The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1899-02-15
USE OF NATURAL GAS.
Facts which Consumers Can study
with Profit to Themselves.

To the Editor OF the indianapolis journal:
I have noticed in the Journal from time to
time different articles ON the waste of nat
uray gas. the evil of pumping stations and
| the pumping of air into the gas mains.
am travelling continuously through the gas
belt, and have made observations and
gained a knowledge which 1 will endeavor
to give the public the benefit of. with your
permission. through the columns of the
Journal. In the first place, the waste of
gas is not altogether in the gas field or
along the lines leading from it that belong
to the larger gas companies that this war
is being waged against nor is the shortage
of gas altogether the fault of these COM
panies. 1t is the fault, to a great extent,
of the consumers. I have noticed in several
places where fires were started in the fall,
and because the consumers had to pay for
their gas from the time they took out their
mixers, they would regulate the tempera-
ture in their houses by the doors and win
dows, saying they bum the gas because the
company makes them pay for it. Then
there is that class of consumers who bore
out their mixers thinking they are taking
advantage of the company. but in reality are
robbing their neighbors, who, either
through their honesty or fear of detection,
viii not bore out theirs. And, again, there
is a class of consumers who, during a cold
spell, take off their mixers, and by so doing
cOnsums more than three times much
gas as they would with the mixer on, and
have no better results. l have experiment
ed not little with natural gas burners,
regulators and other appliances necessary
in the use of natural gas, and l know this
to be fact: TO have good fires, there must
be combustion, and If the combustion is
not formed by air at the mixer it must be
formed by greater pressure of gas,
making a dirty, smoky fire, which
is not the case where air is used to make
the combustion All of these things have
tendency to reduce the pressure Of natural
gas. 1t is true that the gas mains in a
great many instances are not large enough
to contain the volume of gas necessary to
Supply the consumption, under the most ia
NCrdbI6 circumstances, but can we blame
the companies, with lawsuits pending and
threatened with lawsuits, and also expect
ing the Legislature to make laws detri-
mental to their interests, for not investing
their capital in the laying of more and
larger mains?
the pumping stations were put in to
benefit Indianapolis, Fort Wayne. Richmond
and other cities not fortunate enough to be
located in the gas belt, and are looked upon
by a few, and especially the manufacturers
OF the gas belt, as a great evil These OBJ
gectors are not aware of the fact, or, at
cne-third of the States population are de-
pendent upon these pumping stations for
their gas. Are these DIRECTORS so selfish
that they would have all this vast populace
robbed of this luxury? The day is not far
distant when cities in the gas belt will have
to put in pumping stations or do without
gas on account of the great decrease in the
rock pressure. l have been watching very
closely for six years some of the wells in
the gas belt, and l will say that the de-
crease in the rock pressure is surprising.
SIX years ago these wells showed a pres
sure OF from 500 to $40 pounds. These same
from 40 to 240 pounds, a decrease of 100
pouhCs IN three years. One year ago they
showed an average of 40 pounds Three
weeks ago | saw five of the largest of these
Wehs tested and they showed an average
OF eighty pounds. 1t is plain to see, by this
I-crease, the necessity of the pumping sta
me idea of the companies pumping air
INTO the mains to maintain a pressure is alb
sutu' ana hardly worthy of argument for
any intelligent person knows that air and
and oil "4'' ""''i
During the recent cold spell hammered
70 be at Dalevile. village in the gas belt
clsul iIllieS east OF here, and | noticed sew
tIdl hres, some of them large enough to
SUPPLY at least twenty families burning i'm
tte stIeeIs' ana on inquiring told that
20 Keep the mains (Which lay on top of the
sr9un 9 Irom freezing, they would tap them
'lu l6Hite inc gas | have never seen in
1he ehtlre gas field. such an extravaganza
waste OF gas as l saw there. / also noticed
llanbeauN burning in this same locality
Where is the natural gas SUPERVISOR
Fettlons are being sent to the I,eeisla-
ture begging that body TO enact laws to
Prf3.mbiI the pumping of gas out of the gas
helt. Would We have laws made TO pro-
hlbit the FARMERS Of Madison and Delaware
counties from selling gas any more than
We would nave laws made to prohibit the
farmers of Nigo and Vermillion counties
from selling their coal. or as a better com
pailsQn. the farmers of Blackford and Wells
counties from selling their oil. which is pro-
duced in the same way as natural gas? r
don't blame the manufacturers for looking
after their interests but there are others
Who have something at stake. am told
~ the farmers who have leased 10 the
larger gas companies that they receive S75
and in some instances 500 per well per year
and free gas, while those who have leased
20 the manufacturing concerns OF the gas
belt only received free gas.
/ have no more interest IN this matter
than any other gas consumer. but do be-
leve IN fair play. A READER.
Anderson, Ind Feb. "a