The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-08

There were red spots on the sun yes
terday and the heavens were streaked
with an angry light, all of which could
not be attributed to an excess Of either
electricity or natural gas within the
environments of Salt Lake city. In
fact, this phenomenon was due to
lack of these needful essentials, and
it was because of this condition of al
fairs that great many citizens uttered
cuss words, both little and big; but as
the provocation was great, it is to be
hoped that the recording angel will
pause before he inscribes his judgments
on the red side Of his ledger.
Yesterday morning there was muir
1nuring crowd at the Office of the Salt
Lake & Ogden Gas and Electric Light
company, and complaints poured in
thick and fast because of the fact that
the supply of natural gas was not ade-
quate to meet the demands of the con-
sumers;- and, in fact, that there was no
gas at all: in consequence of which
nearly every consumer Of gas was com
nelled to go OUT for mis-, her or their
daily rations.
At the Office of the company no salts
factory answer could be obtained for
this failure of the gas supply, and N
MANY instances an impudent reply was
given to inquirers as to the cause Oh
the suspension of the service
At 10 a. m, when Herald represent
tative called TO ascertain the reason III
the shutting off of the gas, the only
information that could be obtained on
the subject was that the gas wells mad
either failed or that the gas mains had
frozen during the night. AT p H.
he called again, but still no one was
any the wiser concerning a matter
in which hundreds OF people IN th4s
CITY were interested, but the lnIorIhd-
ton was volunteered that the company
was starting up its artificial gas WORKS
and that by o'clock there would be
nlentv Of gas for all necessary purposes.
a reporter asked to see the manager
Mr. Moffat. but was told that ne WdS
ont AT the wells AT 4:30 another can
was made at the Office, but Stll the EN-
ployees were intensely ignorant as u
the cause of the failure OF the gas sup
Tlv The statement was reiterated,
however. thai by . o'clock there WouIu
he plenty of artificial gas, but no one
with authority was present who coulo
orNre The Herald representative any
Satisfaction as TO the true cause OF lne
Inconvenience that the patrons OF the
company had been obliged 10 put up
with Mr. Moffat was stll ABSENT Nlnlo
time he was paying off the men al tne
gas works and might be in at any llIlle'
and would the reporter wait aWhlle 10
see himO .-ool,
All G o'clock there Was very weak
fovv of gas. but the supply Was insult
ficient for either cooking or lighting
purposes. and the users OF gas were
Obliged to go out for their meals, OF
restore the old coal oil lamps to their
accustomed places.
AS it is, the people Of Salt Lake are
very indignant over the treatment thal
tas been accorded them by the electric
Tehl. paopIe. and it was the talk in the
counting rooms. in the offices aoouI
Town and on the streets that the cry
council should by all means take the
franchise away from the company anu
give it TO some corporation that Woulu
make a greater effort TO accommodate
The people and give better service, not
only as to the gas supply. but also as
10 its electrical service, which has been
ahonipab bic for the past two or three
Inonfhs. In fact, the affairs OF the
cnnDany have been so managed OF late
thaf complaints have been both nu-
rrerous and severe. and it is claimed
by. many that the company IS hosule 10
the natural gas industry for the reason
thaf II can make a HiuCu 81 CbeS- p "a.
Ar the manufacture and SAFE OF artl-
Ecial gas, and thai for this reason II
is doing all in its power TO give out
the impression that the gas wells at
Lake Shore are failing, and that on
4fis account the company VIII De
Obliged to return to the use of artitcial
gas: but II will find if CHS is done that
a great many Of its present patrons
will leave them and either use steam
heat or coal. IN fact, a Herald repre-
sentative was informed yesterday by
more than one person that it was their
intention TO put in stoves anyway, as
they would not be bothered any more
nv such inconvenience; and. the sug-
gestion was made by them that they
thought lit was poor policy f0r the
company to do as ii is doing when the
people know just what it is doing it
for
Under the franchise from the city the
Electric Light company cannot charge
more than so cents for 1000 feet of
natural gas The former charge for
artificial gas was 1920 per 1000 for
lighting purposes and $1.50 for cooking,
and the cost of manufacturing 1t from
coal is not so large but that the COM
pany can make a much greater profit
in supplying il than it can by the
handling Of natural gas.
The New American Gas & Fuel COM
pany. which originally obtained the
franchise from the city and which is
now supplying the electric light COM