The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-04
THE GREAT RIVAL OF COAL.
Results of Using Natural Gas-Transforma-
lions Pittabnrg and Its Vicinity.

This city has long been known the Biz
mlngham of the New World, and it has been
justly proud of the title. AS place for CON-
fortabls home. however. it was formerly not to
be thought of for moment. Row, presto, all
Is changed. One utterly fails at first TO apure-
ciate the wonderful Transformation that has
taken place here during the last four or five
years The sky is no longer obscured by clouds
of smoke aud coal scot. and it is not now neces-
sary TO light the street lamps by or 3 o'clock
in the afternoon. From the heights of Mt
Washington the western side of the Monon-
gahela river / was able TO obtain an excellent
birds eve view of both Pittsburg and Allegheny
City and of the hills beyond. The atmosphere
was as clear as that of New York, and the large
buildings were as distinctly visible those on
the lower part of Manhattan island as seen from
the Tribune tower. A few years ago nothing
would have been dsscernible but black and
smoky cloud overhanging and folding In like q
blanket the whole valley in which
the business portion of the two cities is located.
This wonderful change is due wholly to the sub
stitulion of natural gas for the soft coal of this
manufacturing purposes. Through the courtesy
of Messrs. Jones g Lauehlin, the senior
member OF whose firm is chairman of the Repub-
lcan national committee. l have been able to
make very thorough inspection or their system
of using natural gas in heating their large fur
naces, boilers and. in fact everything
else where fire is needed. The works
among the largest here A single three
inch gas pipe, the valve of which was only
about one-eighth open. supplied the gas for
large heating furnace; in other words, only
about one-eighth of the capacity of the pipe
was required to furnish the necessary amount of
heat A perfectly steady temperature is main
tained and, by proper care In regulating the
amount OF air admitted to the burning gas,
very little heat escapes up the chimney. At the
same time it is possible to put in a heavier
charge and to bring it out IN much less time
than by the former method, the gain in the out
put of the furnaces being estimated at not less
than Is per cent. AT the pudding furnaces the
fee feeding pipe is only two inches in diameter:
gas was only one-sixteenth open. The large
boilers for producing steam used in running the
machinery are forty -eight inches in diameter
and thirty feet long, with slxteen-inch hues. A
boiler of this kind is fed by two-inch gas pipe,
the valve in which was only about one half open
this morning. When the boilers become hot and
the flow of gas has been adjusted they require
little further attention, the gas flow being
steady and continuous. There is opening
nor shutting of doors, no blank spaces on the
crate bars for the entrance OF cold air, no
shoveling of coal nor cartng away of ashes.
and, in fact, nothing for the attendan, to do but
to keep an eye on the steam gauge and regulate
tie flow of gas may be desired.
In addition to the heating furnaces referred
to and the Siemens heaters used in the manu-
facture of steel. these works have ninety pud-
ding furnaces and seventy-two boilers The
employees number nearly five thousand and the
production of the works for recent month,
taken at random to indicate the output
sisted of puddled iron, $500 tons; iron heated in
ordinary and Siemeus furnaces 6, 900 tons, and
steel production 1900 tons. OF course all this
metal was also reduced to bars, plates. etc., the
duced in the boilers mentioned. Before the in
PRODUCTION of gas the works consumed over
300 600 tons OF coal yearly; the whole estab-
llshment Is now fed by single gaS-pipe,
twenty inches in diameter, the pressure in
which is only about pound to the square
inch. The pressure in the pipes while subject
to control, varies somewhat at different times,
but never. of late. greatly exceeds that mem
toned. and the entire works have been run on
pressure OF only three ounces TO the square
inch.
The wonderful heat-producing power OF this
gas is due chiefly to the fact that very large
percentage-in some cases nearly 80 per cent
of it is hydrogen the greater calorc qualities of
which are well known. A given weight of n.y.
drogen will produce in burning, three times as
much heat as the same weight of carbon.
OF this kind, as compared with coal.
is dependent in part. of course upon
the conditions under which the two fuels be
obtained. 1t is estimated, however, that there
is an average saving by the of gas of go to IS
per cent, of which nearly one-half is represent
ed by the cost of labor and materials. There
are ashes to be carried away. no railroad
sidiugs and trestles for moving coal cars, no
switching charges, wear and tear of wagons,
carts, ETC., nor is there small army of en-
ployeS to take charge of these adiuncts to thu
burning of coal, while. at the same time. there
is very considerable increase in the product of
the mills. Indeed. it is confidently asserted
that the mills could not afford to coal if it
were delivered to them free of charge
Tho remarkable purity of the gas is another
important feature in its favor, and for this rea-
naces, where the iron shows great readiness to
mix with foreign substances contained in the
fuel Wherever the gas is used unusually
large quantity of air is required, as compared
with man ufactured gas. to insure perfect
bustion and there is no doubt but that great
i'm provements in the construction of furnaces
and other heating apparatus will be made as
the facilities for preserving the gas are In
creased and the Importance of not wasting it
becomes more apparent.
Glass-making is said to be Pittsburgs oldest
try md al rod Of Sfc erlo
factories is placed at $40. 600, 900 in value. The
natural gas is peculiarly well adapted for this
work. and the glass produced is superior in
cry respect to that manufactured in the old
way. Both window-glass and plate glass are
made of quality equal to or better than those
obtained from Europe; this is especially true of
plate-glass, and, as consequence, the demand
exceeds the supply. Manufacturers attribute
their success directly to the of natural
gas. Not only is the glass better, but it is moro
made than by the use of coal for
fuel, the saving it is claimed being equal to the
cost of the gas.
In the use of gas for cooking. and heating
dwelling houses the only modification of the
old range and open crate. built for burning coal
consists in filing up the old fire boxes with
broken stone. brick other similar material.
The gas Is admitted at the bottom of the CRATE
through an extension of the pipe which enters
the house and it distributes itself through the
open stone-work The heat is intense. The
convenience to housekeepers in starting and
N maintaining fires must be apparent.
The population OF Pittsburg including Allie
gheny City, is over 200.0 900. The number of
houses is estimated at 80, 900, in about one-half
of which natural gas is about the only fuel
used, and the number is constantly in
One gas company alone added over
8. 900 customers its list last year There is
not single manufacturing establishments of
any Importance which now coal or anything
but natural gas for fuel In fact it is impossi-
bic for concerns using coal to compete success
fully with those using gas. Conservative esti-
mates made by experts give the amount of coal
that is now being displaced in Pittsburg and
City alone by the use of natural gas
at over 4, 800, 900 tons annually. and if account
be taken of the surrounding district, the guam
tity is much larger.