The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-10-31
People Complain About the
Product Now Being Served.
Brings on Sore Throat, Head
aches and Pneumonia.
TOO MUCH SULPHUR.
Company Says Conditions Can
not Be Improved.
City Must Be Patient Until
Natural Gas Arrives.

/ Gas now being furnished by the gas
company to it's patrons in Topeka is
causing all kinds of complaint from the
J consumers, on account of the odor, and
the fact that it viii hardly burn.
Every morning complaints are receiv-
ed at the State Journal Office such as
the one below:
Editor of the State JournaI.-Perm1r
me to inquire through your columns
whether the city physician will express
an opinion as to the probable or posi-
bic effect of the gas furnished by the
gas company, upon public health. We
are now confronted with the following
conditions: The gas furnished has a
nauseating odor which penetrates every
nook and corner of the house in which
it is used; wherever these conditions
exist those who are compelled to occupy
the house suffer from sore throats~ and
severe headaches. The irritating effects
npon the nostrils and throat are at
times almost unbearable, and even with
all the possible ventilation that can be
| had a person can hardly Withstand the
effect. Now of course we do not have
to use gas if we do not care to, but
at the same time the gas company,
having a franchise. is obliged to sell US
gas If We are willing to pay for it.
They should not be held bIameless If
| they fill our houses full Of q gas which
| is deleterious TO public health any more
| than WaterWOrks company should be
held blameless if they poisoned our
| drinking water.
There are a number of US who are
| patrons of the gas company who
would like to have these questions
| answered, for while it will cost us
considerable to make the change from
gas to some other fuel we feel that
it will be better to DO this than to be
. / SLOWLY nOfEOnPH death
stand that the gas company adopted
some improved methods in the man
ufacture of gas a short time ago. If
the gas we are receiving at this time
is a result of this change 1t appears
that the change has been failure,
at least from the standpoint of the
consumer
City Physician H b. Hogeboou
said this morning: There is no ques-
ton in my mind but what inhaled gas
will bring about pneumonia. Any
thing which produces an irritation of
the bronchial tubes tends to bring on
pneumonia. I have noticed that the
gas seems to be leaking more largely
now and that you can smell the odor
Of escaping gas more plainly of late
than you could several months back.
Inhaled gas produces irritation OF the
| bronchial tubes, and it is just like the
gas-charged atmosphere which the
blacksmith is surrounded by You
viii find a blacksmith DTediSpOSed to
pneumonia from that account. A
person who is exposed to an agent
which artifcially produces the irrita-
| tion described has to guard himself
carefully against catching cold. I
have had no complaints from eye
trouble as due to the escaping gas,
but we have noticed the odor in the
! hospitals more marked of late.
can't say that have noticed any Ill
effects on the patients, however"
| When seen this morning the manager
of the gas works said: 1T is true
that the gas which our consumers have .
been receiving OF late is not up to the
standard which we had hoped to furnish
them. This is due to the fact that we
are making numerous changes al the
gas plant and it is simply impossible to
get all of the odOr out of the gas with
the plant in its present condition We
are all torn UP down there at the plant
getting in shape to couple on to the
mains which will bring natural gas into
the city and it win be about the 10th
of November before we can change the
existing conditions The gas plant has
not been shut down for single moment
since have had charge of the manage
ment and this is a source of pride with
US and we have been doing the best
that we can to make the changes neces-
sary to furnish natural gas without
closing the plant. The fumes of which
our patrons complain are not injurious
in the least; n fact while they are dis
agreeable they are beneficial The odOr
comes from the sulphur which we are
not able to get out of the gas while
the plant is in its present condition.
During the season that WhoOping cough
is prevalent hardly a day passes that
some mother does not bring her child
to the gas factory and ask to be allowed
to sit in the purifying house with the
child so that they may inhale these
same fumes which there is so much
complaint about at this time This
treatment is a sure cure for this disease
and the fumes complained of are a
thorough disinfectant, and preventive
in many other cases, and this is the only
thing that there is in the gas to cause
an odOr. It is true that we are manu-
featuring gas under a new method but
the gas we are manufacturing today is
the same that we have furnished since
the 7th day of August when the new
process was first tried The gas which
we are furnishing is what is known as
water gas and while the name is mis-
nomer, the process has proven very sat
isfactory in other cities and I can see
no reason why it should not here, as
it is looked upon as the latest improve
ment in the manufacture Of gas.
1.-The odor which is complained Of
at the present time is only local It
viii be in one part Of the city one morn
ing and the next morning IN some other
q certain amount Of the sulphur fumes
have escaped into the gas and thesS
are carried to the section of the city
, / to which we happen to be pumping at
the time that this bad gas is struck.
We expect to have natural gas in our
mains by the 10th Of next month and
not later than the 18th, and then there
, will be none OF the trouble which is
l being complained Of at the present
time"