Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1902-04-10

. penieI OF the city
= electric lisht plsut, S21,791.14
Z Ten 10) rents
per 1000 feet on
gas old consumers, S7,447,4o
Total. S4s 3s5 8,
Net earnings over
s1d stovs the city
gse consumption,
operating expsnsfs
OF CITY loctric liSht
plant, snd ten (lO)
cents per 1000 est
on gas sold con-
sumers. S1.593 81
Since the fiscal year ending May 3ist
1879, there has been steady increase 10 th,
gss sold consum rs. The consumption dnripI
tie following fiscal year, ending May 31st
I9OO, shows according to reports Of the
Clerk Of Ga an increase OF $4,000 cubis
.eet, and the last fiscal year May 3ist, 1901
shows still gIeater iucresse of 2 005, 900 Gu
bic feet over the pIeviou, year Tba, this rate
ofincreste still c)niinuts, We call your stten
iion to the report Of the Clerk OF Gas re der
cd to the City Council in Dtcember, 1901
covering gas sold consumers during the siz
months ending November go 1901, Of thii
atesl year, which are short quarter, and show
An increase Of S97, 100 cubic feet compared
with corresponding months Of LAST yesr
1 This incresse 10 consumption is about IL
per cent as compared with last year, and your
COMMITTEES feel safe in saying that the in.
crease in this fiscal year will eEceed by, ct
least, 1000 900 c1h'" ieet, the consumption
| Of last year.
| Your committee beg to call your attention
to the fact that the above results have been
obtained during four years when the gas pro.
ducisg power Of the plant was in q most de-
| p'orabe condition, ana 1t Is but safe to assume
| that better results can be obtained In the fu-
tuTe with the latest m odeIn facilities for man
| ufscturIng coal gas, as a ie'erence to the fol-
| lowing data will no doabt show.
| ADVANTAGES AND RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED
BY INSTALLING AT OUR CITY GAS WORKS
MODERN COAL GAS PLANT.
1. Under the present old style system Of
| manufacturing coal gas, We use from SO 10
TO per cent Of all coke msde at the wo'ks, in
firing furnaces Of retort benches and also
boilers, which lesves us from 80 to 30 per
cent OF the coke to sell.
2. By installing an up to date m5dern
system for manufacturing coal gas, we would
receive Q guarantee that 1t would only
require from 80 to 80 per cent OF sll
coke made q. the works 10 Are furnaces OF
retort benches and also boiler This would
mean sn increase in receipts from s ile OF coke
alone OF aboat 100 rer cent.
3. Under the present old style system
We use lime ercluslvely for purifying our gas.
Tbs is an expensive purifying mattrisl, and
is not considered necessary in gas plants
equipped with modern washers, scubbers
and condens sers.
By the insta ling Of q modern coal gas
plant with the latest fac lilies and equipments
for cleaning gas, our consulting gas engineer
assures US that iron sponge or oxide would be
toe proper purifying material 10 use, and that
II would mean yearly saving OF at lolst 80
pei cent in the cost OF purlfcition.
B. Under the modern system Of making
coal gssy the Installing Of improved serubbeIs,
w.shers and eondensers ard puIifviPS hoHes
ueceseallIy means sio Pis- lou ot stpe-
nor quality OF gls, thereby enabling us TO fur
Dish cor sumers with better quality and
higher candle powei gas
6. By the introduction OF modern half
depth Tegenerstlve benehes, tho ,ed of gas
per pound Of coal cATbonized would be greater
aud our conspiiing gas engineer assures US
thst we can safely calculate on an increase Of
at least 10 Ier cent additional yield by car
b)Dizstion, based on lis: yeir's yield CT gas,
four and one quarter feit per poaud Cf coal.
This sili naturally detresss the cost OF put
ing gas In holders over the pre- gu; sysieD
and plays &c important part ia the revenue
producing pow or of the plant.
Z, Under the present old style system OF
turing gas at our works 1t has ie-
quiIed US to iun during the winter, D benches
VI 5 retorts each (25 rstorts) to enable Us to
make sufficient gas TO meet the greatest de-
mAnd.
8. BY the installing of q modern coal
gas plant with hall depth Iegenerative ben
ches our gIeatts. winter output will only re.
quire 3 benches of 6 TetoTts each us re-
tJIts) based ON past and present winter de-
msnds.
8. The results 10 be obtained from three
(3) modern half depth berc ches capable Of
producing grsster yield per pound Of coal
than the results now obt.ioed from five 10y
Of our old benches, meals sls) fewer fur
nsces and fewer retorts to care for, which
naturally calls for reduction in lsbor At the
works, and 8 corresponding reduction In the
pay roll.
10. by better and more thorough pu-
riAcstion OF the gas the Impurities are 70.
moved, and the damage to the diaphram md
brass work OF meters lessened, thereby enab.
ling US to get longer service out OF our meters
which naturally means saving In our meter
account.
IL. Proper washing, scrubbing, conden.
sing and purifying Of gas slso causes less COM
plaint from consumers on account OF the gas
pipsl filing up with nspthsine.
An intelligent idea Of the value OF the gas
works, 1854 to 1897, can be formed from
notes ON the gas fund published 10 the Audi
tors repc t 1898, page so, prepared ty Mr.,
James Bsyne, expert sCc0untsnt, from which
We now quote as many no doubt have never
read IL.
THE GAS FUND.
Note "A" The books Of the gas Office
should bs q saccinct and clearly related bis.
tory OF the operations OF the gas department
from its beginning to the present time.
Among the leading facts set for b should be
an account Of its yearly ear. ings and the dis
position Of the same. Yet of there two i'm.
portsnt matters they actually Iell but little,
il nytbiDg. The tslk OF supplying that de-
hcieocy at this late day is one beset With
MANI dif3cuilits They arise from several
causes, among which the following may be
specially mentioned:
1. In the early history Of the gas works
the receipts from and the expenditures upon
that account were always included 10 the
general accounts OF the city.
2. When the gas fund was finally separated
from the other funds OF the city, transfers
were MADE from the credit Of the former to
the credit of the general fnnd, of which no
,pecisl sccouIt was kept in the gas Office.
q. No special sc,ouht APP ears to have ever
been kept OF the cost OF lighting the city.
4, The method OF keeping tie specisl
accounts, which shows the cost Of the works
has varied from time TO tine.
But il seems perfectly clear that the amount |
ct present charged to construction account, |
aud which no dOubi fully represents the cost
OF the works to date. was paid out Of the net
earnings OF the works. 1t seems equally clear !
that the $17l, $4,000 transferred from the |
"a. fand 10 the general fund a. shown by the