The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-04-10
FOR NATURAL GAS
SOME OF THE PUBLIC sEsTIaiEaT
upop the Propossd ordinance Granting
nirht Of way to the Natural Gas Com. )
p.nyofw tvirginia-Ths Committee
Act. on ths oEdlnanse Lat Night.

J q 4
Acts on the Ordinance Last Night.
The ordinance granting to the Natural
las Company OF West Virginia the right
o lay and maintain pipes for conducting
natural gas for heating purposes through
he streets and public grounds Of this city,
which was presented in the First Branch
,f Council at last Tuesday night meeting
nd by Il referred to the committee on
ordinances for report, and the PROPOSE
lions OF the company as embodied IN the
ordinance, full synopsis Of which was
published in Wednesdays issue and are
therefore familiar to readers Of the INTEL
LIdEHcER, have been the subject Of consi-
derable discussion in business and manu-
featuring circles, especially the latter, dur
ing the past two days, although 1t was
found blythe reporter who made inquiries
Of q number regarding their idea as to
what action Council should take In the
matter OF granting the ordinance, that Q
rushing Spring business had so engrossed
their attention that they had no time to
give the matter careful study; at least
that was the reason assigned.
at the iron and nail companies offices,
the general expression was, that the
proposition OF the Natural Gas Company
was as fair a one as could well be made,
and that Council should not hesitate to
adopt the ordinance or any other looking
to the securing in this city Of a cheap
fuel, provided OF course, that the interests
OF the city were in no way compromised.
AN IRON MANS OPINION.
Mr.. George Wise at the Benwood Com
pany's Office in speaking Of the matter
said: "0f course some inducement has
got to be held out to any company that
brings gas into the city, and ] do not think
that q twenty year exclusive franchise is
too much Off one. Think IL has been
pretty well demonstrated that gas Is not
to be- found in this immediate vicinity,
and therefore this company, II 1t is
granted the rights asked for, will have to
pipe the gas for some distance, Wells
burg | presume. To lay an eiaht
inch pipe costs between 5000 and
$1,000 per mile. go that you can
soc that TO lay line for any at distance
all would cause an expenditure OF avery
large sum OF money. Now, no man or
com pany Is going TO indulge in large
outlay ofmoney unless he at least, has q
chance to get his principal back. Inotice
that one condition OF this ordinancei is that
not over 25 cents per thousand cubic feet
is to be charged consumers for the gas
used that's a reasonable enough figure
and, in addition, no manufacturing estab.
lishment is prohibited from bringing into
the city gas for It's own use. OF coursc we
want natural gas here; the Benwood wants
1t. While the mills making steel nails
may not want it. Us badly as those that
are still pudding, still 1t would be great
item to the steel mills. Natural gas /
think, is the only salvation for our glass
houses II they are 10 compete with Pitts.
burgh establishments, and they evidently
appreciate this, for you know that both
tie Central and Hobbs works have spent
considerable money in trying to secure the
gas. Ibelieye Il the members Of Council
have the interests OF our manufacturers at
heart they will not oppose what looks to
me to be very fair and reasonable propo-
sition."
Other gentlemen In the iron and other
business talked in similar strain. All
agreed that Wheeling industries were con-
siderably embarrassed by not having
supply OF natural gas to use as fuel in COM
peting with others away from here that
aIesnpplied with It. II was also generally
agreed that the price at which the Natural
Gas Company propose to sell ito gas was
q fair one.
WHAT A COUNCILMAN SAID.
BEr. S. p. Hildretll, q member Of Council
from the Seventh ward; said he wanted to-
know before he voted for the proposition
what guarantee the company would give
that It's pipes would not leak and subject
Wheeling to disaster like that that
recently visited Wellsburg. II the pipes
were to be laid as he understood they
were TO be, then he was ready TO vote for
what he considered to be q good PROPOSE
ton; ono that should be encouraged, as
the Wheeling manufacturers mpst have
gas.
A Appointment manufacturer who did not
desire to have his name used recalled to
the reporters mind that when Mr.. @. w.
Brockunier and other Wheeling capital
ists were before the Ordinance Committee
OF Council with somewhat similar prop
ositioH to the one now before the commit
tee, the committee WAS almost a unit in
demanding that the company then asking
for privileges should giyea heavy indemni-
flying bond to protect the city from dam
age; so heavy a bond in fact that It scared
the Wheeling men oil. This gentleman
in speaking Of thia said, II find nothing
like that in this ordinance af the Natural
Gas Company's, and while think that
such bond Is unnecessary except to pro-
yideior laying thepip telyapd properly
which can be done, still I'm In favor OF
fair play with odds in favor OF home men.
Now In this new company foreign capital
is largely interested. Do not understand
me as opposing the use OF natural gas
here. We all want it and no one would
BIO more benefited by its use than would
be. There Is, by-the-way, before you go,
one provision in this ordinance that !
want TO call your attention to; II Is not to
be construed when the 20 year exclusive
privilege u given, as preventing any
manufacturer from piping natural gas into
the city for his own use In heating, bpt
he Is not to sell 10 Others. Now, no one
manufacturing establishment In the city
can afford to build . pipe line for its own
use a pool OF manufacturers po1ld do 1T
but twas from. pool like this that the
heavy bond was wanted"
soNE POINTS ABOUT THE NEW COMPANY.
The Natural Gas Company, in case it is
granted tho privileges asked for, proposes
to pipe Its gas from Washington county.
A NOV t1np,HTI oa1naotad t,,;th thn anta,-