The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-14
THE A COMMITTEE
or TnH wnEELINa oIrY covNoIL
Presents its Report, Covering Its obssFva'
lions on its Recent Tour, and Making
Some Recommendations to Council.
The Proper Limit of Pressure,


The following interesting report was
presented in the Second Branch and read
a last nights Council meeting;
To he Hon, Mayor aud Council Of he City
Of Wheeling,
GESTLKNEE:-Your joint special com,
mittse appointed under q resolution
passed at the last meeting OF Council TO
visit certain other cities and ascertain the
pressure that could be safely allowed in
the street mains for furnishing natural
gas TO CnnsumeTs In the city OF Wheeling,
respectfully report as follows;
On Tuesday, July 9Th, they proceeded as
directed to visit said cities, stopping first at
Washington, Po, where they found that
the municipal authorities had no ordi,
nance regulating the pressure OF natural
gas passing through the Borough in fact
there are few restrictions placed on the
company furnishing natural gas to con
spmers, Their gas mains are laid without
escapes, The pressure duringCold weather
ranged from eight TO ten poundsi at the
date OF our visit the pressure was three
and'G half pounds to the square inch,
Your committee next visited the City OF
Pittsburgh, Pa, and were very Courteously
received by His Honor Mayor Fulton,
City Engineer II, NJ, Bigelow and other
city officials, Mr., Blgelow stated that the
greatest danger from natural gas was in
the joints in the street mains, the Yaria-
ton in temperature causing expansion
and contraction, making joints leak more
or less, He stated that where a pipe ia
tested aud found perfectly tight, after an
exposure to changes OF temperature dur.
ing tw~enty-four hours an examination
would show every joint 10 leak, He con.
sidered q wrought iron pipe we'll put to.
gether with escapes at each joint entirely
safe with q pressure OF % pounds to the
square inch, The ordinances Of Pitts.
burgh regulating the pressure allow 10
pounds to the square inch,
Your committee next visited the office
OF the Philadelphia Gas Company Zone OF
the companies furnishing natural gas In
Pittsburgh) and met their Vice President
and superintendent, Mr.. Pogue, who kind.
ly gave all tho information asked as to
pressure used by his company. This
company at first used a pressure Of 10
pounds, the limit allowed by ordinance,
uut Melo uAauAp w supply tuulA GuotVuheIb
ut that pressure, and afterwards put Ia
larger pipes and are now using a pressure
Of from 7 to 10 pounds, and supplying q
great number Of manufacturing establish
ments in addition to dwellings and busi-
ness houses.
Your committee mot Mr.. Hartuper,
Superintendent Of the Charters Gas Com.
pRny, who kindly favored US with an ex-
PLANTATION Of how his company laid pipes,
regulated pressure, &c. Mr.. HArtuper
stated that on one Of their lines they
were supplying through q 20,inch pipe
five miles In length, ~thirty'one large
manufacturing establishments, and en-
tered the city at a pressure oil fifteen
pounds to the square inch. He thought
the danger was altogether in the ANN
Of laying the pipes. II proper al was
not taken in making aud protecting with
escapes the joints in the street mains, five
pounds or even one pound might be dan
gerous, but with proper care in making
joints and escapes to each joint a wrought
iron pipe would safely carry twenty-five
pounds to the square inch. Your commit
tee offer the following resolution for your
adoption:
Resolved, That the City Solicitor BIO di.
reCted to prepare an ordinance allowing
natural gas to be transported through the
pipes or street mainB within the city at a
pressure not greater than - pounds to
the square inch, and requiring each Com.
pany operating within the city to place
pressure gauges In the hose houses In each
ward through which their pipe lines may
pass aud compel, under penalty, each
company to inspect and flash each escape
at least once In every forty-eight hours.
THE QUESTION OF PRESSURE.
A motion was made to have the ordi.
nance to be drawn up place the pressure
TO be allowed at Is pounds to the square
inch. Mr.. Hildreth moved 10 make It 25
pounds. This brought on q long discus
sion. Mr.. Weisgerber, when questioned,
said from what he had seen while with the
committee, he %thoughtthat fifteen pounds
was all that should be allowed at frst, and
II that should prove to be insufficient then
he would vote for more. Mr.. Sweeney
argued strongly for 10 pounds and ex-
planned the workings OF the escape pipes
in a very clear and satisfactory manner.
The pipes were strong enough to bear an
enormous pressure, but It was the joints
that were to be feared. He thought that
% pounds would be a dangerous pressure.
He said oil gas men In Pittsburgh had told
him that they did not want q high pres.
sure. Mr.. Hildreth questioned him as to
the relative sizs Of the pipes here and in
Pittsburgh and the difference that would
be necessary In pressure. Mr.. Sweeney
still thought 10 pounds plenty strong
enough pressure, and II 1t was not and the
manufacturing establishments could not
be supplied, then let the company put
down other pipes rather than endanger
the lives and property Of the citizens by
allowing a high pressure.
COMPARISONS ARE oDIous.
MI. Harrell compared Wheeling with
Pittsburgh. Wheeling was Just q mere
village that could be s0t down In a corner
Of Pittsburgh; her manufacturing estab.
lishments Weretame compared with those
Of Pittsburgh. Pittsburgh impressed Mr..
Harrell au being a large city, aud the idea
OF this small town named Wheeling set
ting itself up to give natural gas Compa-
MES more pressure than allowed in the
largo city OF Pittsburgh amazed him.
Over 10 pounds pressure was likely to
blow this small town, especially the North
End, Bky high. H0'reierred In what was
intended to be q sarcastic tone to the poor
companies that could not put down more
than q l0.inch pipe.
Mr.. Hildreth's motion was further
amended by Mr.. Picket, who moved to
make the pressure 10 pounds, and then
the matter was laid over and made the
special order for the next regular meeting
Of Council.
TIE COUNCIL MEETING.
Dr. Jcpson Elected to tho First l%lrancii.
Routine Matters,
The semtmonthly meeting Of Council
last evening was well attended by men,