Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-12-07
GAS IS A LUXURY.
The Distributing Company at Column
bus Limiting the Use
TO DOMESTIC PURPOSES ONLY.
Next Two Weeks Will Decide What Fuel
0hio's Capital Will Use.
THE SUPPLY AND THE CONSUMPTION
ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.i

ESPECIAL TELEGRAM TO THE DIsPArcH.i
COLUMBUS, Dec. 6. The natural gas
supply for Columbus is in an uncertain
state. The people have had the benefits of
the luxury for less than year, with all its
attendant expense in the way of preparation
for the use of the fuel, and now are anxious
and uncertain over the probability of the
supply becoming exhausted and their hav-
ing to return to the use of coal. The expert
ence of the past few days. since the cold
weather set in, has developed an apparent
lack of pressure and the consequent in
ability to heat residences and offices as was
hoped.
While there Is some cause for complaint
upon the part of those who do not under
stand the situation, yet those who are in
formed express sympathy with the Colum-
bus Natural Gas and Fuel Company rather
than censure it for something over which it
has no control. The company is composed
of substantial citizens, among them the
most wealthy, and the official records show
they have eDdeavored to keep their contracts
in every instance, and in their anxiety to
do so have been to much expense, which
WHERE THE GAS COMES FROM.
The gas was piped 26 miles, from what is
known as the Thurston field. This field,
extensive experiments have shown, is the
one which contains gas in any considerable
quantity within a reasonable distance of
Columbus. Options we're secured on the
land and the plant was constructed at great
expense. A considerable sum was ex-
dod in w hen a
covery was made and the first we'll blown in
the enterprIsing gentlemen were the objects
of envy on the part of great many Colum-
bus people.
The stock struck the hands of no specu-
lators. For this reason the company has re-
ceived many favors which would not have
been extended to foreign company. It re-
ceived everything asked for in the way OF
grants from the city, and the entire terri
tory nearly has been piped at an expense of
hundreds OF thousands. In the present un-
certain condition of the supply the officials
of the company look upon the plant and
franchises which they have secured as the
most valuable part of the plant They con-
gas and its manufacture. They have the
greatest faith in that direction.
PROCESSION OF MIsFoRTUNEs.
Notwithstanding the fact that the COM
pany is local enterprise and composed ex-
clusively of prominent citizens, it has had
to fight the combined prejudices of the peo-
pie against the fuel. and the fact of the COM
pany being responsible have led to many
suits for damages which likely would not
otherwise have been instituted. Its expe-
rience has been one of legal battles from the
start. The unfortunate accident early in the
history OF the company by which several
people lost their lives, led to series of
damage suits, some OF which were compro-
missed, but others are still pending in the
courts, and large sums have been awarded
for property and personal damage.
II any mistake has been made by the COM
pany it was in the proposition last spring
to furnish factories and mills with gas, when
a large number of contracts were closed and
the necessary changes made for the fuel.
The managers of the company thought at
that time there was an endless supply of the
fuel and proceeded on that theory. The
reckless waste soon told on the supply and
aroused the suspicious of the officials that
they had made a mistake. Rolling mills,
paving companies and large manufactures
were depending solley upon the supply and
were using the gas in reckless manner.
no METERS AT FIRST.
All the original contracts were made for
bulk service, and no meters were used.
This led to much extravaganza which other
wise might have been averted. 1t was not
long till the change to the meter system was
inaugurated. Many of the domestic con-
sumers who were paying by the schedule for
fires also changed until now about nine
tenths of the 5000 fires are furnished
through meters. These are paid for by the
consumers, though furnished by the natural
gas company at wholesale rate.
At some of the large mills meters capable
of furnishing 10000 cubic feet of gas per
hour were put in, and a test made by ex-
perts from Ohio State University demon
strated the meters could not measure with
any degree of accuracy. The decision of
the company to cut off all mills and fac
tories on November made any further ex-
-periments unnecessary, as the company had
framed all its contracts in such manner that
they could withdraw the supply at any time
when, in its judgment, it was necessary to
the interests of the company that they
should do so.
IT HAS AMPLE AUTHORITY.
Only one large enterprise had the pre-
sumption to contest the demand of the COM
pany, and the decision was in favor of the
latter, so that all trouble was disposed of as
to the authority OF the company to do as it
pleased as regards the supply to factories
and mills. By the middle Of November the
company concluded, because of shortage in
supply, it would be necessary to make fur
ther reduction and the service was with
drawn from all steam boilers. The design
has been to confne it to purely domestic
consumers, and the company expects to ac-
complish this within the next few days by
Withdrawing the supply from all buildings
which are heated by steam or furnaces.
By these curtailments the company ex-
poets to get through the winter. Besides Ii
hopes for additional supply. The company