The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-12-28
LONG DISTANCE GAS PLANTS.

As the directors of the Consumers Gas
Trust Company are now investigating the
question of manufacturing artificial gas for
fuel purposes it may be worth while to
consider the feasibility of manufacturing
the gas near the coal fields and piping it
to the city. The old idea of locating gas
plants within city limits is obsolete, and it
is now found they may be located at any
convenient point within twenty or thirty
miles of city, if an inducement is offered
in the way of cheap land, fuel or power
Artificial gas is now piped successfully
by means of high pressure fifteen to twenty
miles, and many gas experts believe it can
be piped anywhere from fifty to a hundred
miles from the point of its production. This
would require high pressure, but it can be
done with wrought iron pipes much smaller
than the cast iron mains formerly used and
capable of standing greater pressure. In
that case the pressure at the point of de-
livery has TO be regulated by suitable valves.
There are several gas plants near Chicago
which distribute artificial gas under pres
sures ranging from twenty to thirty pounds
to the square inch, some of them piping 1t
distance of fifteen miles and supplying
several gOod-sized towns from one plant
The general manager OF one of these long
distance distributing lines writes:
Constant observation of this method of
distribution leads TO speculation regarding
the field of operations and the use TO which
IT may be put. Large cities and towns may
be gfrdled with high-pressure mains, and
distant regulators branched off to feed eX-
listing low-pressure mains at points where
the supply is inadequate, and much expense
be saved in construction of large feed
mains, and much more even distribution
be maintained. The reason does not appear
why coke oven plants or other cheap meth
DDS Of manufacture cannot be located near
coal fields or near navigable waters where
cheap coal or oil may be secured and the
product piped long distances under high
pressure to centers of population The ex-
tent OF gas compression has not yet been
determined. and whether thirty or fifty or
100 pounds is the limit only careful study
and experiment can demonstrate, but that
not commercially deteriOrate the quality
of the gas for lighting or heating purposes
L feel confident.
A high-pressure gas plant of this kind has
to be differently constructed from an old
school plant, and the wrought iron pipe
must be carefully tested for strength, but
the feasibility of the plan has been demon
strated UP to nearly twenty miles, and there
is no reason why gas should not be piped
much further. Indeed, why cannot artificial
gas be piped as far as natural gas?
1t is not more than fifty miles from this
city to the nearest coal fields, and it is
| believed artificial gas can be successfully
piped greater distance than that. If rail
| he
mated the cost of producing gas could be
greatly reduced. There is enough unmined
| coal and unutilized water power in Indiana,
if they could be brought together, to supply
gas not only to this city, but to many other
cities and towns, and to light country roads
and farm houses and furnish power for gas
| motors wherever needed.