The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1893-02-26
H4TER as.
The Work of Building the New Plant is
Soon to Begin.

Workingmen are engaged at present
with the cleaning up Of the site for the
vater-gas plant. which will be erected
al the lower gas works. Tire Western Gas
Construction Company, Of Fort Wayne.
Ind. has the contract for the erection OF
the plant, which VIII be put in place
ready for the maEuf lcturing Of wafer gas
by July LIST. Its capacity will BE- fOO,wO
cubic feet per dry If twenty-four hours,
and there will also be a relief holder with
a capacity of ~, coo cubic feet.
AS soon as this plant has been com
pleted the price of gas will be reduced
to 81 per 1909 cubic feet and 1t rs the in
tention OF the city authorities 10 still fur-
Their reduce the price as soon as possible.
The consumption of gas Will thcn be
largely increased. and it is thought that
it will frequently take the place CT fuel
for cooking purposes.
While speaking on the subject yester-
day, SuperintendenI Adams gave me the
following information.
4 recent Berlin magazine has an eX-
haustiYe article on gas and electric light,
OF which an abstract may be interesting.
Ten years Of experience in the uses Of
gas and electric light have furnished n
basis of comparison as to IA eir respective
cost and possible future growth Gas
lighting has long gone on without inn
proyement, and composition was too in
frequent to be successful, either in reduc-
ing cost or increasing candle power. Sud
denly Berlin saw its main street lit by
electric arc lights, AMI New York was
awakened to the merits Of Edison's eys-
TEN in its shops. theatres. hotels and
streets. Gas shares fell, until he high
price OF electric light treasured the own
ers. The gas companies rapidly intro
dUced improvements to cheaper the cost
and TO increase the candle power, and
Siemens and other inventors supplied bet
ter lights with a variety Of burners.
Gas machines, gas cooking stoves, gas
ovens. will all be multiplied just as fast
as the price Of gas for use in them Is re-
duced.
its use for motors and other Industrial
purposes has increased in Germany from
10 of per cent, ten years ago. 10 10 per
cent. Of the production. and in other more
progressive countries at a still greater
rate.
In Paris one-fourth OF the gas produc-
ton is used for heating, cooking and
power. In Swiss manufacturing towns it
has found similar use. Warming by gas
has many advantases-in dwelling-ho ises
it aboiishes smoke and ashes, saves furai-
ture and economies attendance. Schools
and churches are now being warmed by
gas-in Germany over nifty churches were
reported to be satisfactorily warmed by
gas In 1890, and the number is steadily IN
creasing.
Electric lighting has sharpened the zeal
and inventive power OF the men engaged
In manufacturing gas and its use for
many other purposes than light rs a com
pensation alike TO The owners Of the gas
stocks and TO the general public.
The gas companies have thus gained
rather than lost by berg deprived of the
monopoly OF supplying light. fer the com
petition OF electric lighting has grown so
slowly that gas machinery and domestic
uses for gas for other purposes than light
have found wide field for the consump-
ton OF gas. The cheapening OF the pro-
duction OF gas. and the Dlanufactvrc OF bet
ter gas for light and OF gas nj for heat and
power and not for, light. have advanced
greatly under the sharp pressure OF COM
petition with electric light. ana each OF