Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-09-16
SUPERINTENDENT OFFICE
CRY (Ae- Worrs

RICHMOND, September II, 1888.
Having recommended TO the Commit
tee CA Light the feasibility Of Increasing
the generating capacity Of these works
by putting watcr-gas plant % be
used as an auxiliary - our present Coal
Oas Works, aud having met with con
siderable opposition on account Of the
supposed poisonous effects Of water ga.
We deem Il necessary e. give the public
cur reason for making the recOmmenda-
ton. in the fret place, the consumption
az gas iast winter exceeded our holder
capacity l21,nO cubic feet This II il
sef,a all ras gngiucorsvllltellyor. means
a.. additional cost IN tie manufacture of
Fas. With coal benches you must keep
a sufficient number under fire 20 supply
the demand, and. having limited holder
Foom. these benches must necessarily be
idle "a po,tion Of the time during the
day. With wa,cr-cos generator, YOU
can fire them up az any time and drop
them at vll without amy serious neon
Vcuiencr or expense. aud the great all
vantage 20 using them IS the rapdity
WITH which the Gas is generated and the
high caunle-poOer az the gas made.
iu relation 60 the opposition in Phila-
dclphu 10 water gas There were III
tcr-s,ll parties That got up great crv
against vater-yas when il Vus proposed
g. Introduce II into that CITY. but the
Mayor made q thorough INVESTIGATION.
nnd found upon careful in1mry thct 1t
was the same oidthrcai-bare story which
lad been used 10y the opponents Of Wa
ter-gas for year. NO now iact- deroga-
tory to water gas were brought out
during th' investigation and, after the
most minute search for information
among supporters o., both coal and wa
terFas, the city decided to put IN a Wa
ter-Ras plant.
We are all familiar with the long and
bitter fright against wRtcr-pas IN Nassa-
chuscts CXtcndlug over - series Of years
and hacked up almost entirely on the
poison cry ~ the extremely strong coal
gas men IF the Last. In spite of ali this
tn Legislature passed q law ewing the
comm. ssiou.rs Of that state tine right u
grant license for watCr-gas manufacture.
and TINS put 10 on the same plane a- other
gas questions, as all are subject tO the
supervision OF the gas commission. No
intelligent person disputes the deleteri-
GUS elects Of escaping gas. whether he
coei-pas, water gas. or the noXous orders
thrown oil by tine imperfect servaec,
but the people OF Tins enlightened ace
ought 10y tins time. considering the great
amount ~ matter which has been cIrcu-
lated explaining and retutuy reports
couccrnlue water-eas, 10 re'''le that the
danger IN lbs Use 10 not greater than that
winch results from the employment OF
any gas.
People who contend, because OF the
larger percentage "i cari"ul' oA'ie lh
"attr-Gas, th't lt l7 more lhJui 'oua I'D
health than coal-gae' when contains
lesser quantity OF that article may 'c
answered by SAYING that h'th bllds OF
Cas viii klllfa person lnhAles asni1clent
quantity. An apt Illustration IHIshi "e
given ny stating 'i,a' I''o,'o'.'' i'''i.
ing ~ inc Hl'',, %, NY mus l.l i.''i
WI nor" 4nc"iy NH " leISon s''.'.,A ~
u than one possessing inc hpeed Oh 'niI'y
mics per hour
During the fail OF 1850 special com
mIttee composed of members OF the
Franklin Institute OF IcnneylVanla,
among whom were such eminent men as
Or. William h. Nahl (secretnry oil The
Franklin INSTITUTED, Professor W imam II.
Green, and Professor William H. MARKS
(both Of the last-naned occupying high
rank as scientists IN colleges IN ihlia-
de.phlal. made q report on Wa'erSAS' IN
which the following VIII be found on
page 81
Much stress mas been iAld ny certain
writers upon the poisonous c0ccts Oh
wator-gas due to the large percentage ot
cuhouiss mon OXIDE winch IT contains,
and which is held to constitute a serious
objection 10 its gen raj introduction.
Ills objection the judges DO not deem
sufficient o. warrant the condemnation OIL
an accent which promises T. serve so
many useful purposes. The same ohlcc-
ton was made t. coal gas by those VINO
opposed its first luiroiuctohs amt WIN
as much justification as the opponents Oh
water gas have al the present.
or the purpose OF yNlhtloh el'I'i
coal-f'~ 'r N'ltI-g"7 W." answer f"lo
satisfactorily. IL sh'uit ne ro'neD' i0'''
howeNe-. that neither Oh tutSe h-' A0 IS
intended To- oir ttA, ana 'i', '", H"'0
guard, surrounding iHr dlN'it"u,4'u Oh
eass,s are SD perfect ih"' "c, l'i mas nm
accidental lt ,,t, ur' vi INC t"'''' ~
c'rrence. While, therefore therefore, II Is ,,.t nm
donhtedy true ''' ',4r .. . -, " o',i
gas are more decide tua9 mos &c t' To',,
pas the Judf' - I'D We" III ,l'. l''' -
namco. do NOT ''hcNe 'i'a' 'l!9 c, rs
tutos an oijecuon 81 Au.c''IIi "I'5 dr, 70
warrant me cohdeuin"'''n j" ii''" sum-
a.armis's have SEM upon IT, -.:.,.
teicrfin& 70 'he 4/'.i.''.Is @ ,1.sl. rs
i"'l-t To- 'ue ~ .,'is no1.~ ,lo 5iyec-
2'-@ "',N ,i' '.'0 E,a.sscbnsetts Board Of
ti0'' :. has Ie,n sroan that neither
g., g.. '1,.,.,l.,,or had lad any practi-
o ~ .,,.,,,nce With vatcr rss. Fro
r@ 'A ''i.,n,5 W. r,':.5e,t If E,it.
lessor ''-. ~ D. ,'.t,. tho Jobns Hopkins
,''.'l,' - ,.s,l..d ,n a house Wocre
h'' 'i''''' ''''.' a.. Touched at tbe
wac ' I t ta"Il toc~ cnanced bis
IT,. '..'' ,o, oilers where he could have
Io'si"-N i'l '''.'..' ~ ..'.,l..,os lie sd