The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-12-19
What NATURAL GAS
HAS DONE FOR THE ONCE SMOKY
CITY
or Pittsburg-The Revelation II Has
Caused I'm the Manufacture z In
terests and Appearance Of
the City.


WRITTEN ron Pnr APPELL BI THOMAS Q
BOGes.
Pittsburg has long enjoyed III,
reputation of being the "Smok,
City" Those who knew il best wer,
aware OF the fac that il was Oh,
dirtiest, as well as the smokicst, cit,
in the United States. In days gen,
by il was impossible 10 keep oneS Sc
in a respectfully clean condition
longer than an hour. In that tim,
the nostrils would be lined with 1
black coating, the collars anC
cuffs would have sombor blacl
edges, the eyes would be en-.
lripged with a border Of thc
same color; in fact, there was nc
satisfaction for white men 70 wear
white garments and white ladies
ditto. The cutters along the streets
were streams of blaskened flth' and
a cloud as black as the hinges OIL
hell lowered perpetually over head
30 that the orb OF day seldom showed
his beaming face upon that Smoky
city"
STRANGERS
coming int this great manufaetur-
ing center we're overcome with OPP
preston, exerted by the heavy and
impenetrable atmosphere, aud we're
in constant apprehension OF big
storm. They would actually raise
their umbrellas on some occasions
only to be LAUGHED at by the Injured
PittsbNrger who thought the day a
brilliant one.
This has all been changed, how
ever. These disadvantages 30 phys
ieal comfort have all been removed,
Nature, by her merciful works, has
rovolutioniEed that dirty, smoky
city. And now, instead Of dirty
streets, dirty faces and dirty every
thing, all things have Che appe arance
of remarkable neatnoss and oleanli-
ness that is surprising. Filth does
not accumulate like il did the streets
are kept In q good condition, the
windows of the shops are now Irans
parent, the ruddy compilations Of
the people are displayed to advan-
tage, there is some encouragement
for tao erection Of handsome build
ings-eyerythiug is changed.
THE CAUSE OF THIS GREAT REyO-
LUTON
is the use of natural gas in nearly
every mill and factory aud dwelling
house in the city and its suburbs,
This element, which has wrought
such great change in Plttsburg,
both as a manufacturing and resi-.
dental city, was FIRST discovered
near there only two years ago, oil
though it had been utilized m the
oil regions of Western Pennsylvania
ten years before rs fuel, and to
some extent as an Illuminating 8 as,
Some shrewd fellow knowing The
chemical composition Of this gas
(beins principally carbon and h. ro-
gen) sunk well some twenty i've
miles from the city, getting tn gas
at depth of some 1900 feet. Il gas
fever became as epidemic as o. did
away back in the iorties, al ii
spread so rapidly that every mar who
was interested in manufaei lrifg
drilled well. The experiments
were suoces slul with but few cxeep-
tons, and now they are very CO nmon
about that city
At night the heavens are ablaEe
with the reflections of the gnitCd
escares of these wells. IL Is indeed
a remarkable sight from an Of the
hills surrounding Pittsbura to see
these burning wells in ever direO-
ton about you as far as 81 - vision
can reach. 1t inspires the pestator
with awe to look from the promi-
nenco upon which he stands into The
brow of the hill, With their hundreds
Of half nude, brawny armol men
fitting about capriciously n front
of the fiery furnaces, like 30
MANY DEMONS, GREAT BAIrs OF
RED HOT IRON
swnying apparently in the r, and
the igoited gas wells exudin, their
great, long flames of living 6r> into
space.
A thing which has puzzled % great
many strangers passing thrOu \ the
city is the burning water. 4 out a
half mile from the city there lay be
seen, every now and then, 4 i'm
mense fame in the middle { the
Ohio river 1t provokos many
amusing questions, such as Does
the water burn here, toO2'
Well, it is not the water OF course,
but
NATURAL GAS.
The fact is, supply pipe from one
of the wells is laid on the bottom Of
the river. Every now aud then it
springs leak and the gas, being of
little specific gravity bubbles up
through the water, some hot Goals
from a passing steamboat are acct
dentally thrown overheard into the
neighborhood of the escaping gas,
which is ignitsd and burns like a
mammoth bonfire until the leak is
sealed
Natural gas is supplied to con
sumers through pipes that are con
nected, as ordinary gas is, with those
of dwelling house, which convey
the fuel to the stoves and CRATES.
Large, perforated burners are placed
in the bottom of the CRATE, which are
filed with broken pieces of fire clay
When these become heated it looks
like an anthracite fire.
THERE Is NO SMOKE,
the gas fame being so hot it con
Sumes all of the carbon. There is
no iacandeseence, consequently the
fame is not luminous, but Of blue
lambert color. The heat is so in
tense that it is almost equal TO the
oXy hydrogen blow pipe fame
which in fact it is-the hydrogen Of
the natural gas uniting with the
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