The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-03-23
CHEAPER FUEL AND CHEAPER LIGHT

TO the Editor OF the Eagle.
Possibly it may be an item of news tc
many of your readers that the cost OF
lighting our city by the various methods
of electricity, artifdial gas and kerosene,
amounts, approximately, TO the sum oil
$50, 900 annually
If it was question of light at such a
cost, or no light. it would certainly be bet
ter to eXpend that sum annually and have
our city we'll lighted than to remain in
darkness. This however. is large sum
of money to be expended for this purpose,
! but with proper effort OF the part of the
city and its citizens, the cost could be
largely reduced, and a more uniform,
steady and satisfactory light, Except that
| furnished by electricity, secured.
| For number of years inventors in that
line have been actively engaged in expert
! meuting with a view of producing a gas
that would furnish both light and fuel at
less cost than that furnished by the ordi-
nary methods of producing coal gas
| These efforts have been rewarded with
signal success, and the result is the per
lection of several inventions that promise
very speedily to supplant the old methods
to which we have been accustomed.
In several of our large cities, as we'll as
and works are now in successful operation.
producing what is known as fuel gas,
and furnishing it to the citizens Mt
cost ranging from so to 70
cents per 1000 feet. The gas
isai used for heating, cooking and
illuminating, and III cities where the cost Of
coal Is as great as it Is in our city, is cheap
er for all of the purposes mentioned,
than coal. In additiod to this. a great
saving of labor in stores, residences and
factories is effected by avoiding the haul
ing and handlidg OF coal, removal of ashes,
cllnckers, ETC., that are necessary concom-
itants of the use of coal If our city was
provided with the fuel gas plant, nothing
could be more convenient for family uses
and tend So much to lessen the labor
and difficulty we experience in
and furnishing the heat neces-
sary for cooking purposes, than the intro
ductiOn of the stoves supplied by the COM
pauies operating these plants, into our
homes. They are far less costly than fur
naces. and more reliable and prompt in
furnishing the heat, which can readily be
regulated, almost instantaneously, accord
ing to the eXi2encies of the weather.
The gas is fully equal to natural gas for
heating purposes and far superior in
illuminating qualities. While there may
be some doubt as to the permanency of
natural gas even in localities where 1t can
now be obtained in such abundance, the
fuel gas possesses the advantage of abso-
lutte certainty of an adequate and mex
haustible supply so long as we are within
re- Oh of coal field.
In one city where a fuel gas plant is In
operation, within 500 miles OF Wichita, the
larger stores are shutting off their electric
lights and introducing fuel gas. In an
eastern city d large retorG gas plant is be-
ing transformed into one for the produc-
ton of fuel gas plant. In another smaller
city the superintendent has written a let
ter to the writer i'll which he states that
their citizens are highly pleased with the
gas furnished them and are adding new
consumers daily. Personally he has the
fullest confidence in the success of his
plant and CONFIDENTLY predicts that fuel
gas will furnish the light of the future"
In concluding the present article, your
correspondent would say that he Is in
possession of many detailed estimates,
based upon actual results obtained, Of the
cost OF producing the gas, diagrams of
buildings aud machinery, and other inter
esting Information, which be will be
pleased to exhibit to any of our citizens
who may feel An interest in having our
city supplied with so important II con-
venience to every one, as well as cheaper
light and cheaper fuel 5. 4. MCCLUNG.
WICHITA, March ~, 1892.