The morning times., 1896-03-18


! except those who have proper burners.
TIE pubic Is not especially given TO be-
HeyIng i'll gas companies, us We all know:
ana II you go 10 your consumers and offer
them these new burners, or cali their
attention to them, they look upon IL as
another invention OF the gas company to
increase The gas bill or To take some
unfair advantage OF them. You have IL
great many very Old houses here which
are very badly plped. In olden times, when
lIie gas company could ana ulu exercise
no control, you had great many service
pipes which were in bau condition; they
have been underground for many years.
4 hey are ruSteu aud nIed up on lne inside.
anu IL Is almost Impossible 10 get any light
through such fixtures.
Il was here few weeks ago, and in
The evening | went out 10 dIne with some
friends at their house i'll the city. The
very IIrst salute lTeCeIYed from the ladies.
when / walked in. was that they were glad
to see me there. so that / CuuId see what
wretChed gas the gas company was making;
yet i had just come away from a test IN
which this gas showed That IL was of full
2b-candle power. They had old iron
burners in the house; ana took the trouble
to have some burners sent up To them
the next day. They afterward thanked
ME for il, and said that the gas was all
right. but the trouble was with the burn
efs. or course, II the gas is good at the
gas works. it must be good in the city. II
it is good in one mans house 1t must be
good IN his neighbors house: but the
burners may he very bad and thus lead
people TO complain of the gas. The diff
Guilty is that we cannot control the in
dividual. We cannot go into his house
and compel him TO put on burners of u GER
tam character. Our French friends have
thai advantage over us. The citizens there
have to do just what the gas company
tells them TO do in the matter of burning
gas. OF piping the houses. as Ia the char
acter Of the burners, and so forth; but.
unfortunately, we do not have that power
In this country.
CHANGE IN BURNERS.
Senator McMnlan-Is there anything
else in Section in which you would sug-
geSt change?
Mr. White-I would suggest a change in
the character OF your test as to the burners
woHld suggest that instead OF using the
so-called English Parliamentary standard
Argand burner, having fifteen holes in a
seVcn-inCh chimney, that YOU should provide
for the use OF the Bray flat-flame burner,
Consuming five feet OF gas per hour. There
are other provisions III tins bill which are
very rigid, but they are perfectly proper.
Ni5n rer.reuce 10 the provision about sui
phurettcd hydrogen, you say that there
stall be absolutely none. 1t IS very diff
flcult, where gas works are being carried
on OF the magnitude OF these here, TO pre-
vent the presence OF sulphuretted hydro
gen. A little leak around a valve in q gas
plant Will let enough sulphuTctted hydro
gen into your gas TO make all or the gas in
town show slight trace of it.
Senator Gallinger-Would not the pro-
ViSo take care OF that?
Mr. uIt.-l see nat by the bin YOU do
leave that 20 the Inspector; and il he is
man OF the high standard OF your pres
ent gas inspector, he would understand
that this was an unavoidable accident
aud not make trouble about it.
Senator Faulkner You would necessarily
have some provision about it?
Mr. W hite-Yes, sir.
Senator Fanlknrr-You cannot suggest
any other, can you?
Mr. Whte-No | do not know that I
could. This is an exceedingly rigid re-
quirement; but / have not read further
down in the bin, through the provision,
aud that would cover my objection Ia it.
! have mad an experience in this matter
within two months, by being called in as
an expert gas engineer by company W hich
had been afflicted all during the winter
with he presence OF Sulphuretted hydrogen.
They had searched all over their works
and made every effort to find it. but had
been unable to do so. We found il after
very careful search. There was what
we call bypass valve that had been dis
carded, and that had been lying Idle in
the works for some time. 1t was line
OF pipe that was still connected, but it
was not used; and that valve rad been
leaking. In order 10 satisfy myself al TO
through that, put test meter on, and
! found that there was passing out not
to exceed fifty feet of gas in a day. and
yet II had so distinctly marked the gas OF
uent, and you could find it.
NOT AN AUTHORITY.
Senator Gallinger-I want to ask you
about Browns Directory of American Gas
Companies, which is something ! know
nothing about. is that standard author
ity?
Mr.. white-No, sir. Browns DIrecto--
IS made by Mr.. Brown, the editor OF ue %
the technical papers in the gas bus gSs
He makes it up from information l.
ceives from the different gas wol S.
Every year he sends ont slips TO the Es
companies, asking the names OF the OIL
nm.
the illuminating power is. and go forth;
and the companies send it 10 him. A great
many or these gentlemen are apt to eXag-
gerate.
senator Ganinger-I asked you that
question for the reason that you speak Of
Washington being a southern town, and
said that &c candle power would destroy
frescoes. ceilings, etc. II appears from
this table that the city OF Memphis which
Is still more southern city, has candle
power OF 2S. or course ] know nothing
about * personally.
Mr.. wmte-They have not got 1t. 7
heard you say n little while ago that the
city OF Minneapolis Rad 30-Candlc power.
] happened TO be an expert In CONNECTION
WIN Il matter out there recently, and /
tested their gas, and ii was a great way
below 80. In fact, the city was claiming
that IL was II.
Ma ior POW ell what did YOU find ii to be?
Mr.. White--About %.
senator Faulkner Then these reports in
Browns Directory are from the companies,
ana NOT ITOIl Tie gas inspectors!
Mr.. White-No, sir; not from the in
speciorS. The man writes to the superin-
tendent of the company. He just sends him
little slip asking him for this informa-
ton.
senator McMiIlan-The company wants
to show that il is making good gas, and
they put it pretty high.
Senator Faulkner Do YOU know any,
thing Of the candle-power in New York? 1t
says here that it is 33.
Mr.. " hite-There never was a 93-candle
power gas sold in the city of New York.
Senator Gibson-Can 81 gas be made nv
this company without interfering with the
ability of the company to pay dividends?
MI Wmte-No, sir; it cannot. or course
II the Washington Gas Company is going
10 be reduced to a six per cent stock, thew
can fund their bonds at five per cent, and
discharge their high-pficed engineers. and
cut down the wages. They are paying
New York city.
TOO TIRED THEN.
Senator Baker-were you before the
House Committee?
Mr.. White-Yes, sir. 1 have not at
tempted 10 make any speech here, because
you must lie tired 10 death OF having this
question talked about. / have only en-
deavored TO convey to your mirds nv
idea about this matter.
Senator Faulkner-There is one other
| question | want 10 ask you. You did not
| state what your occupation was, or where
] you are engaged in this business.
Mr.. White-f come from New York city,
and my business is 10 build, operate, and
| own gas works. / have been in the
business ever since I left the army NV
| fat her was ono of the original engineers OF
| the country IN that line.
senatorFauikner-Wi you state whether
Tor not the gas companies abroad are
/ owned by the government or municipality,
i or rencrally bv Sriva:e individuals?
Mr.. White-Most largely by private in
dividuais. In England number of mu-
! inequalities have assumed the ownership
| uf the DianfS hy pIIrnhnse Thera ic :, Ion =.