The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1895-02-23
me UdJER CAS- PLANT
It's Efficiency Warmly Defended by the
President of tn Cpnstructiup Go

Nhep the announcement was made be-
fore the Committee on Light recently by
Mr.. Glasgow, OF London. that the water
gas plant in this city was defective in
various ways. Mr.. William &. Adams
superintendent OF the City Gas Works
az once wrote to the company at Fort
WAYNE, md, who erected the plant, in
Guiding the reports OF the meeting OF the
committee as published next day i'm the
morning papers Of this city Mr. Adams
yesterday morning received the following
reply through the mail:
Western Gas Construction Company.
Engineers and Builders Of Gas Works.
, Fort Wayne, Ind, Feb. IS, 1875.
MT. william {. Adams. superintendent
S,iity Cas- Works, Richmond, Va:
My Dear Sir,-I was very much sur
prised at receiving your favor Of the 18th
instant and copy of your local papers.
] must admit, If the statements made in
me paper are correct reports Of the Ian
sudge used by Mr. Glasgow IL has mate
rally changed my former favorable opn-
ION OF the man. / hardly believe that he
realized the possibility Of such statements
reaching the general public, and | think
that the time Will come when Mr.. Glas-
gov VIII realize the serious mistake he
has made.
We think that the practical results had
from your operation of the plant erected
by us fully refutes his statements.
Outside OF the fact that but for Us your
city would have had to pay a heavy
premium on its water-gas plant when first
installed this plant has already more
than saved its cost, and you may rest
assured If it had not been for the West
crn Gas Construction Company being
known to be a competitor for this work
the prices asked for even the small ca
Ddcity Of 10000 cubic feet would have
been greatly in excess OF your appro-
priatiOn at the time. We not only broke
the combination. but We succeeded in Civ
ing your city plant of nearly double
! the capacity for less money than asked
by others.
True enough. we could not put fancy
finish and polished parts on the details
as We could have done had We asked the
price for the capacity specified by our
opponents. What your city desired was
the greatest capacity for the least amount
Of money consistent with substantial con-
struction, and that you have got.
our records show that all the plants
erected by us are doing fully as well as
are those erected by other builders, and
We think the gas companies generally are
unanimous In their opinion that the West
ern Gas Construction Company has
broken the monopoly long maintained by
the concern with which Mr.. Glasgow was
connected at the time Of your letting OF
this work.
or course you as Superintendent, real
lie that in any plant like yours, subject
to the usage unavoidable in its operation
by ordinary workmen. parts may nave 10
be replaced, being broken or worn out:
any apparatus But we do claim that the
work and material We're as good as could
be made. and fulfilled all the require
meuts and the guarantees made by us at
the time and continues to do 50. We
succeeded in the official test, made under
your supervision, in materially reducing
the quantity Of coke and oil used, and
also demonstrated that our machines
largely exceeded the guaranteed output
OF gas. With all Of these facts you are
OF course, familiar.
We will not enter into a dispute with
Mr.. Glasgow as 20 the character Of our
workmanship, nor our engineering skill.
Suffice it 10 say that you have we'll
arranged plant. adapted 10 the location
we were constrained 10 use, and fully up
10 any plant of similar capacity and cost
i'm the country. Kindly show this letter
to your Committee on Light, and use II
otherwise as you desire.
Sincerely yours.
THE WESTERN
GAS CONSTRUCTION COMPANY.
BY O. y. Guldlin, President.