Evening star., 1895-05-28
d13-tf
DECLINE OF NATURAL GAS.

Failure of the Supply Causes Great
Inconvenience.
From the Philadelphia Record.
The first rolling mill that used natural
gas exclusively was the Etna iron works of
Spang. Chalfont & Coin Allegheny county,
a few miles above Ptttsburg; and this es-
tablishment has been one Of the last to
abandon this fuel in the Pittsburg district.
After twenty years of dependence upon
natural gas the proprietors of this plant
have removed the pipes and are now re-
turning to the use of coal. long after most
of the other mills had surrendered to the
cheap bituminous fuel which has always
been the chief foundation of Pittsburg's s
great industrial prosperity. The diminish
ing supply and the consequent increase in
cost have necessitated the abandonment Of
natural gas by most of the large manufac-
turing establishments in the Pittsburg dis
trict, and its use is being more and more
restricted to domestic purposes. Pittsburg
has again become the smoky city of fifteen
years ago, alleviateq in, some measure by
the use of fuel oil and manufactured gas,
which have assumed Importance with the
decline of natural gas in the last four or
five years. I,
Natural gas was not "a factor of very
great Importance In the Pittsburg district
until early in the eighties, and the point Of
greatest consumptiop was reached in 1SSS.
after which the decline began. 1t has never
been feasible to ascertain with accuracy
the quantity of natural gas consumed each
year. but Mr. Joseph d. Weeks of Pittsburg
has prepared for the, United States geologi-
cal survey an estimate Or the value of the
coal displaced by natural gas. which has
been accepted as the most practical meas
ure OF the consumptiop Of gas. In the
period of its largest use the natural gas
tHiS basls was w yaut foloWs sasurea on
1889. s4:5oo,ooo: 1852 sa.9D,noo; 1857, a3.-
1890, @,55l .o25. 1891. sT.S:Io16; 1892, 1886.
PSI; 1s!s s6.4SGO0o.
In Ohio the supply of natural gas has
vania. The largest consumption in Ohio was
in 1859. when it amounted in value to s..
2l5.OO0; but-in 1893 it had fallen to s1,5lO,
600. The suddenness of the failure of the
supply has caused much Inconvenience and
loss to manufacturing establishments.
which in many instances Were deprived OF
fuel almost without warning. While the
supply of natural gas in Pennsylvania and
Ohio has been diminishing a new pro-
ductive region has come into prominence in
Indiana, and interest in natural gas is now
centered in that state. In 1886 the value of
the gas consumed in Indiana was estimated
al only $SO06O0; in 1883 it was figured at
$l320. 900. and in 1893 the value was placed
at S,IlS,OOO. The opening of thisAnew field
has stimulated the development of iron and
steel and glass enterprises in Indiana in a
marked degree. Notwithstanding the
abundance of the present supply in Indiana
there is no assurance OF its continuance for
q longer period than in other states, and a
return to fuels more stable, if less con-
venient. is merely question of time In
fact. it is claimed by biologists and gas
experts that the point of greatest supply
has been reached. While it lasts there is
as natural gas. The uncertainty of its
duration is its only disadvantage.