Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1899-01-26
SALT LAKES
new GAS PLANT.
Visited bya News" Man Who In
spects Its Entire Workings,
PROCESS OF MANUFACTURE.
oil Rock 10 b. Thought from southern
utah aud Tested In the Near
Future.

Tho now gas plant Of the Union Pow
or and Electric Light company IL ir
place and the manufacture of the new
oil gas has fairly begun. The uttol
failure ~ flow from the natural Fai
fields north ~ the city TO keep mp III
supply compelled the company to pur'
chase and install this plant additiona
20 the one that had served the city ~
20 the time the discovery Of
tho natural Eas fields caused
the Increased consumption ~ the pro-
duct for fuel NJ well ~ light. that ful'
lowed shortly after. This step was not
takcn until the company had expended
q large sum 81 money IN sinking wells
and exploiting the ground at the dc7in
where the gnH was nrat discovered
Not until the management became sat-
isilcd that the supply ~ natural EaH
could not be- depended on did they or
dor tho how plant.
II may be stated In passing. that the
exhaustion Of the gas ut present
depths and the clogrlnR up % the wells
II no proof whatever that the city may
not. nj some future time, be supplied
BY gas from these fields II has been
proved That IN all other sections, where
natural gnH has been discovered, that
tho main body always 1yerilcs q body
Of salt water aud ia encountered IN u
solid formation. Salt water has not
been encountered In tho wells at the
depth reached at Lake Shore and tho
Eas has nlwayH come from stratum OF
loose ground. Mr.. Driver argues that
the main body Hes at u greater depth
than has yet been reached.
The Union comphnyH new plant has
NIL the modern improvements. ana IN.
Guiding tho building, has cost but little
ni1r of $4,000 Heretofore the only
manufactured Ean used herr has been
what II known an coal gus. Tho new
process turns out an altogether differ
ent product, known nH oil TaH. II II
produced entirely 10y the USE ~ cox. and
oil. The oil used N the refuse oil OF
the refncricH at Florence. Colorado.
though the company have Los Angeles
California. and Casper. Wyoming. To
draw from.
Tho process l. simple. W. A. Four
ness. the expert 81 the Western Gas
Construction company, from whom the
plant was purchased. together with
Foreman Haywood of the Union COM
pany. kindly showed "Ncwn' reporter
through the works and explained the
manner ~ manufacture.
The first step In the making 81 the
rnn u the charging ~ the generator.
which II inrH" cylinder containing the
coke where the heat IL generated. \
cylinder similar IN size stands next.
which IL called the "cnfhuretter, ="
which IL loosely fllled with nre bricks.
Next To- u II Htiil another cylinder.
likewise loosely nil.d with bricks.
which ~ called the ''nupcrhcatcr." The
coke. ~ was said before IN placed In
the generator and fired. While the
heating Il going on all communication
with the carburcttcr and rupcrheater IL
shut on. A blast ~ air n turned In
from blower. the air being HEATED In
passin. through n series ~ pipeH This
nir striking the heated coke forms what
u called bite or water Rnr. The air IL
then shut on and the blue gas passes
To- the carbufctter. which ~ nlHn nj a
white heat Here spray ~ oil "
thrown iato the heated Rnn and con-
blnes With the produce of the generator
FORMING the oil HnH. The oil ~ stored
In q tank which win hold 10000 gallons
which N nj the other eide ~ the yard
ana nown by gravity through a pipe
hnc 60 the works. Tho oil IN alno heat.
81 before u In sprayed. From the ear
hufcuer the EnH passes through the
nupcrhenier, where the combination ~
~. blue ana oi gases IL completed.
The gas then paHsrr through the
water seal tn the "roruhbor." which
latter In merely cylinder filled with
dampcned coke, which catches the tar
ana other Impurities that may be- IN IL.
From there u passes through pipe
line 20 the washer" which IL merely
an alright tank containing water.
,hrouEh which the Enn IN forced N "a
thin stream. which further purlncs IL.
From the washer u N conveyed to tho
''rrnncrlcs." which arr exactly iiL,
those used In the old coal gas process.
From the refinery IL II forced into the
Enn tank ana " ready for use
IN" new plant has a capacity ~ go
900 cubic feet per day. which taken with
the old coal Raa plant gives the com.
pany produce amounting 20 40o 600
cubic feet In twcnty-four hours. The
finished article now turned out " com.
posed or uno-thlrd blue or water gas.
one-third oil gas and one. third coal gna.
When the plant ~ In fun operation the
gas VIII be raised from sixteen 10 elgh.
teen candle power
Manager Campbell said this morning
mat the company would. In tho near
tnturc, begin experimenting with "a rock
mat " found In southern Utah which
hhHnyH large quantity OF oil II ID
proves % be- successful. the company
WIZ be Independent 81 the oil fields In
this one essential
Everything around the new plant IL
arranged with an eye 20 the Htrictest
economy rhe process ~ u heat prp-
cess entirely. hence the loss of heat IL
the loss " money The exhausted
steam II made 20 do service both In
heating tho dir and the oil an well M
To work the oh pumps. which latter
compfosacn the oil Ia n pressure M A.
pounds "a tho square Zach before ID
carburetter
While the "Nowa' representative WINS
present the plant was nut 10 H. full
capacity ana In ~ minutcn : 600 cubic
rect OF gas was manufactured