The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-30

contractors on two entirely new build
ings, which will cost, with machinery,
in the neighborhod of 100000. The
contracts will be awarded as soon as
the bids can be figured out.
This will give Topeka two complete
gas plants, with a combined daily
capacity of 1,75o,00O cubic feet,
against a present daily capacity of
only 100000 cubic feet.
Already the gas company has COM
menced the work of clearing the
ground west of the present plant,
where the two new buildings will be
down, and the work of grading is in
progress. A sfdetrack to the west side
of the plant will be constructed so
that oil in tank cars can be pumped
directly into the plant
'As soon as the work on the build
ings is started" said Supt- p. J. Diehl-
mann today, 1--WE will begin the work
of constructing a 12-inch belt pipe
line around the outskirts of the city.
The suburbs will all be supplied from
this belt line, which will insure good
pressure for all consumers. The
largest gas mains now in the city are
10-inch.''
The new water gas plant will have
the enormous capacity of 100000
cubic feet of gas a day. The capacity
of the present coal gas plant is $50, 900
cubic feet per day. The new plant
will be constructed in duplicate
Throughout; two boilers, two systems
OF generators, TWO systems OF oXnauSlS
and two systems of purifiers. Each
system will be complete in itself, and
each will have a capacity of $50, 900
cubic feet a day. 1t is not the plan
to keep both systems in use at the
same time; one will be held as a re-
serve.
All the machinery and equipment
of the present coal gas plant will be
left intact, and will be used for the
manufacture of coal gas in case the
price of oil should be increased to a
prohibitive figure.
I'm the past two years" said Super
intendent Diehlmann today, the price
which we have been obliged to pay for
coal has been increased so cents a
ton. The only way to protect our
selves from such high prices is to
make. ourselves entirely independent of
coal as a means of making gas. When
we get our new plant in operation,
we will be in position to use either
coal or oil, which ever can be obtained
the cheapest. Under the recent reduc-
ton in the price of gas, we are
obliged to adopt some measures for
reducing the cost of the manufacture
of gas. The only way to reduce the
cost is to get our raw materials at
lower figure.
when this system is installed, it
will give Topeka the best and most
complete gas nanufac curing establish
ment in the west, not excepting Kan
sas City. This new system of gas man
ufacture is not an untried experiment;
it is in successful use by our people
in various places throughout the
country. 1t is used in Chicago. The
process is known as the Williamson
system, from the inventor. All the
work which Topeka contractors are
able to do is being let here at home.
The machinery is shipped in here.
Some idea of the magnitude of this
machinery is obtained when 1t is I'M
derstood that one part of the machine
the perheater-requires an entire
fiat car for transportation.
zone advantage of the water gas
system is that we can increase or
diminish production at will. The man
ufacture of gas can be forced by this
system. Under the coal gas system,
it took just so much time, and there
was no use in trying to rush it. An
other advantage is that we can give
exactly the candle power gas which
we desire. If we find the candle
power is not high enough, we simply
increase the amount of oil which is
added to the gas. Under the present
system, if the candle power is not high
enough, we have to enrich the ordi-
nary coal with camel coal, which is
very expensive process
At the time the Excelsior Gas COM
pany was granted a new thirty year
franchise, it was claimed by some that
the company expected to connect with
the southern Kansas natural gas sup
Diehlmann, this project has been
found by the company to be entirely
impractical from a financial stand
point. The recent experimental wells
sunk in the vicinity of Topeka indicate
that no natural gas can be found near
here. The company has therefore