The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-03-08
The GREAT RIVAL or COAL.

his city mas long teen known as the BIT
mingnain Of the N-w World, and it has been
justly proud of the title. As place for a com
Portable home. however. IL was formerly not to
be tnoueht of for moment. Now. presto all
is CHANGED One utterly fails at first 10 appre-
ciate the wonderful transformation that has
taken place here during the last four or Ave
years The eky IS no longer obscured by clouds
OF smoke and coal SCOT. and IL is not now neees-
sary 60 light the STREET lamps uy or 8 o'clock
IN the afternoon From the heights of Mt.
WASHINGTON the western side of the Monon-
gahela river l was able to obtain an excellent
birds eye view of both PIttsburg and Allegheny
City and of the hills beyond The atmosphere
was clear as that of New York, and The large
buildings We're as distinctly visible as those on
the lower part ct Manhattan land from
the Tribune tower. A few Years ago nothing
would have been descernible ont black and
smoky cloud overhanelng and folding in like a
blanket the whole valley in which
thu business portion of the cities is located.
This wonderful change - due wholly to the sub
stitu ion of natural gas for the soft coal of this
region. as fuel, both for domestic and for
manufacturing purposes Through the courtesy
of Messrs. Jones & Lanehlin, the senior
mem Ter OF whtse firm Is chairman of the Repub-
lican national committees. / have been able TO
make a 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
are among the largest here. A single three
inch gas pine fhe valve of which wac only
about one-eighth open, supplied the gas for a
large heating furnace; in other words only
about one-eighth of the capacity of the pipe was
necessary
heat. perfectly steady temperature is main
tanned and, by proper in regulating the
amount of air admitted TO the burning gas,
very little heat escapes up the chimney. At the
same time it possible to put in heavier
charge and to bring it out in much less time
than by the former method, the gain the out
put of the furnaces being estimated at not less
than 10 per cent At the pudding furnaces the
feeding pipe is oniystwo inches In diameter,
and the valve controlling the flow OF
gas only one-sixteenth open. The large
rs n .nr
machinery are forty eight inches in diameter
and thirty feet long, with sixteen-inch iues. 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 h9w of gas has been adjusted they require
little further attention, the gas flow being
steady and continuous There is no opening
nor shutting of doors. blank spaces on the
crate bars for the entrance of cold air,
and, In fact, nothing for the attendant to do but
90 keen an eye on the steam gauge and regulate
tie flow of gas as may be desired.
In addition to the heatng-furnaces referred
20 and the Siemens heaters used in the manu-
facture of steel. these works have ninety pnd-
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, con-
sisted of Duddled iron, 5000 tons; iron heated in
ordinary and Siemens furnaces 5000 tons, and
steel production, 1900 tons. OF course all this
metal was also reduced bars, plates. atc, the
steam TO run the heavy machinery being pro-
PRODUCTION of gas the works consumed over
300. 600 tons of coal yearly the whole estab-
lishment is now fed by a single gas-pipe,
twenty inches in diameter, the pressurein
which is only about one round 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 men
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 il is hydrogen, the greater calorc qualities of
which well known. given weight of hy-
drogen will produce in burning, three times as
much heat the same weight of carbon.
of this kind. as compared with coal,
10 dependent in part of course, upon
the conditions under which the two fuels be
obtained. 1t is estimated, however, that there
is average saving by the of gas of 60 to rs
cent, of which nearly one half is represent
ed by the cost of labor and materials. There
ashes to be carried away. no railroad
sidines and trestes for moving coal cars.
switching charges, and tear of wagons.
carts, etc.. nor is there small army OF en-
ployes TO take charge of these adjnncts TO the
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 il
were delivered to them free of charge.
The remarkable purity of the gas is another
important feature IN its favor. and for this
son It is especially valuable in pudding fur
nacps. where the iron shows great readiness to
mix with foreign substances contained ia the
fuel Wherever the is used unusually
large quantity of afr is requlred, as comp AIRED
with manufactured gas. to insure perfect
bustion and there Is no doubt but that great
improve in the construction of furnaces
and other heating apparatus VIII be made as
the facilitles for preserving the gas
creased and the inheritance of not wasting it
becomes more apparent.
Giass-makiGg Is said to be Pittsburgfs oldest
industry, and the annual product of its glass
factories is placed at $40. 0OU.OO0 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-giass and plate glass are
made of Quality equal to or better than those
obtained from Europe: this is especially true of
plate glass, and consequences, the demand
exceeds the supply. Manufacturers attribute
their success directly to the of natural
gas. mot only Is the glass better. but it is more
economically made than by the of coal for
fuel, the saving it is claimed being equal TO the
cost of the gas.
dwelling houses, the only modification of the
old range and open crate. built for burning coal,
consists IN FL ing up the old fire boxes with
broken stone. brick or other similar material.
The gas is admitted at the bottom of the CRATE
through an extension of the pipe which enters
he house. and it distributes itself through
convenience to housekeepers in starting and
maintaining fires must be apparent.
The populatIon of Plsssbnrg including Alls-
gheny City. is over 100000 The number of
houses is estimated 90, 600, in about one half
of which natural gas is about the only fuel
used, and the number is constantly in
creasing. One gas company alone added
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 compete
fully with those using Conservative esti-
mates made BY experts give the amount of coal
that is being displaced IN Pittshurg and
Allegheny CITY alone by the use of natural
at over 4 500. 900 tons annually. and. if account