New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-03-07
LIGHTER GAS NEEDED.
.. .r-s1R1E THEORY ABOUT ALLEGED
SUICIDES AND FIREBUGs.

- THE HEAVY WATER GAS NO" GENERALLY
,sro THE SOURCE OF THE 7ToUBLE7-rT
s,xxs INSTEAD OF RISING AND
so sMorYlERs PEOPLE AND
CAUSES EXPLOSIONS.
..rn.r.,sa movement in favor OF cheaper gas, and
a "a a good movement. but what the people OF INES
-,,v need still more is safer gas
- sneaker was New-Yorker who has been
..,rac,es with gas manufacture and Is thoroughly
familiar with the subject
.Y oot a, that EXPLOSION in Boston Thursday" he
continued THAT is the sort OF thing have been
leaking for for a long time. We nave had expio-
.,ons o. tina; kind here. and they have occurred In
.,nr ct,es bat never on so large scale. The gas
NAM in use when mixed with air forms most dam
ssrous explosive II is closely analogous 10 the ire
Asnn that =. rnetimes expodes In mines shaking vio
Isntv the surface OF the earth perhaps 1000 feet
ahoye I have seen crevasses In the earth big
.,ourh 10 sink this room made by explosion
n, gas down in the mine 800 or COO feet below. The
trouble with the gas made nowadays is that it Is
heavier than air and sinks, instead OF rising As
Z, contains large proportion OF carbonic ACID l. IS
.,.v 10 see how dangerous IT becomes II is called
water gas 70 distinguish Il from the kind formerly
,,a6a which was lighter than air, and consequently
much less dangerous. Now, the Boston explosion
undoubtedly Ia ppenei in this way: All gas mains
leak more or less and those which have been laid
ling time arc little better than holes in the ground
with A coating Of rust around them. That Is. the
iron has mostly rusted away. and the leaking OF
s.s ,nto the earth is enormous. Naturally much
o. the escaping gas finds its way into sewers sub
uavs etc With the old gas there was not much
danger for II scaped into the air through man.
holes and wherever there was an opening. and float
81 away Explosions OF rare occurrence, unless
there was sudden large escape Of gas that got is
rl,ea In some way and then famed up. The heavier
gas does not rise. but accumuates al the bottom OF
The sewer or subway and gradually Ais II up Then
~ takes only a spark Z lighted match 10 cause
q DANGEROUS explosion. such AS occurred IN Boston
Apparently In that there was an electric spark
which was the immediate occasion OF the trouble.
Manhole covers nave been blown off in this city
repeatedly and the wonder is that one has not
been standing on one and got blown up with IT,
Everybody has noticed the large number Of peo-
,le killed by escaping gas In many cases they are
81 IN the newspapers rs suicides. but when
q whole family is killed it is ridiculous TO say they
all committed suicide The escape Of the gas Is. in
all probability accidental in most OF these in
stances Suppose gas jet IS left burning, as is
often the case in a sleepng-room. II the window
is open for ventilation the chances are that 1t will
be opened at the top. for most people have the
iaea-an erroneous one. of course-that foul air
rises AS a matter OF fact. II falls on account Of
the carbonic acid in It, and openings for ventilation
ought really TO be about fifteen inches from the
floor ,.....
he'd II there is change in the pressure in the
stree, gas mains the jei left burning and turned
low may be put out. The escaping gas then falls
10 the bottom Of the room. and gradually nils II
any OF hi carried out OF doors. There is no pow
erfu o6Or about II to wake people UP. and they are
many many Of the suicides happen.
Il had narrow escape, myself, from being killed
IN this way the other day and nave wondere9
Whistler if had Lot reused up IN Tine should
haTs oS snoIbep iportan phase Of this mat
ter There have been large number OF incendiary
been made by the police and the prosecutors to
ferret out and punish the firebugs have no doubt
probably deserved punishment II is law OF the
Insurance business that when prices are falling
then the greatest temptation exists for those so
inclined TO get the insurance companies 70 pay for
81 i5sirsnce men is not 10 insure goods for more
o. s ne oT tyotbirds Of their value when prices
But most Of the recent incendiary fires have
occurred in tenement houses and the like. In the
halls Of those buildings II is common thing for
Change in the pressure of them is put out the
escaping gas falls TO the lower hall. but no one
coming in or going out notices II unil II reaches
the level Of his or at any rate II Is not par
ticulary noticeable Now II man throws q0wn
rhe burning match of there is explosion.
1iscA il on 9Te in a moment How easy it would
Be TO make out case OF incendarism against the
man who unconsciously caused the IRE Inc CIR
cunstances are all against him if he is caught.
and 1t would be almost impossible for MIN TO clear
himself.
not be put out while one Of those above is. In
that case the gas would accumulate in the hrst
floor hall until II reached the level OF the burning
Set when il would be set on hre and there would
be another OF incendiarism. but without any
one al hand 10 be made the victim
II am convinced by my experience and kno~IeGge
OF the subject that IL is the gas now generally
used. rather than frebugs that IS the cause OF
many OF the mysterious fires just as am that
many people killed by inhaling are not suicides.
] believe that a law should be passed ioroiddlng
the use OF any gas that is heavier than common
air The why this gas IS OScG j. lNat the
companies were compelled a few years ago Dy lle
competition Of the electric lighting companies 10
produce a cheaper article and they found it In the
so-called water gas. There room for 0oubt
TO the danger nseparable from the use OF gas
O a