Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1897-08-17
DOWN ON WAfER-GAS
MIR. wALLERsTEIN SAYS OUR PLANT
IsA FouRTH-CLAss ONE.
EXPLOSION MAY CAUSE ITS DlSUSE'
soutbern Electric Company's Apph-
c,ttou Grantcd-Street Commi''ee
short sesxfon-Water nnd
pe,,ef of the Poor Also Meet.


The Council Committee on Light met
IN regular session in Room NO y vi
the City Hall last evening, at "h'cn ~
,yas decided TO allow the Southern hiec-
trio Company to do a general eieclri0
light and power business In TINS ei''
and the matter of stopping the manu-
focture of water-gas was considereu
Those present were Sub-Chairman wal
1erstein and Messrs. Hawkins. Noble
Turner. and Vaughan. The report oi
the Superintendent OF the Gas Works'
giving in detail the operations OF tue
plant during the month Of july was SUD
mitted. This report showed that h'fAo'-
700 cubic feet of gas was made last
month. at q total cost of $50 cents per
thousand. Gas sent out was H'A'S5o
cubic feet. The probable amount neces-
sary for next months payroll was stated
to be S4,lOO.
The committee took up the application
of the Southern Electric Company LOT
permission TO do a general electric hsht
and power business in this city, ana as
cussed it at some length. Mr.. Phli' D.
Shield. counsel for the company, was
heard briefly touching this matter lie
said his people asked no special privileges
whatever. but wanted to be put upon the
same footing with any other companies
in the same business III this city.
The ordinance submitted by the CITY
oh
the Southern Electric Company, was re-
ferred back to Mr.. Meredith. to be so
amended as to conform to the ordinance
in reference to the old company, adopted
in 1885.
The resolutions in regard to putting
down the price of gas for fuel purposes
were. on motion OF Mr.. Vaughan. referred
10 Superintendent Knowles, to be looked
into and reported upon.
n. Klein q Son were awarded the con-
tract for q retort-house at the Lower
gas-works. 49,
The committee, on motion Of Mr.. Noble.
laid upon the table the resolution re-
ferred from the Council, authorizing the
committee to advertise for bids for sup
pIving the city with electric lights for
it's streets for the next two years.
Bills and pay-rolls were approved and
q number Of minor extensions were or
dered.
REPORT ON SUNDAYS FIRE.
At this point in the proceedings the
Chair read a report from the Superin-
tendent relative to the fire at the Lower
gas-works on Sunday, This report was
as follows:
Richmond, Va, August &c. 1891
TO the Chairman and Members of the
Committee on Light:
Gentlemen,-I am sorry to have to re-
port that on yesterday Sunday, the 18th
instanD. about II \. NJ, the valve on
a bypass TO the oil-heater in engine
room burst while blasting generators, and
the oil caught afre. and damaged the
two engines. one fan, betting &c, TO the
extent Of about 500.
| remained on duty at the works all
Of last night, and took down the engines,
oil-heaters. &c, and sent them to the
shop for repairs. This accident neces-
STATED the lighting up of six additional
coal-benches, and the employment OF
twelve extra men.
For your information, ] beg to state
that this was purely an unavoidable ac-
cident, and one that might occur at any
time in similar works.
Respectfully submitted,
w. =. KNOWLES, Superintendent.
In answer to questions propounded by
Mr. Noble. the Superintendent said that
he was out of the city at the time of the
explosion, and that the plant was in the
charge OF Mr.. Duke, thoroughly COM
petent man.
WAS the foreman there" asked Mr.
Noble.
mo. sir; he was at church at that time
but had been at the works during the
morning." was Superintendent Knowles
reply.
WATER GAS-PLANT NO GOOD.
Mr.. Wallerstein here took the floor
and severely criticised the water-gas
plant He said he was opposed to spend
ing another dollar on a piece of fourth
class machinery. and thought the com
mittee should return TO the manufac-
ture of coal gas only
Mr. Knowles said that It would put
him in bad position If the committee
followed the suggestion of Mr.. Waller
stein, as he had already placed the ma
chnery in the establishment of Chamb-
lin q Scott, and it was being repaired
The total costs of the repairs, the Super
intendent said, would be about $350-not
more.
Mr. Wallersten said he thought Su-
perintendent Knowles should have called
the committee together, or at least have
conferred with its chairman, before he
gave out this work. The people OF
Richmond looked to the committee for
| anything wrong at the gas-works, and
| IL was its duty 10 do what was for the
| best interests of the citizens in general
| Mr.. Knowles asserted that. in his opin-
ion, this was just what he had done
| He declared that he had only done
what the ordinance empowered him TO
| do. As to the accident. itself it would
have happened, no matter who had been
| in charge of the plant at the time.
Mr.. Wallersten then asked Mr.
| Knowles number of questions as to
/ whether the gas-plant could put out the
| necessary quantity Of gas by putting
| about the place. The Superintendent
| did not think so. He went on to state
that by mixture OF the water gas and
the coal gas he obtained a 2}-candle
power, while only 17-candle power could
| be obtained in coal gas alone On Sun
day night only 10000 feee of gas were
made. while the consumption was 10000.
| Mr. Wallerstein moved that the sub
| committee on manufactures be directed
TO investigate carefully whether the ne
! cessary amount of coal gas could be
made to supply the city. the cost of the
same. etc, and to report at once to the
full committee
Mr.. Tanner said he was Of the opinion
that the Superintendent had done the
proper thing in at once having the dam
aged machinery repaired. The matter OF
whether the city should manufacture
coal gas alone was another one entirely
and should be considered separately
He feared that the works could not sup
| ply the demand for gas under Mr.. Wal
lerstein's arrangement.
It was ascertained that Mr.. Knowles
had acted withiR the terms OF the city
ordinances in sending out the injured