The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-27
THAT WATER GAS PLANT.
IT rs THOROUGHLY INSPECTED AND
FOUyDIN GOOD SHAPE.
An Exper. Ga, Plant Builder Made the EA'
amiuytlon-The system Of Dtssrion"o"'
However. u Faulty.


afternoon at o'clock at the upper gas
works to make a thorough inspection o.
that establishment, as well as OF the
lower works All the members OF the
committee were present, namely: Messrs.
Grimes chairman. Branch, Caskie.
Davis, Hardwieke. Noble. Starke'
Vaughan and Wallerste.n. There were
also in attendance Captain William Hen
| ny White, of New York an expert builder
| of water gas plants; Superintendent
| Adams, Gas Inspector Knowles and Al
derman Mann, formerly member OF the
committee.
The upper as well as the lower
| works were thoroughly inspected, and
| at the latter Captain White explained In
| detail the process Of making water gas.
| He showed how the generators are hiied
| with coke and steam Is then admitted
| from the bottom, while the oil has ac-
cess from the top. From the generator.
where the water gas is made It goes into
the superheater 70 receive its illuminat-
Ing power. The gas is carried through
| long cylinder. lined with fire bricks,
| which are brought to nigh degree Oh
heat. and from there the gas passes
| through the scrubber and condenser, nlied
| with cold water, so as to bring out tne
| oil. Before conducted into the gas mains /.
passes through the purifying houses ana
| the holder.
Water is composed by volume of two
parts of hydrogen and one part OF oXy-
| gen. Water gas derives its name from
| the fact that three-fifths of its weights
| and three-fourths of it's bulk consists or
the oxygen and hydrogen obtained oy the
! decomposition Of steam. steam cannon ne
decomposed by the direct action OF neat
alone, but when subjected to high tenn
! perature in the presence of certain re-
| ducers, that Is TO say certain substances
which at such high temperature nave
stronger affinity for the oxygen or the
steam than has the hydrogen with when
! il is combined, the oxygen will then COM
bine with the reducing element and. set
the hydrogen free.
THE WORKS IN GOOD ORDER.
The Gas Works were found in first
| class condition in every respect, and AT
| a meeting of the committee, when was
| subsequently held Captain White was
requested to set forth his observations as
TO the condition of the water-gas plant.
That gentleman then substantially made
the following statement:
when | heard the criticism made by
Mr.. Glasgow as to your water-gas plant
| i
| like myself had been a competitor for
the work when this plant was to he es-
tablished. Both of Us were unsuccessful
| bidders and | consider his subsequent
| action as unprofessional. When asked
10 come here a few days ago to inspect
| the gas plant, / did SO willingly, and made
| "A thorough examination of the works on
Washington's birthday. | found the
plant to be an excellent piece of work, IN
workmanship as well as in regard to the
| results achieved.
THE charge had been made that the
plant did not have sufficient surerheat-
ing capacity. but IL that was so the oil
would escape from the holders and get
into the MAINS which fact however, does
| not exist Possessing a thorough know
! ledge of the gas industry | can say that
| at least two-thirds of the gas plants at
! present in operation are fitted out with
vne same type OF our single superheater.
The plant of this city is A very good sam
| ple of this system When ! handed in
A bid for the erection of the plant, ] in
tended to establish system of double
superheaters, which would have required
a good deal more money.
THE GAS OF FINE QUALITY
"While the plant is lacking some orna-
| mental features, you are giving as me
I n quality of gas as any city Is entitled
| 10 have; but you cannot control the gas
fixtures at the homes Of the consumers
! TO make a gas of more than twenty
| candle-power would be a waste OF money.
| In many instances. the gas burners used
| by the consumers are doing the damage.
you have here what you need, prac-
| tically modern works, which create Bood
quality Of gas, but the system OF distrlbu-
| zion Is at fault. Your gas pipes nave
been i'm the ground for about forty years
and you are forcing a much larger guam
| fity OF gas through the same small pipes
! than Won did when the latter were first
| laid. In that manner, you establish an
| immense underground condenser and re-
frigerator, thereby injurinG the ilumi-
mating power of the gas to a great eN-
tent OF a hundred cubic feet Of gar
only eight feet are illuminating power,
while the rest are carriers. heaters, etc.
In the condensing process which is created
by the forcing OF large quantities OF gas
through the small pipes, only the illu-
minating power suffers, and the distri-
button of the gas, therefore, IS not IN
the slightest degree adapted to modern
requirements.
There are two things to be done bJ
the authorities OF this city. They should
let the gas works alone for they coulc
| not improve tnem, out they supuiu p"'
I'D an additional holder In the West End
and run a larger main from the gas
works up there. If the pipes are enlarged
J no more complaints will be heard as tc
| the quality of the gas. To construct an al
| ditionh holder and lay the necessary
main will cost about $4,000 or 5000. II
would also be Of advantage IL the city
would furnish the gas consumers with
new burners free Of charge"
After the committee had passed vote
OF thanks to Captain White for the ser
vices so kindly rendered by MIN. the
meeting adjourned.
RAtreat for the Sick RereptlOn.