The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-02-02
BIG NATURAL GAS PROJECT.
Scheme for Piping the Fuel to Chicago at .
Cos. of SO, 900 900 for the Plant.

Scheme for Piping the Fuel to Chicago at y
Cos. of SO, 900. 900 for the Plant.
Chicago Special.
A bold project to supply Chicago with unlimit-
ed quantities of natural gas for fuel and illum-
mating purposes is being developed by q COM
olnatlon OF capitalists, some of whom live IN
Chicago and others in Philadelphia. W. w.
Gibbs. OF Philadelphia, the eas-trust msgnate,
told reporter to-day the outline of the gigantic
plan. He said
Some months ago after my connection with
the gas interests of Chicago. the scheme of
bringing natural gas to Chicago was presented
to me, and am thoroughly convinced that it
may be done. The men who associated
with me in the gas business are interested in it,
and so are men outside the gas business here in
Chicago and elsewhere The design is to trans
NIT the gas from wherever it is found to Chica-
go by pipe lines. The pipe lines will be fed by
wells, perhaps hundreds Of them, near or re-
mote from Chicago. just whsre we can find
them. We have been prospecting for several
months. and We have located some wells close
to the city. We want to control the acreage
around the wells we have discovered near the
city, but it would not be polite to say just where
those wells are or course it is to our interest
to obtain uficient supply of gas as near the
city as possible. and We will try to- But We are
prepared TO go two hundred miles, If necessary,
into Indiana. where we know gas fields exist
1.-THE chief obstacle in the transmission of gas
heretofore has been large piping that would
sist high pressnree. Wrought east and welded
iron pipes the only ones that have been in
use. They are very heavy, very expensive, and
cannot be made over twelve inches in diameter.
The pipes oxydize and rust. The gas escapes
through the pores. The joints. fastened with
lead, loosen and break as the heat expands and
the iron contracts them. For our purposes
such pipes altogether impracticable. What
we will use il . seamless steel pipe, prepared by
a new process devised and owned by Brown
W. II. Brown. of New York. 1t is astonish-
ing invention, By it seamless steel pipes as big
forty-eight inches in diameter will be made
smooth glass inside and indestructible by
the elements, light in weight and inexpensive
in manufacture.
with this pipe will bring the gas toI Chi
cago and distribute it. l do not know how long
it will take to operate the scheme. We will
have the pipe ready in five or six months. The
advantages to Chicago are simply incalculable.
1t will put Chicago, in every manufacturing in
can even compete with Pittsburg in the iron in
dustry. We. of course, are working in this mat
ter primarily for our own advantage. but it
would also be the infinite advantage also of Chi
furnish the gas per thousand. do not know.
but it would be at rate far lower than the
present cost of fuel By heating the gas it
would be fit for Illuminating purposes. If
nesty can be declared between the City Council
and our business. the design will he quickly de-
$40 900 capital"
Mr.. Brown, the inventor OF the process of max
ing steel piping, is at the Leland Hotel. He has
quietly lived there for several months, organic
ing company for the manufacture of his in
vention. He made q fortune in the iron manu-
facture of New England He explained to a
porter: disk of mild steel is first taken and
folded under heat It is drawn cold over man
dres into tubes and rolled and worked by spe-
ciaily constructed machinery into any required
and preparation Of tin is applied to the inside.
which penetrates the fiber of the steel and in
creases its tensile power one-fourth. The pro-
duct is very much like steel wire.