The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-06-24
WILL GO RIGHT AHEAD.
The Company Rather Pieased with the De-
cision


Apparently the decision isn't going to
Interfere with the operations of the COM
pany. In regard TO the decision, Mr..
Winter, one of the attorneys for the de-
tense, said last night:
There are three sections in the
law and the second is the one which has
caused the trouble, and there are three
cred thereon. Judge Elliott holds that
the prohibition in the second section
against the use OF artificial means or
pumping devices is only to prohibit the
the pressure produced thereby exceeding
800 pounds to the square inch, and that
artificial means can be used TO force or
pump the gas, provided the pressure does
not exceed the natural pressure, which is
800 pounds to the square inch. That is
the opinion of a ajority OF the court.
Judge Mcbride renders his opinion, which
is substantially the same as the above.
Judge Odds thinks the court has no right
to construe the law as it does as it prac-
tically leaves out the second section,
which provides that no artificial means
shall be used for pumping or forcing gas
either to maintain or exceed the natural
pressure of the gas, and that by leaving
this out the law is made unconstitutional.
There is no need to carry the case TO the
Z. ). supreme court, as the opinion of
Judge Elliott simply knocks out of the
law all there was in it. The gas company
will go on and build its line, as the only
question remaining is as 10 bow close to-
gether pumps shall DE placed in order not
to exceed the natural pressure"
The following was received last night by
TIE SENTINEL:
r. c. Bell, one ofthe attorneys in the gas case.
on being interviewed said: 81 have not seen the
decision of the court, but | understand that il
permits artificial pressure to be used up to 500
pounds 10 the square inch. II that is so, IL is
all we want aud we can and will proceed TO
pipe gas to Chicago at once. 1t is well known
that the dynamic force or well pressure of
natural gas in the Indianapolis field is but
about 325 pounds. This pressure will
only overcome the friction of the pipes
and the resistance of the atmosphere so
as to force gas in paying quantities about seventy
miles through pipes OF ordinary size. To take
il further, artificial aid must be used in the
way OF pumps. Two years ago the Legislature
enacted q law prohibiting the piping OF gas
out of the state. That law was held by our
supreme court TO be unconstitutional. The
last legislature, knowing the foregoing facts,
attempted to do indirectly what the court seid
could not be done directly. 1t attempted to
PtCfOuh tuC urc VI my uhu hAA AhOoho W ~
the transmission of gas through pipes and thus
to restrict its use to limited territory. In this
il has failed, as / think it ought to fail. Under
this decision, as / understand il, we can and
will go Oh in our enterprise of piping gas to
Chicago. The principal point decided is that
we may use artificial means to maintain the
flow and pressure of natural gas through pipes
that will answer all our purposes. think the
court did not go far enough. IL should, in my
opinion, have held that we could use auy pres
sure not actually dangerous. On that point We
may yet 60 to the supreme court of the
United States. As to that / can
not now say. Much higher pressure Is
known to be safe. The well pressure alone in
Pennsylvania is about 500 pounds to the square
inch. However this decision is so much in our
favor that ws will be content with It. OF one
thing You may rest assured-natursl gas will
be piped by US TO Chicago aud the visitors to
the worlds fair will see it burning there and
piped from the Indiana fields"