St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-24
REPORTS ARE LAID OVER.
A Belief That Streets Should Be LIGHTED
ALI Night.
GAS REASONABLY CHEAP.
The Committee Instructed to Continue
Their Investigation of the Matter
Until Further Notice.

The chamber of commerce yesterday
morning devoted most of it's time to the
gas complaints, and finally laid it over.
till the next Monday morning, when it
will be again considered. The subject
came up on two reports from the COM
mittee on streets. The first report was
signed by ID. d. Merrill and the other
members of the committee. The COM
mittee reported that the reason for the
imperfection in gas lighting was due to
the extreme cold weather, which causes
such rapid condensation that the small
tubes freeze up, thus preventing the
flow of gas. The company is making
special efforts to secure good lights
during the Carnival season,
and assured the committee
that it would succeed. The
company is making a twenty-three-
candle power gas, while the average
candle power in the United States is
eighteen-candle power, and claims that
the quality is better than coal gas. The
company denies that the manufacture
of water gas is cheaper than the manu-
facture of coal gas. 1t uses water be-
cause higher candle power can be OBJ
L
committee then says. SIN view of
these statements your committee do not
feel called upon to take further time
and institute comparisons beyond what
we already have, i. e.. The price for gas
paid by the city of Minneapolis in it's
various departments, aside from street,
lighting, is $1.90 per 1000 cubic feet;
Cleveland, 81; Omaha, S1.5O; and the
city of st. Paul, $3.50. The gas COM
pany offer to consumers using gas
stoves and those using gas in operating
machines, the gas at $3.50 per 1000.
feet"
The second report is signed by
Thomas Cochran, Jr., and L.. w. Rund-
lett, and is made up of statistics lob.
tanned from Chicago. Detroit, MllWail-7
kee, Minneapolis, Omaha and st. Louis,
showing the number, kind and cost of.
gas and electric lights in those cities,
the cost per capita, and the distance OF
the lights apart. The report closes as
follows: .:...- - -. ~ -,.;
''Your committee are of the opinion
that st. Paul is not lighted beyond what
she should be, though there may, be
some few eXceptionable localities.
Lights are Lit all night every night in
land, Detroit, Omaha, Milwaukee
and st. Paul; ST. Louis all
night except clear, moonlight nights;
Minneapolis all dark hours twenty-one
nights per month, except moonlight
nights. From the above it will be seen
that the cost per capita of Chicago.
Minneapolis, and perhaps st. Louis, is
greater than st. Paul, while Detroit,
Cleveland, Omaha and Milwaukee are
less. The average distance of lights
apart, in all the cities, is about $50 feet,
which is the average in st. Paul. There
is great difference i'll the cost of gas
per light in the different cities, Mime
adOlis being the lowest and Chicago the
highest, with st. Paul little above the
medium"
Mr.. Hays spoke against the water gas
and said that the Oil was forced out of
the lamp, gets on fire and also dripS on
the floor. Besides this, the water con-
denses and settles in the pipes. He OBJ
jected to being put to the expense and
annoyance of tearing up his pipes all
through his house and under 1t, so as to
put them at the proposed slant. He de-
MED the right of the gas company to ex-
pertinent in the manufacture of gas at
his expense. Mr.. Smalley said the com
pany used the water process because it
cost only 40 cents thousand to manu-
facture gas with water and were selling
it for 50. All over the United States the
gas companies use water because it was
cheaper. Gen. Bishop said the gas
lamps had been almost invisible for the
past thee weeks. What is the use of
gas for the carnival and go without it
for the rest of the year? His gas bill
for the last month had been three times
as large as for any other month this win
ter. He did not think the city should
pay dollar for the gas burned
on st. Anthony hill for the last six
months. Mr.. Noyes thought citizens
had some rights, and that it was not
wholly for the gas company to say what
kind of gas people should use. Ever
since the company had experimental
with water the lighting has been fail
ure. The reports were both received
and the committee was Instructed to
continue investigations, and the matter
was laid over for future consideration.
MISCELLANEOUS.
W. M. Bushnell urged that all that
can should take part in the industrial
parade. A resolution was adopted to
the effect that the railroads be reaues' ed
to abate the use of the whistle and subj
stitute that.of the bell as far as posi-,
BILE. A communication from Mr.. Lowry.
was read, in which he said the cable
line would be in operation by the 18th
providing the weather was no worse
than at present. r.,