Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-10-02
A BIG EVENT.
THE WEST VIRGINIA NATURAL GAS CON-
PANY'S CELEBRATION
Al the Capitol Rink Last Bysning-A Large and
Successful Afair-An ApprsciafVs An-
disnes and Good Speeches
wbeelinr has had natural Gas Within

her borders for number of weeks, fur
nished by the Manufact- rer's company,
and several of our large Industrial eStaD-
lishments have been usinI it as afuel with
wonderful success and sailing over coal.
When the Wheeling comlsny first intro
duced it celebration wass held in order
that our people might hayE an opportunity
to properly show their APPRECIATION Of SO
great an event, and they certainly did so.
Several days since the West Virginia
Natural Gas Company sent the gas cours-
ing through its net work of pipes through
out the city. Last evening the event was
properly and auspiciously celebrated by a
monster meeting at the Capitol Rink. The
West Virginia Natural Gas Company was
formed in February, 1885. nut work on its
lines was not begun until EAST April, and
the company would have ,een into the
eity much earlier had it nt been for the
fact that they were ( delayed by
the inability of the Eational Tube
Works of McKeesport, ga, to furnish
them with pipe. kThere were
800 cars of pipe used in tho laying of the
West Virginia COmpanY's Zines, or dis
lance of some sixty miles IN length. The
first car load of this pipe was shipped in
April. and the last in the latter part OF
August 1t was manufactured with nat
ural gas and of the best charcoal iron.
Nearly 81, 0O0, 900 has been invested by the
company in this work, while the time and
energies of the stockholders have been de
voted to great extent in pushing the
work through. The line comes into the
city at two points. Separating at Elm
Grove, one branch comes in the National
road, and is to cross the Peninsula
and enter the eastern portion OF
the city near the Central glass works,
and the northern portion at the Top Mill,
while the other branch comes in Caldwells
run, which gives assurance that both ends
of the city will be well supplied. This
/ company will furnish fuel to residences as
we'll as manufactures, and for several
DAYS past many of our citizens have been
using it both for heating and cooking pur-
poses with the utmost success
and satisfaction, and by the time
cold weather sets in in earnest
natural gas will be pretty generally used in
this city as fuel. There is no doubt but
that the efforts of President Bachelor and
his company in giving Wheeling this great
advantage, will be fully appreciated by
our citizens, especially when they see and
know what a grand gift 1T Is.
The west end Of the rink, last evening
was occupied by number of cooking and
heating stoves and CRATES which were plac-
ed in by b. Fisher & Sons, B. F. Caldwell
& Co. and Joseph Bell. These were
| furnished with gas attachments
and were burning brightly last evening
when the hall was opened. Hundreds OF
people crowded in to see and examine the
workings of the new fuel, and all were de-
lighted with it, the ladies especially, who
were almost tickled to death.
A stand pipe about 100 feet high had
been erected on the corner opposite the
rink, and from its top shot large blaze
which lighted up the sky for great dis
lance, while on the streets, any place
within square, one could see as plainly
as in day light. At an early hour people
began to crowd into the rink, many of
whom after looking at the sights took seats
near the speakers stand which had been
erected in the eastern end of the hall. At
about 8 o'clock when the rink was packed
with people and large number were on
the outside awaiting an opportunity to get
in. Can't. John Mcclure called the meeting
to order and asked if Mayor Grubb was in
the building. The Mayor was there, but
he was so intently occupied in admiring
the excellent heating qualities and beauty
of the gas that he had almost forgotten
his duties as chairman of the meeting. He
responded to the call, however, and form
ally opened the meeting by stating the
object for which it was called.
On motion, then, Messrs. G. b. Hart of
the HteLiqencer, and James B. fancy OF the
REGISTER, we're appointed secretaries OF
the meeting. The Chairman first intro
duced Captain G. W. Bachelor, president
of the company, who delivered 4 very eN-
eellent address on the uses and advantages
of natural gas as fuel. So much has been
said by your enterprising papers on the
subject of natural gas, said he, that there
is little left that is new to say But why
not talk? Why should any of us be silent,
especially You citizens of Wheeling, when
we remember the benefits and the pleasure
this community is to receive from the use
of this gas, and the Importance it will give
to this growing young State as a munutac-
turing center; in the future growth OF the
CITY the introduction of natural
gas and the benefits derived from
its use will be remembered. Not only have
those who are in authority in this country
on manufacturing but men eminent IN the
industries of other nations, stated as their
conviction that those manufacturing COM
munities, who do not use the gas as a fuel,
cannot compete with those who do, and
that those which are on, or near the gas
belts, must lead in the race for manutac-
turing. Wheeling is most fortunate IN
being situated on or near the gas belt and 1t
can reap the benefits of this, the greatest
of all fuels. Natural gas was discovered
and used in China ], 900 years ago, so it is
nothing new, and while there are wells in
the Eastern Continent that have been
flowing for centuries, we have some wells
that have given out; no one can tell when
the flow will give out. l know that at
present it exists in vast quantities in terri;
tory, chiefly, contiguous to Wheeling, but
whether we are only drawing upon the
immense stores accumulated In past
ages, no one can tell. In the Murraysville
and Hickory districts, where gas wells are
numerous, there is but little decrease in
the pressure, and if exhaustible at all it
will be at the end of many years. But
even in the event ofthe failure of the flow,
do not think coal will be returned to as
fuel for manufacturing purposes. The
Goals of West Virginia and Pennsylvania
are great gas tanks and they should yield
an abundant supply of gas at, or nearly rs
cheap rates as the gas wells now do. To
say that to-day forty-nine steel and iron
mills, and 103 glass factories are
using natural gas as fuel,
is but a mere indication of its use.
The speaker then went into a description
, or the uses Of gas, and how it should be
handled, which was directed especially to
the ladies, after which he closed by saying:
As citizen of Pittsburg it might be
thought l would be Jealous
of rival coming into equal
advantages, but it matters not whether
Pittsburg annexes Wheeling or Wheeling