The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1894-04-22
DEPEW ON NATURAL GAS.
The Railway Magnate Tells of Some of
the Things He Saw in Indiana.
Interview in New York Tribune.

Interview in New York Tribune.
And now," said Mr.. Depew suppose
we exhilarate somewhat this solemn exper-
fence meeting of ours by turning our atten-
ton to the subject of natural gas. While
you and l both know a great deal about
it under certain forms of development in
the metropolis, for instance, there are
many of your readers who have not wit
messed it's development and power in the
way in which 1 have just witnessed it.
1t is an element of great force under proper
conditions of control. Well, to proceed: We
spent two days examining the natural-gas
belt of Indiana. 1t is most interesting
development. The growth of towns was
more rapid than in any booming Western
State. until the panic suspended everything
at the beginning of last year. The supply
of gas seems to be inexhaustible, and COW
ers such large extent of territory that if
the legislative conditions were favorable
there would be an immediate and healthy
growth in that section.
THE gas can be had anywhere for the
boring; the expense of handling and using
il is comparatively so much less than that
OF coal that 1t would attract from other
places manufactures of all kinds, and
would enable them to conduct their bust
Tess upon basis of cost which would
make this region a most dangerous COM
cago and Cleveland. We stopped at one
station, for instance. where the entire pop
uation were present TO welcome US: 1t
Is village which had grown from 800 to
5000 in population within three years. Its
people had no money and no occupation
for months until within a few weeks be-
fore we came. There was q three-inch
pipe alongside the station, about twenty
five feet high, which burning night and
for benefit, and a column as big as
your arm shot up about fifty feet in the
air !!r, with a roar like a tornado.
had been closed for while. and then
opened with forty furnaces, the total ca
proprietor said that after senator Hills
tariff speech he opened one hundred more
furnaces being so convinced that the New
death of the Wilson bill that he felt just-
fled in employing more men and piling up
a considerable stock of merchandise.
And, by the way" added Mr.. Depew,
"a glass factory under the natural gas
conditions Is very interesting establish di;s,
ment: There Is no coal; no SCOT no dust,
and to a Populist orator a glass blower
should be a source of perpetual admira-
ton and envy: Snail L describe the thng
All right, will try to. The great earthen
retorts, about six feet in diameter and as
many deep. are placed in furnace, filled
with the material which, when fused,
makes glass. The natural gas is turned
| on and I'm a very short time the liquid Is
ready for use. Then the glass-blower puts
| Of the material the end of the tube,
| pulls il out, swings il around and com
| mences TO blow into the tube.
| Before he stops he has blown a cylinder
| a foot in diameter and six feet long. The
| bulb weighs, as he takes it out, about
| twenty-five pounds. y few champion blow
| ers take out bulbs which weigh fOrty-fvt
| pounds. and blow them into cylinders
| foot and half in diameter and about sever
| feet high. The glass end is then cut off 10y
| wrapping around il a thread of redho
| glass One side of the cylinder is cut from
| top to bottom with diamond glass cutter
| II is then put in another oven upon a red
| hot smooth surface. The operation OF tbs
| heat causes the two sides to fall, when th'
| operator runs a smooth wooden block ovel
| cut by the diamond cutter into any size Of
| shape that the market may require.
| These proprietors said that the loves
| price paid these blowers was Sl25 a month
| and. according TO their skill-and stayin:
| pOwer-they received up 10 $500 a month
| Their Belgian brethren doing the SAM
| work receive less than 500 a month. TT
| situation was plainly understood by bot
| proprietor and workingman that to tn
| extent to which the cheap-gCOd
reformer reduces the tariff OF
! glass the wages of the glas
| blower must be cOTrespondingly lowered
| In other words, the glass factory mus
either close or the wages of the glas
| paid to his Belgian competitor, with tn
| item of breakage and transportation added
| | was not therefore, surprised when TIL
| foreman of the factory said there used L
| be a good deal of politics around there
| but there are no Democrats left