Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-10-27
NATURAL GAS.
Supply to Pittsburg Pudding
Furnaces to BE Shut Of.
More Profitable to Sell to Prl-
vate Consumers.

As May BE Expected the Effect Upon the
Iron and steel Industry of the City
VIII he Very Great as Coal or Some
other Fuel Must Now BE Used--A
Cheap Substitute Needed at Once.
PrrTsBURG, Oct. 27. The publioa-
ton of the announcement of the Sc
crets of the meeting of the directors of
the Philadelphia Gas company has Gre
ated a sensation in the iron and steel
world here such as has not been ex-
perienccd since the discovery of natural
gas At meeting of the officers of
this company Friday afternoon it was
decided that hereafter, no pudding fur
mace in the city or vicinity should re-
ceive natural gas as fuel. No date was
mcht toned, but it is said the order will
tale effect very soon, There are 900
pudding furnaces III this CITY, and over
on, half of them will be shut off as a
result of the order.
Must Use Coal
This will necessitate an enormous ex-
pense in the changing Of the construc-
tion Of the furnaces back to the use Of
coal In addition to this there will be
a heavy added cost, owing to the higher
price Of coal, as most Of the furnaces
held contracts with the company'for gas
at llces marvelously low. In addition
to this it is feared something in prestige
will be lost by this sudden and awk-
waid move, as PittsbuIg has long been
known as the head and center of the
greatest natural gas fields in the world.
The manufacturers prefer this as fuel
above all others, owing to its intense
heat. peculiarly adapted to the use Of
pud Ling furnaces and this has given
Pitt burg an immense stride forward in
the iron and steel business.
Cause of tho Decision.
~ the office of the company, how
ever. it was stated that the move was
not made on account Of any scarcity of
gas, tut because the gas could be used
to greater advantage in private houses,
as the price paid there is many times
greater for the same quantity of gas,
than when used in the furnaces, as in
the latter it has been found impossible
to laca meters of any description,
and as q result, there is an enormous
watt.
ne Daily Consumption Enormous.
lie Philadelphia Gas company at
pr, sent furnishes natural gas to 750
different manufacturing companies, in
cluIi furnaces, glass houses, etc
Also TO $4,000 houses, as per the secre-
tary Is report on Jan. /, 1889. This
number has grown immensely since
that ime, as the company has been
steadily extending its lines, but even ut
thesa figures, the daily consumption
was 500, 900, 600 cubic feet per day
This is equal to 25, 900 tons OF coal per
day The consumption now is far
greater, as the company claim they
have more gas than ever, but that the
demand from that valuable source of
income. the private residence, is also
far greater.
Illuminating Gas.
The company also decided to go into
the illuminating gas business. This will
be done on scale never before attempt
ed here, as the Philadelphia company
has n capital of $4,000, 600 with George
Westinghouse at its head, and will push
into this industry at once.
VIII noom Coal.
These two causes combined the shut
ting Off of gas from the furnaces espe-
ciall, will give an almost incredible i'm
petrs TO the coal business of this
vicinity, which has 50 long lain dor
mant. Since the finding of natural gas
many mines have been abandoned,
others aro working but half time, and
altt gcther the trade has been in bad
way. The move, however, will stimu-
lat operations at once and the only
fear a scarcity Of miners, as the poor
price 1Aid has driven SO many away
that naw men cannot be secured to
work what mines are running.