The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-08-07
TEE LOCAL. GAS SUPPLY
Report of Inspector Ford for the
Last Fiscal Year.
Quality Furnished Washington Con-
ments-Power and Purity i'm Va
rious Sections of the City-some
Suggestions Concerning Meters.

suggestions Concerning meters-
S. Calvert Ford, Inspector of Gas and
Meters for the District Of Columbia. yes
terday handed his annual report to the
Commissioners, covering the operations of
his office for the fiscal year ended June
80 1900. 1t deals with the examinations
made as to the Illuminating power, purity,
and pressure of gas furnished by the
Washington Gas Light Company and of
similar examinations as TO that furnished
by the Georgetown Gas Light Company.
Another part of the report also deals with
the inspection of gas meters.
! In speaking of the gas supply generally,
Mr.. Ford said: The Illuminating gas sup
piled to consumers in the District of Co
lumbia during the fiscal year by the Wash
ington Gas Light Company and the George
town Gas Light Company was in keeping
with the requirements of the law. e'he
, average value of five cubic feet OF gas
consumed an hour, furnished by the Wash
ington Gas Light Company, through the
, burner designated by law and known as
the Bray union slit burner number T.,
standard burner in the District of Column
bia, was found to equal 1892 standard can
dies. The average value of five cubic feet
/ OF gas furnished by the Georgetown Gas
Light Company was found to equal 2I.5O
standard candles.
The photogenic power of the gas is OF
very superior quality and cannot well be
0ettered, without giving serious trouble
by condensation in pipes and meters, caus-
ing service pipes to be choked and other
evils occasioned by an undue per cent of
naphtha in combination with the gas. Nine
| hundred photometric inspections were
made of the gas supplied by the Washing
ton Gas Light Company and 300 were made
of the gas supplied by the Georgetown
company
Mr.. Fori says that the Illuminating
power of the gas supplied by the Washing
ton Gas Light Company was 44-10Oths of
one candle power less than during the rs
cal year ended June 80 1899. The mean
average illuminating power, he says, de-
termined at the three laboratories, was
found to be 1882 candle power, while the
maximum average was 2s.SS standard can
dies. and the minimum average was 1851
standard candles Mr.. Ford states that
the Southeast Laboratory showed the aver
age Illuminating power OF the gas to be
26.07 standard candles, at the Central Lab
oratory 1t was 25.68 standard candles, and
at the Northwest Laboratory ii was 26.02
standard candles.
1.-THE average quantity OF ammonia found
in 100 cubic feet of gas at the Central Lab
oratory was 41-100 of a grain, at the South
east Laboratory 7e-100 of a grain The
average quantity OF sulphur found in 100
cubic feet of gas at the Central Laboratory
was 426 grains, and at the Southeast Lab
oratory SPA grains
The Inspector states that sulphureted
hydrogen was present on sixteen occasions
during the period covered by the report,
confined to two of the inspection stations
of the Washington Gas Light Company.
This is said to be a decided decrease in
the number of times that this impurity
has been noted as compared with previous
years. The average specific gravity OF the
gas supplied by the company referred to
was at the Central Laboratory. .625 gas,
air being 1000; at the Southeast Labora-
tory, 633 gas, and at the Northwest Lab
oratory, .646 gas.
According to the report the average
pressure OF the gas supplied by the Wash
ington Gas Light Company during the fiscal
year was Leg inches. At the Southeast
Laboratory it was 2.0S inches and at the
Northwest Laboratory it was Isl inches.
The Inspector states that the average
Illuminating power OF the gas supplied by
the Georgetown Gas Light Company was
27,50 standard candles, or lS-100 less than
the average for the previous year. He
gives the company the credit of being in
default in candle power only on four oc-
caslons during the year. Sulphureted hy-
drogen was not present during the year,
the average amount of ammonia in 100 Gu
bic feet OF gas was 3.59 grains, and the |
average quantity OF sulphur in 100 cubic
feet of gas was 1893 grains. On twenty
two occasions ammonia was found to ex-
coed the 2 grains allowed by law. and on
two occasions sulphur was slightly in ex-
cess of the maximum amount allowed.
RemarkiIg upon the quality of the gas
supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light
Company the report says: The illuminate
ing gas supplied by this company is OF
very fine quality, being a product of coal
enriched with naphtba. The gas appears |
to travel well and does not occasion much, |
If any, trouble from condensation in the |
mains, service pipes or meters. This COM
pany has had considerable trouble in keep |
ing the ammonia within the lawful limits |
The superintendent informs me that it has |
been unavoidable owing 10 the use OF a |
defective scrubber but they fully expect to |
overcome this defect by the use of i'm |
proved apparatus. The specific gravity of |
the gas was $50, and the pressure was 1.S6 |
inches
Mr.. Ford states that his Office inspected !
o,ofa gus DttcIS, anu TIE report CUHtlHutS |
with exhaustive statistics regarding the |
condition of those examined.
The report closes with several recon-
mendations, among which Is one to the |
effect that the gas companies OF the Dis |
trict be required to make a more suitable |
rebate than at present In cases where |
meters complained of by consumers are |
found by the inspector to register in eI-
cess of the requirements of the law The |
same course he thinks should be pursued |
where meters are found to register too |
fast, as is pursued by the companies where |
meters are found 10 register slow or fail |
TO register at all.