Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-20
THE WINTERS FUEL SUPPLY.

There are things which come in season.
Everybody expects at certain time in
the early summer to hear that the peach
crop in Delaware is short, and, about the
time for scale signing in certain branches OF
industry, it is usual to look out for gloomy
reports of the state of the markets. This
perlodicity is no less feature of the rela-
tions between the natural gas reports and
the first autumn snap of cold weather.
There has not been year since the gas first
came to town that the first drop of the mer-
curry has not brought intimations of short
supply. At first the gloomily disposed
prophets had monopoly of the disagree
able inferences, for the gas companies were
then largely engaged in getting their stock
taken. But latterly there is some sus-
picion that the companies, in looking for
better prices from consumers, do not regard
the reports of ''cold snap" shortages as
totally without benefit to their exchequers.
This year, just little earlier than usual,
the familiar intimations are thrown out,
backed by specific instances Of shortage
here and there. But it would be foolish
indeed to attach more importance to these
than the situation really calls for. That
cold spell coming suddenly will cause a
shortage anyone might reasonably expect;
but that argues nothing more than hereto
fore. All the summer the companies have
been taking on new consumers. They
have, also, investigation will show, been
making preparations for the winter by drill
ing new wells and building new lines; and
judging by all past experience they will be
bringing far more gas than ever into the
city for tine next six months. They will
likewise, it is entirely safe to predict, be in
receipt of far more money for it. The in
crease of prices to consumers, the adoption
of the meter system, and various ways and
means for economizing both in the trans
portation and use of the gas will insure this
result.
That every years. consumption must lessen
the quantity in storage under ground is
doubtless true, unless the theory is still
held to that the process of formation keeps
pace with the consumption. But that i'm
mense reservoirs of the gas surround Pitts
burg has been proved by search; that these
contain supply equal to all possible de-
mands during the present generation is
hardly doubted; and that experience is
teaching great economies in transportation
and use is also fact For instance, at the
outstart, gas was transported in eight-inch
pipes, and the friction was so great as to re-
quire enormous pressure at the wells to
drive the gas to the city. Now, with "a
and 36-inch pipes, immense volumes of gas
are conveyed from far greater distances and
require less pressure at the wells. These
larger pipes represent big increase of in
vestment for the companies which have
adopted them; but the best evidence of the
faith of those who know most of the condi-
tions of the gas territory, is that the COM
panies have been making recently just such
investments on most extensive scale.
Pittsburg, thrice-armed with the gas fields
surrounding it on all sides, with its illimit-
able supplies of coal at the door, and with
the inventive genius which, in case of
emergency, can be relied upon to transmute
the coal into gas, need have the least appre-
hension of any point on the globe of future
shortage of fuel, or of return to the old
state of smoke. 1t is well to bear these COM
forting realities in mind whenever much
ado is made because an unlocked for cold
spell causes for few hours or fey days a
demand on the gas companies before they
have had chance to utilize to the full their
resources.