Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-10-25
QUALITY Of THE CITY GAS
COMPLAINTS FILED WITH THE DIS
TRICT COMMISSIONERS.
investigation r. BE Ordered - Quota
ton From the Law Governing
the Supply.

| verbal have during the past several days
| been made to the District Commissioners of
| the quality of the gas supplied to house.
| holders and others here. 1t is charged, too.
\ by some of the complainants that the H.
| luminat ting power of the gas is below the
average. Commissioner Macfarland, who
| has immediate supervision of the matter OF
gas inspection, has addressed a letter to
| DIR. S. Calvert Ford, the United States IN
| spector of gas and meters, inviting his at
| tention to the complaints filed with the
Commissioners and inQuiring whether he
can furnish the facts in regard to the mat
ter. No reply has been received by Mr..
mcfarland, but one is expected in a day or
two.
Speaking of the matter today, the Com
missioner stated to a reporter of The Star
that the members of his household are
among those who have complained to him
of the quality and power Of the gas, and
he intimated that he has personal reasons
for believing that both the quality and
power of the gas can be improved upon.
Il propose" said. Mr.. Macfarand, "to
have the complaints fully investigated, and
if the complaints are reported to be well
founded I shall endeavor. in connection
with my colleagues. to remedy the evil"
The law provides that companies furnish
ing gas in the District shall make 1t equal
Ito twenty-five candles by the Bunsen
photometer. usini the Bray slit union
burner numbered seven, cOnSuilllUS i've GU
bic feet of gas per hour, and such gas
shall not contain more than twenty-five
grains Of sulphur in any form in one hun
dIed cubic feet, nor more than five grains
feet, and shall be free of the impurity
known as sulphureted hydrogen" etc.
The law, an act of Congress approved June
g, 1896, also contains this provision:
Power and Purity.
when the Illuminating gas supplied by
any company, person or persons in the
District OF Columbia shall at any one time be
of less illuminating power or of less purity
than according to the standard just here
tofore given 1T shall De SO reported by the
inspector OF gas and meters to the COM
pany, person or persons supplying the same,
who shall be subject to a penalty of $780,
to be recovered before the proper tribunal
and paid into the treasury of the District
of Columbia aforesaid for each and every
day during which such violation shall. con-
tinue.'
This provision is, however. modified by
the following clause in the same act: PRO
vided, however, that if it shall appear that
such deviation from the above named
standards could not have been prevented
by ordinary care and prudence. but was
occasioned by some unavoidable causes.
then the said penalty shall not be en-
forced"
This modification. IT is charged by some
of the gas consumers, amounts in effect to
referred to. But. however this may be, it
is said that no attempt has ever been made
to enforce it.
In his last annual report covering the
fiscal year ended June 80, 1900, the in
spector of gas and meters stated that dur
ing that period the mean average illumin-
ating power of the gas supplied by the
Washington Gas Light Company, as deter
mined at the three laboratories, was equal
to 25.92 standard candles, the maximum
being 2s.ss candles, and the minimum 1857.
He also stated that during the year sui
phureted hydrogen. the presence of which
is prohibited and penalized by the act of
1896, was found in the gas supplied by the
Washington Gas Light Company en- sixteen
occasions and was confined to two of its
inspection stations, those in the southeast
and northwest respectively.
Mean Average.
Speaking of the gas supplied last year by
the Georgetown Gas Light Company, the
inspector reported that its mean average
was 1850 standard candles. the maximum
being 1896, and the minimum 20. On four
occasions, he adds, this company was in de-
fault in candle power On twenty-five oc-
casions ammonia. he states, exceeded the
five grains allowed by law, and on two oc-
casions sulphur was slightly in excess of
the maximum amount allowed. No sulphu-
reted hydrogen was found during the year.
The inspector makes a daily report to the
Commissioners, and while it is said that on
several occasions during the past month
the candle power was found to be below
that required by law. -. the gas was other
wise of the standard quality.
Nothing more was done in the matter, it,
is said, than 10 invite the attention of the
company to 1t. and it is understood that the
action of the Commissioners will depend
upon the nature of the report which Com
missioner Macfarlard has requested from
the inspector.