The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-08-19
A VARIETY OF VIEWS
ANrNr THE GAS PRESSURE 1INlr
Advanced by Different Prominent Gentle.
mon-COl. Caldwell Defends his Action
In CouncII-PresIdont BatchOlor's
&, Position -Another's Judgment,
70 % ElIlor 0tMe MteIIiqaleer.

morning, that got tromR neWsboy on the
train, letter from a member Of the
Wheeling Council, on the subjsct OF
natural gas pressure,
The writer's motives, growing out of his
multiform relations rs public Bplrited
citizen, member Of Council and aEockholder
in "the other" gus company, are matters
ior his own conscience, but concerning
which the looker-on in Venice may have
his own opinions, and to whom they may
appear mighty suspicious" as the
parishOner said Of the preacher and the
parrot,
Some Of his statements and infer
ences will not bear analysis. BE says:
"Mr Hatupee, OF the CHARTERS Natural
Gas Company, told the Council commit
tee In Pittsburgh that the pipes them
selves were safe at q very great pressure
that twenty-five pounds was sale II the
Joints could be made tight and kept 30 ;
but that you might test line and find
every joint tight, and the changes Of tenn
perature occurring in twenty'tour hours
would show on the next tsst every joint
to leak, and that il the joints leaked, five
pounds or any pressure would be danger
GUS"
The writer OF this happens to know
that Mr., HaTtupee, when he made the
statement, was talking about pipe in thu
open trench, for hu is toOGood o mechanic
to make such q statement about pipe
buried below tine frost line, US are the
lines in Wheeling,
Your correspondent speaks Of exRmin-
ing in Pittsburgh one line on which were
"thirty.one manufacturing plants be-
tween Brownstown and TGmperanCeville,
on the South Side, commencing with
Jones & Laughlin and continuing with
large glass works and rolling mills. This
line is a 20 inch pipe aud enters the city
with l9l pounds pressure. but it costs
more money to lay 20.inCh than l0inCh,
so it Is very natural for company to
want to use less costly pipe, and furnish
enough gas by using high pressure"
The line above referred to IL to-day car.
rying from twenty-five to thirty pounds,
us shown by actual test.
As to the size Of pipes, 1t can be said
that larger pipe than are being used in
your city could not be bought in the
United States during this year, and II
Wheeling manufacturers were 10 wait for
twenty or even sixteen.iuCh pipe they
could; not get gas in twelve months.
Against the statement that "neither the
Natural Gas Company OF West Virginia,
nor any officer or employe OF that COM
pany has ever taken any act or part in
opposition to the Manufacturers COM
pany in reference 10 pressure or anything
else, so lar az l know and believe"
place the fact that when the Manuiac-
turers' Company appeared before the
Board Of Public Work and submitted their
plans, the Natural Gas Company Of West
Virginia, represented by director, ltsgen'
eral superintendent and attorney, was
present aud objected to the plans present.
ed, and stated that "their company" did
not want high pressure, az they intended
to lay q sixteen inch line through tho city,
and would therefore not need 1t, and yet
large stockholder and director OF the
West Virginia Company has stated that
no such project was ever contemplated by
them or ever discussed by them.
The reasoning Of your correspondent
that twenty pounds Is safe fifteen pounds
is safer Is logical, but carried out i would
lead to zero, plecs where tho Wheeling
manufacturers certainly don't want to
land.
Hc asks II there is no danger from
natural gas, why the necessity OF escape
pipts2 Possibly the best anHwer to this
Is that there is little or no nao Tor them,
but thOy are put on in Difference to pub.
lie sentiment, and th6ta city like Buffalo,
N. Y, which Is just putting natural gas
lines through her streets aud has the
benefit Of the experience OF other cities,
has decided escapes are unnecessary and
that the lines now being put down in her
streets shall have 10 other protection
than good workmanship on wrought iron
screwed pipe.
The whole question is ono not OF per-
sonal feeling, but Of the greatest good to
the greatest number. None Of the citieB
and towns that are competitors OF Wheel.
ing have put any restriction on the press
ure allowed In natural gas pipes, Pitts
burgh's fifteen pound limit being intend
ed only for low pressure cast iron lines
without escapes, and even this her courts
after exhaustive examination decided to
be unreasonable"
Why then should disinterestod Council
men Of Wheeling set their untrled judy
ment against the united experience OF all
the municipalities that have used natural
gas since it has been used as fuel. II
disntereSted, well might they pray Burns
prayer
20 wAd sOue power the giitiV gle us,
To SEQ Ourselsns itherB SIC u.s.
ltwOlld from mony blunder tteo US
And foolish notion"
think l write, not Influenced by self.
interest, Caution" but by
JUDGMENT.
Wheeling, August is.
President lIatchClOTs Views.
To he Editor Of The Inttutgetoer.
EIb.-Wn ware NOT awarn until rncant.