The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-10-25
TO CUT OFF NATURAL GAS.
The Pennsylvania Pudding Mills Must
Csc Coal again

Use Coal again
PIrTsBURG. Oct. 24-The publication OF
the announcement to-mOrr-w morning OF
the secrets Of meeting Of the directors OF
the Philadelphia Gas Company vii create
/ a sensation in the iron and steel world here,
such as has not cen experienced since the
discovery OF natural gas. At the meeting
Of the officers Of this company this afternoon
| il was decided that hereafter no pudding
| furnaces in the city or vicinity should re-
ceive natural gas as fuel No date was
mentioned bat 1t Is said that the order VIII
take effect very soon There are LUZ
pudding furnaces in this city and over nan
Of them Will be shut OF as d result OF the
order.
WILL CAUSE A HEAVY EXPENSE
This will necessitate an enormous expense
in changing the construction OF the furnaces
back to the use of coal In addition to this
there VIII be heavy ad1td cost,
owing 10 the high price Of Goa,
as most Of the furnaces nel1 con-
tracts with the gas Company fo- gas
at prices marvelously low. In addition
to this 1t is feared that something in
prestige will be lost by this sudden and
awkward move as PittsOurg has long been
known as the head and center of the great
est natural gas fields in the world. Manu-
facturers perfer this as fuel above all
Others. owing to its intense heat. peculiarly
adapted to the use of pudding furnaces
and this has given Pittsburg an immense
stride forward in the iron and steel bust
hess.
EXPLANATION OF THE GAS MEN
At the Office Of the company, however, it
was stated that the move was not made on
account Of any scarcity of gas, but because
gas could be used to greater ad antage in
private houses, as the price paid there is
many times greater for the same quantity
of gas than when used in furnaces, as in the
latter it has been found impossible to place
meters Of any description, and as a result
there is an enormous waste.
AN ENORMOUS PATRONAGE
The Philadelphia Gas Company at present
furnishes natural gas TO $50 different manu-
featuring establishments, including fur
naces, z asshouses, ETC., aud also to 2, 900 to
1900 houses as per secretary's report on Jan.
l. 1889. This number has grown immensely
since that time, as the company has been
steadily extending its lines, but even
at these figures the daily consump-
tion was 100000 cubic feet per
day This is equal to %, 900 tons of coal
per day. The consumption now is far
greater, as the company claim that they
have more gas than ever, but that the de-
mand from that valuable source of income,
pilfabc IccAacuCeS. - dlSO RIodOCi.
The company at the meeting to-day also de-
cided to 90 into the Illuminating gas business.
This will be done ON scale never before
attempted here, as the Philadelphia COM
pany has a capital of SIS, 600, with
George Westinghouse at its head, and will
push into this new industry at once
EFFECT ON THE COAL TRADE.
These two causes combined. the shutting
of of gas from the furnaces especially,
will give an almost incredible impetus to
the coal bushes of this vicinity, which has
SO long lain dormant since the finding of
natural gas Many mines have been
abandoned, others are working on 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 scarcity Of miners, as
the poor prospects have driven so many
away that even now men cannot be secured
to work in the mines that are now run
ming