The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1902-09-01
GAS cOMPANY's PLANT
IMPROVEMENTS FOR MAKING GAS
FROM BEAUMONT OIL TESTED.
Expert Who Installed Machinery Says
Plant Has Now an Added Capacity
Of One Million Feet Per Day

Tho Houston Gas Iish. company Is now
equipped Tor Greater Houston or at Toast
Tor a greater patronage, and has acquired
such facilities as VIII, Il is believed en-.
able Il 70 reduce the price OF gas With.
out diminishing the conip6ny's former rate
OF profit The contract pinced last eprlnc
With tho United Gas Improvement com.
pany cf Philadelphia for o new water gas
set Of machinery has been Oiled Tho nov
apparatus has been Installed thoroughly
tested aud satisfactorily operated This
machinery does not replace tho company's
old equipment, but Is an addition. which
Increases the manufacturing capacity or
tho plant one million cnbic feet pcr day.
This viii enable tho company 60 suppiy
any increase In tho demand FOR the next
ten years, at least. without dciriment to
the srlyice aud without extra proportion.
ute cost IN manufacture. Those Interested
in the gas problem believe that the logical
result Is cheaper gas ami that with pres.
eut facilities tho company can aaord to
materially reduce tho price, which Is now
Sl.So per thousand fcct without Icssenf,t.
It's lormcr rate OF profit
lr W. y. Mockett an expert gas en-,
Elpeei WIS sent 10 Houston u install Tho
new machinery. Ills work has hcou eon.
plrlcd aud hc leaves TO perform a similar
service In Dallas, Oklahoma CITY aud NcW
OIicnlns these cltica having ordered gus
machinery of the same design
representative n The Post asked MIR
Mockeit Tor Information concerning the
commercial features of gus mgking with
view 10 Rscertuinlne expert opinlon ms
TO the cost OF manufactur6 Mr. Mocketr
declined to be interviewed on tho sub
Ject saying that he WAS loyal cmpoNe
10 ms companN the largest concern OF its
KIND In the United States aud that such
Information should be cleaned from other
hourecs. lie did say, however, that the
houston company could not afford TO sell
gas az ~ per 1000 cubic feet Other cities
can arord 10 make a low rate because the
patronage Is lnrger. the houses are closer
together, aud the cost Of laying pipes Is
greatly reduced
Nevertheless, there IL a Wide differences
OF opinion on this subject among those
VINO nave studied the situation aud who
profess 70 have knowledge OF the cost or
manufacture and the profit made on gas
The Houston plant Is certainly one Of the
best equipped In the South. Tho new ma
e thid jgst Installed ip the handsome
consists OF new boilers and OIL fuel ma
clunosj blast apparatus, carhuretor, ouper-
nootcF. scrubber, condenser, etc.
TRH GAS MAKING PROCESS
II is interesting TO watch the machinery
at work notwithstanding the temperature
~ l4b degrees. short runs are the rule Of
AiN SHNH' lat ~ 70 say Lncy uidSt Tor
seven minutes and then RIM gas for seven
minutes, taking out about 20O feet minute,
and could make, under favorable con.
dltions, moro than 10000 feet per hour, 80
Mr.. Mockett stated. The tanks have a ca
pacity OF about 10000 cubic feet. There
are Aye cylinders, In the first is placed
solid fuel The air blast is applied and the
coke or coal is heated 10 incandesoonce
After the fuel has attained the proper heat
the air blast is closed, steam ist opens
at the bottom and an oil spray opens at the
top Of the carhuretor. The steam. coming
I'm contact with and going through tho N
canaescept coke, takes up the carbon ana
forms carbonic oxide, or fuel gas. OIL Is
then introduced, giving the gas the illutni-
mating qualities. The gas then passes o
the superheateT, which takes UP Yapors not
thoroughly gasined In the other apparatus,
making II q liked and non'condensible gas
il then goes through the scrubber, eylin-
der filled with wooden Stats ana having
water spray at the top The water de
scends and the gas ascends, thus removing
all impurities, such as tar The gas then
goes through The condenser, device nllel
with tubes. Water courses through them
and the gas around them.
The plant used oil for the first time as
boiler fpel a week ago. II Is very salts
factory.