The Grenada gazette., 1888-03-10
GAS ON RAILROADS.
The Natural Article to Supplant Coal q,
Fuel on Locomotives.

NltHiH lne pd't nine H'htHs ihoif
improvements have been made in rail-
road equipment than in any like period
in the history of the country Per.
haps the most daring one now being
attempted is Tho utilizing of natural
gas as fuel for engines and TO furnish
light and heat for the cars. Several
master mechanics in the country hold
that this product can be confined and
used at will. aud the master mechanic
of the Fort Wayne. Cincinnati &
Louisville road ha, demonstrated his
belief so plainly that the officials oi
that line have placed at his command
all the money. men. aud material nec
esaary to a thorough test. The route
of that road is through the heart of the
immense gas regions of Indiana many
of the wells being of great pressure.
and flowing from 8, 900, o0) TO - 900 :
900 cubic feet every twenty.four hours.
Several weeks ago the master me.
chanie aud superintendent had con.
SIT uStcu "ipu.. ou " lIN'ttl.
eighteen feet long and two feet in
diameter with heavy ends screwed in.
The cylinder was subjected to the mos,
critical and scientific tests. and was
provided with gauges 10 register the
pressure. 1t was placed on board q
car and transported to Montpelier.
Ipl hnrn ,hnrn located
strong gas wells. The cylinder was
attached to one of them. which had q
rock pressur of 450 pounds TO til
square inch When the gas was
turned on the gauge showed that it
was full in less than one minute. The
tank was then loaded on the cars ard
taken to the shops at Fort Wayne.
Here it was attached to the usual nat.
ural gas burning apparatus with q
regulator that controlled the cnor.
nous pressure of the gas so that il
flowed out in q steady, regular current
Of one and half oun ces to the square
inch, the pressure at which natural
gas is burned The gauge showed
that the gas had lost but little of its
pressure. and it supplied light in the
burners in the shops for several hours.
besides heating one large stove and
one forge.
So much of success was the first
test that others have been made with
larger cylinders and the gas tran.
ported each time distance of thirty
eight miles. The officials and experts
are 50 we'll satisfied with the expert.
mcnt that orders have been issued to
equip the road engines with tanks. and
The workmcn in the shops are now
making the necessary changes. Large
steel tanks or cylinders somewhat af cr
the pattern of the Standard Oil
Company cars are being made. and
these will be attached to the engine IL
the rear Of the tender. They will have
capacity equal to as many thousand
cubic feet of gas as will represent
enough of coal TO make trip over the
road. which is about one hundred aud
ten miles in length. The attachment
to the fire box of the engine and stoves
in the cars will be by means of
pipe leading from the tank, and will
be regulated by ahand screw.
The cost is exceedingly small. as an
engine can be supplied for about ttwen-
ty cents n day.
The experiments made at For
Wayne have been watched b. cxpcr,
mechanics employed by the Eric and
Pennsylvania companies. and these
systems will also commence the con.
struction Of gas tanks for the same
purposes. III case llle tests made by
these companies are successful. it will
he only short time until the fuel
problem on railways is solssd han.
sas Ctty Times.
Sixty lakes can be counted. It IL
said, from the snnmit OF Noun, White.
face in the Adirondacks. Whilcfacc
is over 5G0) feet high. and so arc
Mounts Seward, McIntyre. aud srv-
eral Others. but the highest Is Noun.