Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1903-03-03
OF THE LIGHT THAT FAILED
Customers Of the omaha Gas Company Go
Al Example Last Night
BREAK At TIE WORKS CUTS orr SUPPLY
Many Consumers Forced to Return q
TAHor Dips and or Lamps for
Their Evening IIIumf-
nation.

The trouble caused BY the EXPULSION al
ths Or1shH Gas ConpanvE works SUNDAY
Z iEht, Mon dieu. as the members Of the
French class say. such parts q the city
as are usually Lighted ~ the gas lamps
last night assumed he very likeness Of
he thoruughfsres in that period q the
worlds history when kni Eht hood gathered
before the armors 20 inspect the latest
thinE IL chain mail shirts and the only
Light came from The iron hrBzier on the
castle wall or ths whRls-oH dip that
smoked and bleared beneath the sign Of
the public house.
Those places OF business which we're only
fitted with welsbach lights we're forced
to choose between closing or bringing
forth dusty lamps or setting about uumer-
Gus tBllow cHBdles In saurers and bottles.
These Interiors dtd not resemble din
medieval halls OF Christmas trees exactly.
but suggested both. The old fashioned gas
burner did give q small light. but the
WelshBch and tncandescent lamps only
showed a ring Of FIRE about the base The
short-ordsr restaurants that use gas ranges
were in difficulties, and supper was cook ed
with trouble In privIte houses where the
gas stove is installed. The lights were
somewhat brighter in the early evening,
but failed with increased use until about
1880 o'clock. when they held their own.
where the Blow Fen Hard.
The world-Herald was for some time
without gas enough to heat the metal for
its typesettfng machines. and conse-
quently vas much hampered in getting out
its early edition Al The Bee once some
little difficulty YVES experienced, but not
enough TO delay publication.
The gas supply at the library became
exhausted during the early hours Of the
evening. compelling the use Of candles to
assist the patrons Of the building in their
search for book lore The sight Of flicker
ing candles upon the tables throughout
the building presented q Erotesoue PIC
ture when cuntrRstsd with the usually we'll
lighted interior Of the building. The build
ing WE closed earlier than usual owing
TO Lhe dimness.
The most enlivsning scene was at the
gas compAny's ONCE, where patrons focused
their attention and demands for nlumins-
tion. Even the gas company was not ex-
empt from the slump in lighting fR%ilitias
and had TO dig Up candles with which to
illuminate it's Office while receiving the
kicks and protests Of patrons
Cause of the TrOubIe.
The explosion occurred at about O'Clock
Sunday evening in the gas works at
Twentieth and Center streets Il Ii not
exactly known Just the cause Of the Acci-
cent. but Il s surmised that Al the rlose
q the preceding run a valve failed to
seat. thus allowing q mixture Of gas and
air TO how back into the blast pipe When
the blast was begun TO mske the forced
draft through the retOrts TO heat them Tor
another run. the gas was blown 10 the
furnace and iEnfted, causing an explosion
which shattered the blRet pipe There wa
q considerable noise and ooncussiun, both
from the explosion and the escaping Etr
! blast. The noise and jar was heard for
| some distance about, even. II iE said, cRus-
1 inK the windows Of the CASTELAR, Street
! church, Eve blocks away, TO rattle slightly.
/ No one was hurt, as, luckily, 10 workman
was near the pipe which burst.
The superintendent and employees worked
4 all that night and yesterday and had the
I plant in running order at o'clock last
evening. They expected 10 have 4 SUFFICIENT
supply by breakfast time this morning, al
though they increased the pressure slowly,
because of danger from open jets about the
I city.