiA ooT
ennton only when gas pasScS ana II record ia inle
.r cons ,nd nv blrrIns or lost by lo"!asc in your
ppes will say that all mct"rS ~ use record cor
tins city ta.o;, the result wond snow AGAINST inc
gas conps1y average loss which OF course SveS Ie
...-.nurr the advantage Meters may bc incorrect from
llrroper ~ fb ,reTrr hut firmly believe the meter
Il, be more than far toward the public taken as Whole
On the subject of main aud street pressure the
witnesses testimony developed the loHowing'
Illuminating gas whether distilled from coal or other
eas.yeldlug hydro carbon, or made by accomplishing
water by means OF incandeNcent carbon ana suuSe-
auently carbnrcttng the compound 3peyS common
law when brought III op'n co4tact Win .ue ,
and isulted fhiS common Law provides thit cohluIs-
iion IS the prime factor IN the production ;ht ana 20
ecct combustion the gas must DC lhu 'Ai't"e 4nI
explosive when mixed win It's proper 9" 'yii' Va
flames are SERIES OF inmate explosions 50 rtlu!
following other Is To present tue spectacle OF eo
tinnty These OK blossoms are created ~ tue chemical
affinity of and hydrogen Tue former III t'c 4I
tic latter III tue gas They await only the toIch o. Hte
10 seize upon each other, the friction oreel ~ lnS
rapid unO1 naiu aims and Continues the process u'
@ r., the ,ionsnlere as products Of combustion.
W-anwhie the noatins hypothetical carbon o. INC
gas Is rendered incndesceat by the IN enSe neat ana
iIhi necessarily results. Nothing material Is lost III
cncmistry-simWy changed 10 another FORM OF eIltr'
Thu II egh cubic 100 OF gas ana OuIn tH >'c
collecting the products OF continuation we Su"' ma we
have group Of materials to deal WIN IA, tmc o
old elements corresponding In weight exactly Wth me
Original quantity Of gas Plus he WelS"nl ar IL 'ooN ~
cu,dipo the cubic foot II our combustion mas pe'h
perfect shoud have iSit ana neat ia true Piotoi
lions: but il lmperic Get we meet WIN loss ""'ch
thoas AMI no! @ amas P the theory Of nothing
lost Tlis union OF oxygen with hydrogen Involves the
cr,nicaI change other ingredients concerned; Tor
inst nee Hypothetical carbon. Osulphdc OF c'ru2n
sulphurettod hydrogen, carh0hle oNl' cFpouc "c,;
cooipopeut VartS almost all Illuminating -t0e7' anu
nitrogen ingredient "f ar me hypotI9iicd cuppu
is converted into cdrhonlc acd; an compo vi UA hrn
with carbon the such as carnonc oxide ana car
bonie acid changed into cartOnlc acIl and aqueous
vapor wlle snlphar Is dntei with oxygen - create
sniuhnrous ac t. Now I! the combustion he partial only.
the prnce>s / Illegal and its issue reflection upon our
deromnosvd anl lanphlack is tie resuit, tins being
fault with gases CO a'inhg lafsf nio
Of hypothetical carbon and lhIitatng S ops,meJ
power. gases are GENERALLY nnpropet.! @ -,
hy any common burner which consumer may ennoG 70
nrcI,ase. they may, however, he perfectly ha Ied'
nrovided an prrt selects the device Tor such ii ~
Give rise to complaint. Gases smoke as RUE because
the burner exposes too much pas u'uur DU Ioro a
pressure for the graSpng power OF the atmosphere o
atmosrLe laOorng under more or less aI n
according to whether 1t Is sun or ID motion, iir'nio
exer particularly artive Influence upon All gases
relative to combustion. 1t be Concluded That per
i've ~ certain 11amtity of air. and guam
rites depend upon the composition OF the gas therefore
character as possible Next, we wish to CONSUME TINS
gas in such manner that tue prruucts OF coho
will be natural thus obtaining me Iu paoto S'r M
value and preventing unnecessary pollution ~ th9
atmosphere OF our apartments n mas pe"l he
,rC ed through sized aperture with Such velocity
luminous; thus we have the example pre>ented-a
twenty candle gas distributed and tn; poSsin present
Of so cnuSnin. snch t. deprive Ci lt7 entire
light Now Just there may le point OF sh pressure
at the Place OF ignition "lch Us
luminosity j. low point OF pleasure al whi;n
we NAV :ecnrt the fun candle power The g being lost
Observation-Disclosures as the pressure varies between the two
st,ndards think | am IN the statement, all
thinys considered that fully one ndit OF an thc sHt
inicaed by phutometrica iest al over the World Is
lost 10y consuming the gas at improper pressure at me
point ignition ami IN lealages after me as pa'Se, te
service meter We nave ny tule lhVss d lnloi i' -i
quantity OF material heng converted INTO "a; tntH re-
dured Tor tho amount OF light we receive Now ~ 80
large amount OF light LOST By neriect
We must much more gas 10 secure the l!ln
nation which We are emitted; BURNING 80 nlch more
Obces us to rob the atmosphere OF an Ell nvaent pro
portion Uf oxygen. Excessive qntnty OF prOunctS Oh
air by taxing ra it Its oxygen. renters the air which
we breathe dangerously obuoxioir imperfect c.mnur.
ton Is damaging alike to eyes, hailth ana pocket DOCK
violation OF natural law ana wahton waste OF gas
proiucns material iGsng sre rond Gnf for Ie
tNentv candle gas the open burner should expose Nat
fame as nearly circular shane possible and the gas
enere AZ Inc lin at about -tenh OF inch water
pressirethe power the eXerts TO h"ld cOnnu Oi
ro power three tc1ths Of All Inch may be required
and so the higher the csudle Iower the greater must be
tile pressure prevent smoke and drive the ga, troush
narrow orices (which are roqSred TOR 6 g ca
Fine "rlhces are undesir" necanre lane 10 t1
have spoken somewhat careiniy OF pressure ni'inI
my statements particularly t. regulation al tc ont OF
Ignition Reasons pTeScIt thChi9CNS9 I" my '"4'' N'
this exclusiveuess.
When asked why he pirticuarlzed the witness
replied
Because believe IL to he semi effective ONLY TO go7ern
the pres at remote points from the naihe. I"e
rlace to control pressure Is at the point Oh guoD ana
the device should he automatic. changing 70 SUIT the
everyaryng pressure scd 10y unequal calls upon the
mains less supply a. burners are shtcl OF
exayushed. No fixed opening, a. Is tne case WIN what
are called check burners can ever suffice To rn4 about
proper combustion; hey serve as add Iona sop
and are supcrlO view OF the last thdt one coo~
al,dy exists by which cneck the now 0 gas ~
-n.cyey AS with the aid tOual one In the burner me
varyug pressure OF ia the pipe Is necessity from
the nature the supply aud demand; also necessity
from the fact that gas is specifically ghter th'n e
atmosphere and IT. pressure ny riSh1 chih
ishng By falling both indep ndent OF the lhltl pressure
from the gis-hOder at the works