Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1896-03-18

Process No Cheaper.
The Chairman-Do you think that gas
can be made any cheaper under this pro-
cess than under your process:
Mr.. McIihenny-I think not. sir. hon.
esty think not. They simply use soft
coal. where we Use anthracite. That is
the explanation. / would say that gss-
making, like making everything else. de
Dends very largely upon the locality. If
gas is mads in a locality where anthracite
costs 81 @; 81 a ton, or even. perhaps 50
ton. they might use the Rose-Has.ingS pro-
and use the coke that is produced.
We buy coke 20 make this water gas, and
put it IL and make fuel Of It. 1t Is simply
fuel for producing gas Every one
knows that air Is destructive to the illumi-
mating power Of gas. One per cent of
air destroys 6 per cent of illuminating gas
efectually. and 10 per cent completely de.
5troys il. In the process of growing up,
e they soft coal the air in that drives
into the generators and has a bad effect
on the iiluril ltirs qualities Of the gas.
1 really think thai anthracite coal. costins;
anywhere around between So and 81, is the
cheapest.
Mr. sands-Wiiat do you pay for btu
railous coal here?
Mr.. Nciiienny-About $500.
MIR. Sands-Do you not think :. possible
10 get it for less than that here:
Working to That End.
Mr. AIcIlhenny-We are making efforts all
the time to get it cheaper. But I really
could not answer that question categorical
~. We are making efforts in the company
all the time to get cGal for less price. Mr..
Ninship, who knows about this matter
says 40. No doubt reductions might be
made, for all things seem to be coming
down in price in these times.
MI SandS-Can it not be had here for a
,sraat deal less than that price?
Mr.. McIlhenny-I think not.
Mr.. Sands-In that connection / would
Ike to submit to the committee an offer
that We have already received. under date
Of March g. 1895
m;ttee from the L. b. Huff Company, d.
rected 70 Col. Dehauck. Greensburg, Pa,
dated March o. 1886. Offering to deliver coal
T. o. b. at Washington d. c., at the rate
of SGD per ton of 2240 pounds.
Senator Gibson-What is said as to the
length OF the term that shall continue?
~, Mr., sands s,,. is nothing said about
the term That would be the subject of
contract This is an offer made generally
Mr- Mcllhenny-We have MIR. Love here,
VINO IS the Inspector of gas in the city of
New York If you would like to hear him
We would be glad TO put him on the stand
Senator Gallinger-I want to be informed
very accurately on this point. Did 1 cor
rectly understand you to say Mr. McIlhan-
ny. that the coke which results / s1lpnose
In your works after the gas is extracted
mas n better sale in manufacturing cities
IMAM IN Washington: and that gas COM
panies in those manufacturing cities get
better prices. while you find it difficult to
gel rid OF your coke at any price,
Mr- Mcllhenny.I viii explain that The
ufSt thing In making water gas is to ascer-
tam now not to make much coke and to
produce gas of higher candle power and
they found that when they We're making
only one-third Of the gas out of coal and
coke, the product was very hard to SELL
Senator McA1illan-We want to now hear
from experts on this question of the fest
contained in House bill fza4 section B. That
was put into the bill by Maj. Powell, be-
Geve.
Senator FauIkner-It is the same as the
old provision.
section of this gas bill put in by the Com
missioners?
Test for Gnslight.
Maj POWELL do not know. If you will
tell me what the test is 1 may be able to
state
Senator Faulkner-It is that 1.-The ilumi-
mating power Of the gas furnished by any
gasiight company. person or persons In The
District of Columbia shall be equal to
twenty-five candles by the Runsen photo
meter, using the English parliamentary
standard Argand burner. having fifteen
holes and seyen-inch chimney consuming
i've cubic feet of gas per hour
Maj Powell-What candle power was
that?
Senator Fauikner-TWenty-two candle
power.
Senator McMilIan-I understand from the
saslight company, that this test Is one they
could not conform to; that 1t Is a physical
fnpossibility to comply with that require
ment. and that the test is greater than is
demanded by any other city in the country
As understand 1t. they have experts here
who desire 10 explain that
Mr. McIlhenny-Mr Chairman, we have
here Nil. Love, who is inspector of gas for
the city of New York. and who Is not onIy
the inspector in the city of New York. but
Is a gentleman who has a national reputa-
ton. and a man of scientific attachments
particularly upon gas questions and the
manufacture and test of the illuminating
power of gas take pleasure in introduc-
ing Professor Love.
senator McMillan-we will be glad to
hear from Professor Love.
Statement of e. G. Love.
'Mr. Chairman. 1 have been asked to
address you IN one or two Of the technical
matters contained in this bill 1 would
like to say. as preliminary to a general
statement in regard to this matter, that
illuminating gas contains two classes of
constituents. which are important classes
One includes hydrogen marsh gas and
carbonic oxide. forming the bulk of gas
but giving no light; and the other class in
c!udes those substances which furnish the
luminous properties to the gas. 1t is the
Introduction of these constituents into the
gas which ferns a very important part of
the cost.
1T is generally conceded that having put
In these constituents at considerable ex-
pense, the company is entitled to the use
of a burner which will show that gas to
the best advantage 1t is possible to burn
gas of thirty-candle power without getting
any light whatever from it. or portion
only of that quantity of light may be OBJ
tanned But. as / say, 1t Is ordinarily con-
coded that the company is entitled to use
burner which will develop all of the light
which can be obtained from the gas.
The burner does not increase the per-
centage of iliuminants In the gas but II
merely develops more or less perfectly the
constituents which have been put into it.
Iris bill as 1 understand it. calls for a
gas which shall have candle power OF
twenty-five by the Bunsen photometer
using the English parliamentary standard
ArgaEd burner. having fifteen holes and a
seven-inch chimney.
The Argnnd Burner.
Washington. I believe has the distinc-
ton of being the only city on the face of
the earth that uses this burner described in
this bill
1T is provided that the company shall
furnish gas giviT twenty-two-candle
power by this burner 1t was abandoned as
an English parliamentary standard Argand
burner twenty-five years ago. In London