The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-03-21
President Hastings,s Letter.

The letter of President Hastings, Of the
Indianapolis Gas Company, opens with this
paragraphs:
THE natural gas situation has become
such that unless the ordinance under which
the companies supplying indianapolis oper-
ate is amended SO as to secure payment for
the gas brought to the city at rates COM
menSurate with its increased cost, and at
the same time make it to the interest of
the consumers to use the gas without
waste, it will be impossible for the COM
panies to continue business. The use of
meters is the only method by which these
results can be obtained
He goes on to review the conditions under
which gas was first burned here. mention
ing the rude and wasteful appliances in
common use. The authorities of many
cities and towns seem pledged, President
Hastings remarks, to continue much the
same sort of thing. since they refuse to
permit the adoption of modern appliances
that experience has shown save money for
the customers and still allow the companies
to make a profit.
The stockholders of the Indianapolis Gas
Company have been confronted with the
proposition, he says, that their asset is
rapidly vanishing, and they are unanimous
in demanding that the condition of affairs
must cease at nee. To keep up a failing
supply, with reVenue diminished heavily,
the Indianapolis Gas Company, the presi-
hNlN CNdNOS, spent lou " III sum
of $4O6, $40.
To show the difference in conditions now
and when the present ordinance was passed
President Hastings submits that in 1888 the
field pressure in Hamilton county, where
the local supply was obtained, was 320
pounds to the sQuare inch. Pumping sta
tons were not needed, and instead of com
pressing stations reducing stations were
required at the city limits, so that the gas
could be safely handled in the low-pressure
city mains. After a while the Hamilton
field began to fail, and the mains were ex-
tended into Grant county, siXty-seven miles
from Indianapolis. Later the mains were
extended into Delaware and Madison
counties, where the entire supply for In
~0ianapolis has been obtained for years. In
all the mains of the company the pressure
has SO decreased that now the average is
only s~iXty-three pounds per square inch.
Even in the best new wells the pressure
seldom exceeds lis pounds, he says, and
seldom that. The yield OF the best wells
is very small compared with the yield in
1855 and 1889 from similar wells.
PUMPING STATIONS BUILT.
Finally, he says, pumping stations had to
be built, and at Strawtown and EIwood
stations were put up at a total cost Of
1921, 9S1. 20. Even with these stations, he
says, it has been impossible to furnish In
dianapolis with an adequate supply under
present conditions. Speaking of the added
expenses and the diminished receipts Presi-
dent Hastings says:
The enormous extension of main and
field lines and depreciation of their condi-
ton and that of the city lines from use
for "a series of years, the drilling and main
tenance of the largely increased number of
wells. the operating and other expenses Of
the pumping plants, the increased rental of
gas lands. thousands of acres of which the
companies are required to carry in order to
have a source Of supply, the large increase
OF taxation in recent years and other items
Of expense, have added TO the operating ex-
penses OF the companies from year TO year,
so that now they are double what they
crease will be in an even greater ratio. on
the other hand, the receipts in the last
three years of the indianapolis company
from natural gas have fallen off $3.50, Oh, Of
which S59.5S6 was lost in the last year"
Taking up his main argument. that for
the use of meters, President Hastings gives
his views Of the local situation in regard
10 the waste here. bored mixers. etc. and
then relates tho fruits Of the Investigations
made by the company in other cities on the
the people were warned OF the failing sup
ply and appraised OF the only remedy avail
able he cites by the following:
The practice OF using natural gas by
contract without measurement is without
parallel in the sale of any other commodity.
We might as well consider an ordinance
requiring coal dealers in indianapolis to
supply coal TO consumers for a lump sum
per annum, and then allow them 10 help
themselves and waste the coal. throwing