The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-05-04
MARVELLOUS MUNClE.
An Excursion Party to Indiana's
Greatest Natural Gas City.


now marvellous are the works o.
nature. How splendid the blessing.
it bestows upon us. As civilization
marches onward with giant strides
mother earth each day adds some
new wonder for the use of her favor
lite child, man.
Your correspondent thoroughly
realized the above facts upon arrival
in the charming little city of Nun.
Gle, Indiana.
| As the train neared the city, the
horizon seemed lighted with con
fagration of buildings, and it gave
the impression that the city was in
flames.
The brilliant light was, however,
explained when the train drew up at
the depot. Many arches, one OF
which, was across the street, with the
letters of flame, announced in words
of literal warmth, "Welcome to Nun
cie."
The streets adjacent to the depot
were packed and crowded with prob
ably 5000 people, assembled to give
a hearty greeting to excursionists
from Eastern and Western cities who
had come to see and realize the value
of natural gas.
1t must be acknowledged that
your correspondent was rather skep-
teal in regard to the wonders Of this
new fuel, and had come determined
to give natural gas g candid yet con-
sentative examination. The daz-
Killing brilliancy of the city, the
crowds Of smiling faces and the ex-
CARNATIONS of enthusiasm from our
party as they drove through the
gas illuminated streets, completely
captured our conservatism and we
echoed the sentiment, wonderful"
1t was expressive Of the impress
sion made upon the excursiopists to
see the continual poking of heads
from the carriage windows, as they
drove beneath the gas illuminated
arches on their way to the hotel.
The night was beautiful yet chilly,
and, when we had been domiciled at
the Kirby House, our admiration
was divided between the attractive
ness Of the brilliant street without
and the comfort and beauty of the
natural gas flame in the CRATE.
The first day of your correspond
ents stay was spent in visiting the
manufactures that had been located
here to secure free fuel, for, astound-
ing as it may sound, Board of
Trade was organized under the lead
ersbip Of Mr.. James Boyce, one of
Muncie's vealthiest and most pub
lie spirited citizens, free factory
site was given, and free fuel guaran-
teed to each manufacturer who would
locate here. In response to this
munificent offer there has been one
factory located here each month dur
ing the past eighteen months
Among them glass works, wood
working establishments, rubber
works, iron foundries and rolling
mill, the entire number of factories
being fifty three and employing
about three thousand hands.
The manner of utilizing natural
gas for manufacturing purposes is
very interesting.
The pressure of gas is 80 great,
being from three to four hundred
pounds to the square inch, that, we're
it turned into the furnace full force,
it would give such draft that the
flame would be driven through the
smoke stack. A regulator and gauge
is placed on the well, and, say forty
pounds pressure is turned on, this
amount of pressure being produced
from small opening for the gas to
flow through, say, Of one-eighth of
an inch in diameter-the gas is re-
ceived in pipe of six inches in di-
ameter, which is run around and
across the building, and gradually
reduced in size till it is only quar-
ter of an inch in diameter, and the
pressure of the gas reduced to one
pound to the square inch, when it is
turned into the furnace.
Gazing into the pots of boiling iron
at white heat, it was difficult to
realize that this fuel came 1000 feet
from beneath the earth's surface,
and was let into the furnace, heat
ing several tons of iron, through an
orifice one quarter of an inch in di-
ameter.
We were informed by Mr.. j. +.
Darnell, the proprietor of the Mum
Gle Nail Works, that it would re-
quire seventy-five tons of coal daily
to run his works, costing 50 per ton.
His fuel here costs him nothing,
making his fuel saving, in the cost
of manufacturing some five hundred
kegs of nails per day, each day the
handsome sum of $3.50, quite good
profit in itself. He further said that
natural gas was by far the best fuel
he had ever used in iron working,
the intense regular heat giving the
iron a temper and malleabilfty very
desirable in iron and steel ware.
The glassworkers claimed that
they could manufacture not only
cheaper but better glassware than
could be produced with other fuel;
and the rubber workers said that
the extreme uniformity of the heat,
and the ease with which it could be
raised or lowered enabled them to
produce superior grade Of rubber
cloth.
Be these claims true or not, your
correspondent was thoroughly salts
fed that natural gas is here, costless
to the manufacturer, and it is as
perfect fuel as can without
ashes, SCOT or smoke.
1t strikes one forcibly, who is ia
miliar with the immense volume of
smoke that rises from rolling mill,
when, after walking through the roll
ling mill here, he casts his eve on
the top of the smoke shafts and sees
no sign of smoke. In stones
throw of two immense glass works,
a nail factory and half a dozen small
II, e, n n * oo ~. y x~x<,.11 a