The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-02-17
OF NATURAL GAS
INDIANAPOLIS ESPECIALLY FA-
vORED IN THE NATTER OF RATES.
Large Increase I'm the Field Expenses
of the Companies, which Will he
Augmented by Pumping.

While the Council is talking Of taxing
the mains of the natural-gas companies,
a brief review of the production and sale
OF natural gas will be interesting. Nat
ural gas was only used in small quantities
in the oil regions of Pennsylvania and New
York until the fall of 1883, when the i'm
mense amount produced by the Haymaker
well, situated at Murraysville. Westmore-
land county, Pennsylvania, about twenty
two miles east of Pittsburg, caused gen.
tlemen engaged i'm the oil business TO in
vestigate the field with the view of fur
nishing gas as fuel to Pittsburg and its
suburbs. Six or eight companies were or
ganized, among the larger ones being the
Carpenter, the Acme, the Pennsylvania
Fuel. the Fuel Gas Company and the Pew
Emerson Company. These companies sup
piled gas to the factories almost exclusive
ly, and little attention was paid to the
houses until the organization Of the Phila-
delphia Gas Company. which took place
in May, 1884. Then commenced the piping
Of the cities of Pittsburg and Allegheny
to supply domestic consumers. Work was
pushed rapidly, and by the fall of 1885 both
cities were largely piped and the people
using gas. During August, 1886. the Phila-
delphia company secured control of all the
aforementioned companies. and as a re-
suit gave better service to its patrons. Gas
at this time was supposed to be mex
haustible, and prices were fixed according
ly, with the exception Of Allegheny City.
The men engaged in the business knew
nothing of the cost Of supplying gas. The
company supplying Allegheny were the
owners of the artificial gas plant, and
started the natural gas business on the
- t~4sN - -.xl l. a -
They sold the gas by meter, at 10 cents
per LOCO cubic feet. and continued to so
until opposition companies compelled them
to sell at prices liked by their opponents,
which prices were about the same as the
prices now I'm force in Indianapolis. The
rates in Pittsburg were a little higher than
In Allegheny. During the years 1885 and
and Allegheny. Up to 1856 most of the gas
brought to P~ittsburg came from Murrays-
Vile, a distance of twenty-five miles, but
as that held then began to fail rapidly.
other fields were sought in Washington,
Beaver and Allegheny counties, and with
good results. These fields are now of little
Importance and require the aid of pump
ing stations to get the gas to consumers.
During the summer of 1895 a field that
promises to rival the Murraysville field was
discovered in Green county, some forty
miles south of Pittsburg, and is now fur
nishing gas to two companies. The opera
tons at Pittsburg will apply to Wheeling.
w q III IOuIkStOWH, ". olnCe 1881
prices have gradually advanced as fields
declined. Prices are now on a par with
coal, and gas is used more economically
and with good results. Most of the gas
furnished western Pennsylvania, eastern
Ohio and West Virginia is now sold by
meter measurement, the ruling price being
% cents per 1000 cubic feet.
The natural gas business in Indianapolis,
as applied to the domestic consumer, rivals
any city where it has been introduced in
regard to the number of consumers. as ev.
cry street has .n it one or more pipes be-
longing to the natural-gas companies, and
the houses not using gas as fuel are ex-
lin houses in indianapolis than there ever
were in Pittsburg. When gas was first
brought TO Indianapolis the field was only
twenty miles distant, and the pressure $3.50
pounds: while the distance gas is now
brought will average forty miles. and the
pressure is only about so per cent. of the
est at which gas was ever sold. and for
seven years the service has been the best
any community ever had. There will never
of gas is lower to-day in indianapolis by
Az per cent. than the prices of any city or
town of 5000 Inhabitants in Pennsylvania,
In Chicago natural gas is sold at so cents
per LOO cubic feet. meter measurement:
in Detroit. Mich. at 25 cents: in Buffalo.
in Pittsburg, Pa, at Is cents: in Aiiegheny
City, Pa, at 20 cents: in New Castle. Pa.
at % cents; in Youngstown. o.. at % cents;
at % cents; in Toledo, o.. at 25 cents: in
DAYTON. o., at % cents: in Springfield. o..
at Is cents: in Columbus, O., at % cents: in
Newark, o., cook stoves, $24 per year. and
heaters, $27: in Chillicothe, o., cook stoves.
$24 ger year. and heaters, s27: in Richmond.
Ind, cook stoves, $50 per year. n heaters,
S27: IN Peru, Ind, cook stoves, se4 per year
and heaters, SCI; in tconnersville, Ind. cook
stoves, $27 per year, and heaters, s24: i'm
Button, Ind, cook stoves, 500, and heat
ers, 81; in Indianapolis. cook stoves. SO
per year, and heaters, 81, or 10 cents per
1000 cubic feet by meter measurement.
The companies of Indianapolis will all be
compelled to pump gas hereafter IL they
wish TO furnish their present consumers,
and the pumping Of gas will be found very
expensive. The field expenses of the gas
companies have increased 50 per cent. in
the past seven years, and a comparison
OF the prices other cities are paying for
natural gas shows that consumers in this
city are getting their fuel at very low rates.