The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-09-03
CITY GAS WORKS.
Spy Man Initiated
Into Mysteries of
Manufacture.
BUT FEW VISITORS.
Over 25O,OO0,OoO Feet
Are Made An
nually.

plant where the gas is manufactured.
To nearly everyone the idea is that it
is a place to be passed by on the oppo-
site side of the street
A few mothers have taken their chill
dren to the plant, when the little ones
We're suffering from whooping cough
to inhale the fumes of tar arising from
the cleansers, and so save the babies
from the racking spasms that nightly
drive sleep from their eyes. But Wis
itors are few and far between.
The Spy man was recently initiated
into the mysteries of gas making at the
Worcester Gas Light Company's plant
on Quinsigamond avenue. The super
intendent of the gas works ushered the
reporter through the maze of build
ings. After entering the grounds the
most striking feature of the exterior is
the neatness and general air of being
well cared for, as shown by the grounds
themselves. Flower beds from the gas
works dollhouse are laid out over the
grass plots, aud the rule mo smoking
stares the visitor in the face at every
turn. s f.. aEf
! Freight cars run to the gas works
coal sheds, and the coal and oil used
| in generating the gas are weighed and
measured by the gas light company'S
employees before being stored for use
The oil runs into underground tanks
and the coal is dumped in the coal shed
which has a capacity Of $4,000 tons, and
is always kept more than half filed.
Strikes, floods and panics cannot cease
the making of gas, and every machine
used in the process of manufacture is
duplicated to guard against delays
caused by accidents.
The coal stokers load their hand cars
with HOO pounds of the Westmoreland
coal in beginning the generation of coal
gas. The coal is taken to the retort
house, where stack or full set of
benches, brick ovens, where the coal is
baked to make it give up it's gas, is
seen. There are 4S retorts, four sets of
skies backing each other. Three
/ hundred and sixty-eight pounds of coal
are put in each retort once in four hours.
The best gas comes off in the first hour
having lighting capacity of Preamble
power. With each hour to the fourth
the candle power of the gas generated
reduces until, when the retort is emp
tied at the end of four hours, the gas
being produced is of 12-candle power.
Cartridges a yard in length, contain
ing heavy oil, are placed in the retort
While the heat is at it's greatest point,
1900 degrees F., and oil gas produced
becomes mixed with the coal gas. The
furnace below the retorts make blue
gas to heat the retorts The hydraulic
main or pipe above the retorts holds
the gas after the heat has driven the
gas generated into the standpipes
which form. a part of the retorts. The
greatest point to be considered by a gas
company is the saving from material
already used in the manufacturing pro-
cess. From every 100 pounds of coal.
which melts and bubbles in the retorts
like pudding baking in a hot oven, 70
pounds of coke are secured.
After leaving the retorts the gas runs
through the hydraulic main to the ex-
hauster, or pumping fan. There is no
waste matter, the retorts being of fire
clay. as slightly porous as possible to
prevent tie pressure forcing the gas
into the furnace below and waste. When
the gas reaches the exhauster it is
at 1873 degrees F. The gas runs through
two condensers capable of condensing
100000 cubic feet of gas in "a hours.
Water enters into the process of the
successful manufacture of coal gas in
the exhauster room, where the cold
water flowing around the tubes coolS
the gas to 70 degrees F.
From the eXhauster room pipes con-
vey the gas into the tar extractor,
where the gas is washed in ammonia
water and the tar and impurities are
removed. The mechanical washer scrub
Der removes the carbonic acid and
ammonia, and the gas is conveyed by
pipes to the cellar of the purifying
house. The heat of the gas remains
at 70 degrees, and it is distributed
through tubes running from the cen
ter seal, to the floor above, where the
purifying boxes are located
On either side of the main room are
four boxes, 16x32x4 feet. Three Of the
purifying boxes on either side are in
use all the time, and a fourth is being
cleaned ont by workmen. When the;
gas enters the boxes from below it runs
through two feet of iron oxide, which
absorbs the sulphuseted hydrogen. The
blue color of the gas is lost in this pro-
cess, and with ammonia sulphur and
tar removed, the fluid is colorless.
Every ton OF coal used in the process
of generation gives Is or 16 gallons of
tar.
The oxide shed in front of the purify
ing room is filled with the iron oxide
taken from the purifying box not in
use, and after being turned over and
allowed to thoroughly air, the oxide
is used again. In the three big tanks
containing gas ready for heating or
lighting purposes, the gas is stored. The
larger tank has capacity of 100000
cubic feet. In the office and meter
room building, all the gas manufactured
is measured. The meters are ready
every hour of the day and night, and
the amount of gas on hand and being
distributed through the street pipes is
recorded.
The big red tanks which loom UP
from the brow of the hill have peculiar
features which battle the uninitiated.
The bottom of the tank is filled with
water to a height of q feet The big
air-proof cylinders containing the gas
float on the water, and a pressure Of
seven and one-half inches is produced.
For delivery, 2.3 inch pressure is needed.
and this is regulated in the valve and
governor house near by. The day pres
sure on gas forced through the city
pipes is 23 inches, but at night il is
increased to three inches. Gauges
record the pressure in retorts and street
pipes which run from the basement.
Two Of the street pipes are 20 inches in
diameter, and the third "a inches. The
valves regulating the flow of gas are
locked with chain and paddock, and but
three men in the gas company's force
OF 125 can unlock the valve guards and
check the flow of gas.
In the generation of oil or water gas
the set or machine first used in fhe
process Is eight feet in diameter and
after the generation begins, the water
gas rises from a bed Of coke feet deem.
and in the generation process the steam
is decomposed into carbonfc oxide and
hydrogen. A weird blue gas is produced
and by sprays of hot oil becoming de-
a mixture is formed WITH the
blue gas, making hydrogen and carbon,