The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1890-10-30
THE GAS SHUT OFF.

Pittsburgh Furnaces Receive Severe
set-Back-They Must Return to the Use
of Coal. tho Company Having Decided
to Furnish Fuel Gas to Private Con-
sumers Only.
PITTSBURGH, Pa, Oct. 25.-An an
nonncement that will be made this
morning by the directors of the Phila-
delphia Gas Company will create sem
sation in the iron and steel world here,
such as has not been experienced since
the discovery of natural gas. At
meeting of the officers of the company
Friday afternoon it. was decided that
hereafter no pudding furnaces in the
city or vicinity should receive natural
gas as fuel. No date was mentioned,
but it is said the order will take effect
very soon.
There are 1000 pudding furnaces in
this city, and over one-half of them will
be shut off as the result OF the order.
pense in the changing of the construc-
tion of the furnaces so that coal can be
used. In addition to this there will be
a heavy added cost, owing to the
higher price of coal, as most of the fur
naces had contracts with the company
for gas at prices marvelously low. Be-
sides, it is feared that something in
prestige will be lost by this sudden and
awkward move, as Pittsburgh has long
been known as the head and center of
the great natural gas belt
At the Office of the company. how
ever, it was stated that the move was
not made on account of the scarcity of
gas, but because the gas could be used
to greater advantage in private houses,
as the price paid there is many times
greater for the same amount of gas than
when used in the furnaces, as in the
latter it has been found impossible to
place meters of any description, and, as
a result, there is an en- ormous waste.
The Philadelphia Gas Company at
present furnishes natural gas to $50
different manufacturing establish ments,
including furnaces, glass factories, ETC.;
also to $4,000 houses as per the secre-
tary's report January l, 1889. This num-
Der has grown immensely since that
time, as the company has been steadily
extending its lines, but even at those
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600, 900 cubic feet per day. This is equal
to 25, 900 tons of coal per day. The
consumption now is far greater, as the
company claims it has more gas than
ever, but that the demand from that
valuable source of income, the private
residences, is also far greater.
The company also decided to 60 into
the Illuminating gas business. This
will be done on a scale never before at
tempted here, as the Philadelphia COM
pany has a capital of SIS, 600, 900, with
George Westinghouse at it's head, and
will push into this new industry at once.
These two cases mbined, the shut
ting off of gas from the furnaces espec-
tally, will give an almost incredible
impetus to the coal business of this
vicinity, which has lain dormant since
the finding of natural gas. Many mines
have been abandoned, others are
working on but half time, and
altogether the trade has been in bad
way. The new move, however, will
stimulate operations at once, and the
only fear is a scarcity of miners, as the
poor prospects have driven SO many
away that even now men can not be Sc
cured to work what mines are running.