New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1905-05-16
FIGHT TO KEEP GAS DEAR.
COUNSEL TALK TO MAYOR.
Il. c. Humphreys Says Pressure
Restriction Is ImpracticGbte.

the works and at the end OF the mains VIII
lam X Dykrnan, representing the Brooklyn
Union Gas Company. said the bill lad down
conditions that could not be complied with by
,be coronanies. as they meant a practical con-
sscation Of the plants. Charles F. Mathewson
read a letter from President Alexander c.
Humphreys of Stevens Institute. Hoboken'
saying that the pressure regulation provision
was utterly impracticable,
The bill in question fixes the price TO be
slarged TO the city at 70 cents thousand cuoic
feet and cornpels the gas companies 10 main
tain pressure Of not more than two and nan
inches at the initial mains and not less than
one inch at any part of the distributing mans
or service pipes.
The letter Of President Humphreys to Mr..
Nathewson is as follows:
You ask me confirm what you heard dsg mg say az
the other day at the lawyers Clp "a bisG II ia
proposed restrict The New York City gas com
Of gas pressure. If I understand correctly what -
proposed the gas companies WI! pe l9aEy Their
Or incb Of water Coressure gwen by column OF
Sater one inch nigh or more than TWO and one
half inches This means that the extreme range s
Of pressure must not exceed one ana one l i1iL
inches q wafer equal 10 only hfty-four-ohe
A nearly as I can recolIect what you heard me
say this subject was that the gas engineer Vi
any or all of the New-York gas companies in com
plience with the pr2TSions o. TINS sar OF
$4,000 year TO secure such a man. any one Ia1l
nJntrSat would fan under the commercial test
This statement now unhesitatingly and einpnat5
shovf that l have had do with the practical
problems OF distribution OF gas IN nGT H., 80 arj
ence an unusually wide and varied one, conyinces
lion problem OF New-York City 50 as TO comply
But fortunately for the consumers Of gas. such a
restriction Is in way for their advantage, even
me lmpoSslo!e couIq De I f " g,+ie
factory service is an uninterrupted flow Of gas 70
The points Of ignition, the gas TO be unGeT sum
Client pressure 10 give maximum llluninaIion or
heating efecr under greatly varying cola4''G I
For instance, Argand burner requires less
pressure than open nat frame burner; the lat
descent burners such IS the Wesbach Some gas
stoves, especially for cooking require a hlgfef
Consumers IS insLffciency Of pressure though
mental cause Of the impaired service rendered TO
gas" are reaIly due TO the lack OF pressure, fire.
Qqenty caused by PaTa1 9Sss t6aI he light IS
poor, and he jumps 10 the conclusion that lHe
the 1ority Of cases the trouble comes from local
Interruptions over which the s9s colAgt-E MY ny
The natural tendency of the economical gas en-
eiIeer Is TO keep the pressure his mains down
10 the lowest practical point. so as TO keep me
As a supervising manager Of many works. my
great dlIlGulty WIN me I4 e. ,7aiIlt5jn
ayers has been 10 induce llI 70 eiI"aSs Hdlie-I
sufficient pressure in the mains TO insure Good ser
For good service the gas engineer must then be
sure that there IS sulclsnj lililaI pLeSfLie ~
mains TO carry TO the consumers -furthest from
these POINTS a pressure SUFFICIENT 10 give maxi
nam eficiencv with each end all Of The many
kinds Of burners employed by the consuming pup
Does this work any Injustice 70 the c22nsuneg2
and also al each burner tip. The meter cock can
be set to control tie wider fluctuations which may
ostIlont4n' ~Lfre ne f oints miles beVond and
Tbe7f hp
er tips. We know that in practice thousands and
or ine1perienced are exercising this control as
mater OF cgIrEe ana , %l[Iot IL ie hsi
distributed through complicated networks Of mains.
advantage Of the consumer in connection with the
measurement i'll the consumers meter OF the gas
5 win the DENSITY namely with the abso-
Int iessTa Il IS true that in practice this diff
ference is slight. but such difference as there is
But the principle can he best understood by taxi
ing an extreme case suppose that the meter was
pose that the gas was actually measured under an
ned pressure OF III R91 gB the S 9o6F9meT for
every cubic foot registered on the meter would
g4f fb al cb tre5lenfous subject cannot hope to
limits Of a letter. I believe have said enough 70
count Of the varying conditions beyond the con-
troll of the gas companies when Ley ndE+ ~ 70 80
tity OF gas 10 be sent through given length OF
Z
variations IN the initial pressures al the points OF
In conclusion, let me say that this question Of
pressure can be safely left 10 the gas companies
for their interests necessarily lead them 70 carry
only such pressure as Is required IoI coIilPe''ly
efficient service.
All that the companies can do is to regulate
the initial pressure said Mr.. Dykman. IF
there is no consumption Of gas the pressure will
be the came at the other end Of the pipe but II
there IS any consumption il must regulate the
pressure at the far end. If the law compels US
TO maintain a pressure Of only TWO ana halI
inches at the initial main, il viii mean that When
consumption is heavy along the main at the end
Of the service pipes there VIII be no gaSIlght. II
we reduced our initial pressure TO the limit fixed
by the bill there would be no gasllght burning
IN Brooklyn outside OF the comparatively snali
area Of the storage tanks where the hhual
pressure is maintained
do understand that you failed 10 present
your views to the Senator" asked the Mayor
we failed utterly" Mt. Dykman replied.
land we ask you TO withhold your approval OF
this bill because We DO not believe any law
should make us sell our product at less than II
costs"
Mr.. Mathewson referred to a report Of the
Senate Committee Of 1856 saying: Your honor
should call on those who voted for this measure
10 explain how they could reconcile the report
.'Perhaps they received my kilograms IN
time put in the Mayor Il understand those
who voted the other way did not receive them.
We do not doubt your honor's sincerity,
M Mathewson said, but We ask you 10 in
vestlgate and 10 send your own experts at
our expense TO test the proposed conditions OF
this bill"
7 shall certainly do so if I deem 1t neces-
sary," the Mayor replied
No one appeared IN opposition TO the bill
regulating the price OF electric current TO be
sold 10 the city.
BID FOR PHILADELPHIA GAS LEASE.
" VI r.4o,.- ofra. con mn mn ~