Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-11-29
SHIVERING FOR GAS.
The First Cold Snap of the Season
Finds the Supply in Both Cities
Not Up 10 the Demand.
A COLD AND ANGRY POPULATION
lnqaires as to How Long the Public Must
Wait Before Satisfactory Sup
ply Can be Had.
A COLD AND ANGRY POPULATION
TIE SAME OLD PROMISES RENEWED
Phladslphis Gas officials Say Thsrs VIII be Plenty
of Gas Next Week


residences was shorter yesterday than at any
other time this winter. The sudden change
in the weather and natural decline in the
supply were the chief causes.
The greatest trouble was over in ALE
gheny where all of the mills using gas were
either compelled to close down or be salts
fed with part of days work. In some OF
the houses there was not enough gas to cook
a meal, and everybody was angry.
Mills and factories on the Southside and
Iawrenceyille were put to an endless
amount of inconvenience. However, as the
manufacturers are preparing to discontinue
the use of gas, and it is said that no less than
500 furnaces will be turned of within the
next few days, gas company officials think
there Will be more satisfactory supply
very soon.
There were more complaints received at the
Office OF the Allegheny Heating Company
than anywhere else, and the officials of that
company did all they could to give the peo-
pie more gas. But, as their supply is re-
ceived from the Philadelphia Company, and
the latter was giving ali the gas they had,
they could not offer much relief to their
shivering, angry patrons.
THE MILLS HAVE TO GO.
Frank Wilcox, the Assistant Superintend-
eut of the Philadelphia Company, was seen
in the afternoon. He was found looking
over a list of the mills and the number of
furnaces each will have turned off to-day in
the two cities. The number and their loca-
tions have already been published in THE
DISPATCH, during the last two weeks,
while the owners have been making the
necessary changes for the use of coal.
I'VE will shut off about 500 furnaces"
said Mr.. Wilcox. This, 1 think, will give
US plenty of gas by Monday. OF course, all
of the furnaces will not be cut off at once.
Some of them may not be ready to go back
10 coal on the 1st, but we will not push any
OF the firms. We only have seven wells on
our Bellevernon line, but We are drilling %
others, and we ought to have three of those
in tomorrow. But then we have been ex-
pecting wells IN for the last two weeks, and
they are not in yet.
''It is impossible to tell anything about a
gas well. We must just wait until it comes
in. If these wells turn out all right we
Will have all the gas we Will need inside of
2 month. Although our gas is short,
and it has been right along, for that matter,
we have not received many complaints here.
Ofcourse, it is the same old story. When
ever cold snap comes, people try to get
every inch of gas their fires are capable of
burning, and when you saw the supply is
strained. YOU tell the whole story. 1t is not
because there was less gas to-day tnan yes
terday that makes the shortage so apparent,
but it is because that the demand, by reason
OF the colder weather, is greater.
MUCH MORE OF A DEMAND.
1--WE supply over 90, OOC houses, in which
there are fully $4,000 fires. But suppose
there would only be an additional fire in
each house when a cold spell comes, the
difference in the amount of gas used would
s'iH be exceedingly great But in many
houses two or three fires are added.
There is another thing that makes the
supply seem shorter. Since the people have
begun to use meters, they turn out the gas
at night and their houses get cool. In the
morning it takes more gas to heat up again.
know this has been the case in my own
house"
President Pew, of the Peoples Company,
was also seen. The company was not
troubled very much yesterday, as it has one
of its new pumping stations in operation,
and the second will be started about the
middle of next week. 1t also has the founda-
ton for a third station about com pleted, and
does not expect to have much trouble sup
plving its customers.
Yesterday was the coldest day of the
season, so tar, and this had all to do with
the gas supply. But the supply seems to be
Short at all times, and the cold snaps as
they come trotting along at intervals only
serve TO impress the people with the fact.
Consumers are beginning to be anxious con-
ceruing the matter, and to know whether
they will be compelled to follow the manu-.
facturers back to the use of coal or not.
THE WORST TO SUFFER.
Among the places that suffered most YES.
terday were: Allegheny citizens; houses
along Wylie avenue; lawyers Offices or
Diamond street; the Iradesmen's Bank; the
Court House, pension Office, Howard block
Bvers' mill on the Southside, and many
Offices on Fifth avenue.
In regard to economy in the use of gas, 9
gentleman who is posted on the matter said
yesterday:
Fuel in all past time having been dirt
cheap in Pittsburg, her people have little
idea of the amount OF heat they have wasted
IN the last 80 years. They are few eight
room houses in which there are not KEEP,
burning at least three fires in CRATES in the
winter, and the fues leading from thess
CRATES are so imperfectly constructed and the
CRATES so set that 6614 per cent OF the heat il
drawn up the chimney.
by use OF some furnaces placed in CELLAR
this waste can be reduced to 10 per cent
BY placing a radiator in the hall the bee
chambers can be sufficiently heated in any
weather without registers, save perhaps il
the bathroom and in one room whert
1t may be needed in case of sick
ness. know of one heater
in house isolated in the country, where on,
of these furnaces gives temperature o
IS TO so degrees in six rooms in mIdwinte
with an expenditure OF two bushels of Goa
in a hours. Had there been no waste il
rolling mills and had all houses In thes,
cities been fitted with these heaters, our ga
supply need not have been in danger a
present and half of the wells now boreC
and producing might have been saved fo
future use. 1t is probably safe to say tha
IS per cent of the gas used in the last iou