Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-18
WORK ON GAS LINES.
What the Different Fuel Companies
Have Done This Summer.
PRICES CERTAIN TO GO HIGHER.
Large Average Daily Consumption in
PittSburg and Allegheny.
FIGURES IN CUBIC FEET FURNISHED

On Friday, the 18th, the time in which
the natural gas companies could open the
streets for laying pipes and making house
connections, expired, and a DISPATCH re-
porter yesterday visited the various COM
panies in hopes Of getting some information
about what had been done this summer. In
formation was a scarce thing, however, as
the officials were busy in some cases and in
others were not to be found.
The Allegheny Heating Company has
Just completed the putting down a 20-inch
main from Anderson street to School street.
The line is $500 feet long and cost SIG 900.
1t was laid with the intention of equalizing
the gas supply of Allegheny and will no
doubt be boon to the residents of
the lower part of that city. The people
living above Federal street have always
had good supply winter and summer, but
those living below that thoroughfare have
not been SO fortunate. Every now and
then howl would go up, and the officials
of the Allegheny Heating Company would
be compelled to face crowd of angry and
half-frozen customers, all of whom lived be-
tween Federal street and Manchester. The
new line, in conjunction with the Philadel-
phia Company's new 36-inch steel main
from Murrysville will, it is claimed, do
away with all trouble in the future by
giving full and regular supply at all sea-
sons.
Superintendent John Young, of the ALE
gheny Heating Company, gave some inter-
esting figures on the consumption of gas.
Mr.. Young said: "There are from 400, ,000,-
900 to 500, ,000,0 900 cubic feet used daily by
the private families of both cities. During
THE GAS coNsT1MED
the five cold months of last winter the daily
average consumption for Allegheny private
families was 100000 cubic feet; that is,
100000 cubic feet were used by those of
our customers who had meters. There are
now over 1000 meters in Allegheny, but last
year there were not more than half that
bv each family is at present 2, 900 cubic feet.
Gas will be no cheaper. If anything, it will
be dearer, because it is costing more every
day to bring to the city. No advance will
be made, however, for some time"
The Peoples Natural Gas Company's new
line from Murrysville will be completed in
few days. The Murrysville end is an
8-inch wrought iron pipe, and the Pittsburg
end is 12-inch cast iron pipe. The officials
of this company also expect that gas rates
will be higher, but say that no action has
yet been taken. A gentleman in the Office
stated that, while their supply was rather
limited at present, no serious shortage is e1-
pected.
The Consumers National Gas Company
has laid five miles of pipe from the Perrys-
vile district to Allegheny, and promises its
customers steady supply all winter.
The Manufacturers Natural Gas Company
could give no figures, but claims to be in a
position to supply all the gas needed by its
customers. This company does not use
meters, and the gentleman seen by the re- |
porter said that both customers and COM
pany preferred the contract system. The |
only reason given for such preference is,
that there is less objection on the part of the
customer. No important mains have been |
laid of late by this company.
The members of several plumbing firms |
were seen and all stated that very few per-
sons who intended putting the gas in for
winter were caught with connections still
unmade when the season closed.
,ss GOING BACK TO COAL.
In fact, the only houses into which gas
has been put lately are the new ones, while |
a number of persons who have been using
the fuel are having their connections taken |
out, and are going back to coal. This action
is caused in number of cases by the Phil
adelphia Company's charging 12X cents
per 1, 900 feet if bills are not paid in ten
days after presentation, instead of 10 cents
per 1000 as the contracts read. The COM
pany probably takes this action to scare the
ignorant classes into paying their bills
promptly, but it has had the effect of anger
ing number of consumers who know the
meaning OF a contract.
When the reporter called at the Office of
the Philadelphia Company, Superintendent
Gillespie was too busy to give any informa-
ton on gas matters, and said that he did
not himself know exactly what had been
done in the way of putting down pipe dur
ing the summer, as he had not yet made his
calculations.
William B. Hartupee, Superintendent of
the Equitable Gas Company, stated that his
company had put down 20 miles of 30-inch
main during the summer. This work was
completed about August 1. Between six
and seven miles of feed lines from the
wells to the trunk line have also been
laid. This company furnishes all the mills
along the Allegheny river except two with
gas. The line comes in through East Lib
erty and ends at the foot of Tenth street, in
Browns mills. In speaking OF general gas
matters Mr.. Hartupee said that the fuel
would be no cheaper, as the expense of
securing it was constantly increasing. He
also said that none OF the companies had
been caught with the streets open. It was
MS opinion that, so long as the ground was
not frozen, permission could be obtained to
ay pipe after November 10, ordinance or no
ordinance