Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-01-24
THE GAS INVESTIGATION
Officers Of the Company Before the House
Committee.
They Claim That washington Has
Better Gas Than Any City
I'm the Country.

The quality of gas furnished the citizens !
OF washington by the Washington Gaslight
Company was further discussed before the
subcommittee of the House District conn
mittee after The Stars report closed yes
teruay AFTERNOON. Officials Of the company
gave testimony which was very iattering.
and the United States inspector OF gas ana
meters also testified in a favorable vein
Inspector Ford said that the law requires
candle power of 16. and during 1898 the
average was 1873. When asked IL there 10
anything in the composition OF gas which
should produce bad odors. he replied that
there is not; that Washington is ahead Of
other cities In that regard. The only sug-.
gestions which he wished to make were
that the test for impurities he made to In
clude sulphurated hydrogen and that q pen
| atty clause be attached to the law requiring
meter inspection. He also represented the
need Of a clerk to aid him I'm the proper in
spection of gas. He ascribed as a possible
reason for the recent complaints OF poor gas
the fact that deposits of hydro-carbon some
| times occur I'm the mains. There is no way
TO prevent the deposit, but the gas company
/ Is trying to remedy IL by improving the
mains and removing distractions.
An Experts Opinion.
Mr.. John McIlhenny. brother of the late
president of the company and a gas expert
was called upon for his testimony. He said
that it is a point of pride with gas men to
make just as good gas they can. In this
city the company has spared no pains or
money to produce good gas. He does not
know of any better gas anywhere I'm the
United States than in Washington, while
the gas in America is always superior 70
that in foreign countries
| The complaints of poor gas by citizens
arl> from local causes and is usually due
/ TO sa-lty plumbing or poor fixtures Nothing
4 receives so little attention in the household
as the gas appliances. People seem to think
| that the gas must come whenever they want
| IL and that they need pay attention TO
II: Pipes are made of iron. and the action
of ammonia often corrodes IL. causing Il to
FAKE on and obstruct the pipes. IL is i'm
possible to have good light without a steady
and unimpeded flow Of gas. The trouble 10
not in the inherent qualities of the gas. but
in the way Of serving IL from the mains to
the burner
Gas is cheap. he said; there is no COM
modify that enters the household which n
so cheap as gas. A burner consuming nve
I feet per hour and burning for five hours
Will only cost cents.
General Manager Leach's Testfmony.
Mr. John Leach. the general manager Of
! the company. said that the Washington Gas
Company possesses ample facilities for an
abundant supply of good gas. When he
sumed the duties OF his present position
last March he was given two instructions
by President Mclean. First to make the
best gas possible to produce with modern
appliances. and this without regard TO cost
! of production; second to conduct the busi-
ness so that a good report could be rem.
dered TO Congress. Mr.. Leach thinks that
he makes the best gas in the United States
and as good as can possibly be made.
Early last fan there were a good many
complaints from citizens which was due
to the fact that in the change of season
from heat to cold a quantity Of naphthaiine
forms in the pipes and gives trouble for Q
week or two. The company has a corps
/ OF men who are always on duty TO answer
complaints of citizens and ascertain and
correct the trouble. The company is now
laying new mains ana new service pipes
at it's own expense TO give better service
/ in many localities. The complaints are
fewer now than ever before.
The majority OF complaints received 10
found to be due to local causes. insult
Gent supply and stoppage of service pipes.
Old and worn out gas fixtures cause a good
many complaints also.
Mr. Leach cited an instance OF one kind
! OF complaint. He received word from Q
member of the District committee, who
boarded at a West End hotel. that the gas
was poor. A man was sent up to tnvestt-
gate. That hotel is supplied with gas
through three meters one In the center and
one for each wing. The man found two
meters entirely cut of. and the other one
half turned OF. so that the hotel was re-
/ ceiving only one-sixth of the supply OF
gas necessary TO properly illuminate the
! house. The landlord. of course. had this
done TO economic on his gas bill, while the
4 guests blamed the quality Of IT.
EyesiGht of Government Clerks.
| Chairman Heard called Mr.. Leach's a.
tention to a portion of the resolution can.
ing for the present inquiry. which alleges
that the eyesight OF government employs
is injured by the poor gas
! Mr.. Leach replied that the trouble here
lies in the fact that in every department
I'm this city interested parties have sue
, ceeded in placing governors" on the me-
tiers, which simply retsrd the now OF gas
and prevent a sufficient quantity of gas
reaching the burners. The governors were
placed there ostensibly to economize the
I gas bills. and they do so simply by depriv-
Ing the clerks of just that much gas. MI.
Leach gave a list Of governors used in the
departments, and said that as long as they
are allowed to remain in the meters the
supply will be insufficient and there viii
be complaint.
Mr. Leach and Mr. Ncllhenny both testi-
fed that the cost of production Of gas In
this city exceeds other cities. for the rea-
son that the materials not easily
available and there is no sale for the reaA4-
ual products.