The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1904-06-21
I Err
Sent to Mayor
Haviland
BY Mr.. C. w. BuCh-
dndn.
GAS WORKS
And What is Going
| on There.
Interesting Facts Pertaining to
the Work of the Service
Board.
GAS WORKS
William T. Haviland, Mayor.
Dear sir.

Dear sir:
As you are aware, one year
ago the members of the Board of Pub
lie Service divided among themselves
the various duties connected with the
different plants and streets and parks.
In this division was placed in chxrge
of the City Gas Works and the City
Electric Light Plant.
At the time at which 1 took charge
of these plants, the Gas works was in
very bad condition, the plant being
entirely inadequate to take care OF the
demands for gas; and, as you know,
there was the failure for "A few days,
owing to the receipt of bad coke and
our inability with that material
to make q sufficient amount of gas to
keep the mains charged Since that
time we have completed the new
holders with a storage capacity of
100, 900 cubic feet. making at the
present time a storage capacity of
FIVE times the size we previously had
before the completion of this tank
This guarantees to the citizens plenty
of gas, and gas that has been properly
cooled and the people should at the
present time be receiving ons of the
best gases manufactured in the State.
We also completed an extensive pipe
line system of mains. bye passes and
x-a 1voa op1 x-a1va ba1aao end a 1,-,x..
e1hauster for the proper handling of
gas from tine old tank to the new tank.
This, you will remember. was Mr.
aennessy contract number one.
We have also completed the coal gas
bench which Laciede Mfg. Co.. of st
Louis, erected. This bench is now be-
ing fired mp and we will probably COM
mence making coal gas next week. In
order to properly take care of the gas
from this coal gas bench, it was nee
essary to erect an additional exhauster,
tar extractor. condenser, scrubber and
meter. and connect the same with bye
pass connections This work was erec-
ted by Mr.. Hennessy as contract num-
Der two.
The governor at the Gas Works has
not been working for the past seven or
eight years. and this in our opinion
ryas the cause of the irregular flow of
gas, or in other words gave poor ser
vice when everybody was using gas
and caused irregular illumination for
lights. Neither was there any pres
sure registers. pbotometers. to show
the pressure or the candle power of the
gas as it left the Works in the city
main We sent to Chicago to the par
ties who erected the governor and had
them send their manager here and put
the governor in shape to properly gov
ern the discharge of gas from the
plant We also purchased a pressure
register. which will indicate on cards
every "a hours The pressure of gas'sach
minute during that time.
This can be used at any time to
demonstrate To any one the uniformity
OF our presencef We also procured
three Jet Photometers. one to designate
the illuminating candle power of water
gas; one for coal gas; and one for two
gases mixed. as they viii enter the
main service pipe, after having passed
through the governor.
We have also purchased, and have on
hand but not yet installed. Purifying
Machine. which will dispense with the
services Of q $45 90 per month man t1
take care of the Purifier. We will prob
ably not however have this machine
working for 80 or 60 days
We have also connected up the old
Gas building with the Electric Light
building. and installed iron floors for
the proper handling of coal to the coal
gas bench, for the proper loading oi
the retoris. 1t will now be I.e:>>c.s-,..ry
to continue the slate roof TO connect
these two buildings, and we will ther
have one continuous building, aud one
conveniently arranged for the proper
conduction of the business. New ce-
ment floors have been put in the coal
gao room and IN the room connecting
two buildings. All the rooms have
been purified Dy whitewashing. and
otherwise improving the general ap-
pearance.
We have had the elevator engine
overhauled and new fues put in the
boiler Of the Gas Works also new fiue:
pat in the two old boilers in the Elec.
tTic Light plant.
We found it absolutely impossible tc
keep up steam in the new boiler in the
Electric Light plant with the stokel
which was put into operation two Oh
three months before we took charge OF
the plant last year. This stoker cost
the city about $3.50 and the same was
resold to the parties from whom it was
purchased for 800, this being practical
ly scrap iron price and the best that
could be secured for this material. We