The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-06-16
The United States Company's utili-
cation Plant Is to be Shut
Down, and the
DESIRE OF THE NORTH ENDERS
Is aratiAed-The Matter Of Gas for
the crsmatory is Still an
Unsolved Problem.


on Wheeling hill, and which arose with
striking force at the committees meet
Ing one week ago, one as the outcome OF
the protest Of North Wheeling citizens
against the continued operation OF the
plant, owing to the offensive odors It
produced, and the other the claim of the
Natural Gas Company OF West Virginia
for new agreement with the city for
crematory gas, owing to the abandon
ment OF the fertllizIng plant. Definite
action did not result in either instance.
The fertilizer peoples statement that
the plant would be Idle in the future
was taken for satisfactory conclusion,
and the city solicitor was instructed to
prepare an opinion Of the present rela.
lions existing between the city and the
natural gas company regarding crema-
tory gas.
The committee members present were
Chairman W. G. caldwell, Mdssrs
Meyer. Williams and Watson, and DR..
s. L. Jepson, the city health officer, and
City Solicitor S. o. Boyce For the
natural gas company, President George
Heard and Mr.. A. S. Hare appeared.
None Of the fertilizer company was
present.
City solicitor Boyce read letter he
sent to President George Hook and the
reply from the United States Fertilizer
Company, through Its attorney, Henry
NJ. Russell. The reply stated that the
utilization plant had ceased operations
and would continue to remain idle. Thu
company It was said, regretted that it
had been unable to complete thp plant
and fulfill its agreement with the city.
Mr.. Russell stated in his letter that he
could be reached by telephone. II fur
Their information was required, and act
ing on this suggestion Chairman Cald-
well called him up to ascertain whether
the company would remove It's plant.
Mr.. Russell replied that the plant
would be removed IL the city ordered 1t.
Mr.. Meyer then asked II a rotlce to
vacate would not release the company
from its bond,
City Solicitor. Boyce was averse to
giving the notlce, for fear Of the event.
uality cited by Mr.. Meyer.
DR.. Jepson thought the company had
violated its time limit for the construc-
ton of It's plant.
Chairman Caldwell agreed with the
city solicitor that 1t would be better to
leave the plant in statu quo. The North
wheeling citizens objected to the stencil
from the plant, which, II allowed to re-
main idle, would remove the objection.
Mr.. Boyce added that he thought the
city would be safe in giving the COM
pany notice to vacate. but this pro-
ceedlng might result in lot of conten-
ton. on his suggestion the correspon-
dence between the city solicitor and Mr.
Russell was spread on the committees
minutes, and motion was adopted that
the plant be allowed to remain in statu
quo, SO long as 1t is not operated. or I'M
til the health officer or city solicitor adj
vlses otherwise.
This ended the matter, and the next
thing on the programme was the con-
troversy with the Natural Gas Com
pany of West Virginia.
President George Heard"then address
cd the committee. and he claimed that
his company was to be govorrsd by a
feature Of the agreement entered into
with the city, which stipulated that
when the fertilizIng plant ahould throw
up the sponge, the city crematory was
to be entitled to 100000 cubic feet of
gas yearly. and pay cents per foot for
all gas in excess Of this figure. Mr..
Heard said that the company wanted
some Limitation on the gas. He Insisted
that the new contract should date from
the time the fertflfztng plant quit bust-
ness. In addition, he asserted that this
plant and the city crematory burned
more gas than 3O,OOO,OoO feet daily. but
he was not disposed to press this point,
II he could get a clear and definite
agreement for the future.
Asked as to the gas consumed in n
day, Mr., Heard said he didn't know ex-
actly. Some days 100000 feet were
burned, but the average was not this
high. This figure was considered pref
ty steep by some Of the committee.
On DR.. Jepson's suggestion, Mr.. Meyer
moved, seconded by Mr.. Williams, that
the matter be referred to the city solicit
tor for his opinion with relation to the
status between the city and the gas
company, the opinion to be presented At
the committees next meatIng, so the
committee could have something on
which to base it's action.
Some general Discussion occurred
over the new crematory furnace, and
Contractor Hamilton was authorized to
tear down n division wall between the
checker work and a draft fue, which, 1t
was thought, would BE- an Improvement.
Superintendent serig was instructed
to have hauled Into the crematory ana
consumed a pile Of garbage, which has
been on the hill for some time. The
work is to be done on Sundays, This
pile accumulated while the furnace was
being repaired.