Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-03

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that a ten-pound share could scarcely find
sale at two pounds.
Nor was confidence restored by an ex-
plosion at the Westminster works in the
same year There was vault near the
gasometer In which the lime machine be-
longing to the apparatus was contained"
said Mr.. Clegg. In reporting the explosion
The workmen on letting the lime water
out of the vessel removed too great A
quantity of IT, and allowed the gas TO
escape at the valve. where the lime water
was drawn of into the vault Where the
light originated am not prepared to state:
whether from some person coming I'm with
candle or by a communicaton-from the
flue of the retorts there a connection
of that kind cannot say. The effect of
1t was that il blew my hat Off my head and
destroyed 1t. and blew IT to pieces. and
knocked down two nine-inch walls. nd In
jured me very much at the time. and burnt
all the skin of my face and the hair OF
my head, and / was laid up "A fortnight
or three weeks by IL. | was the only one
hurt on the premises.
The directors and proprletors OF the COM
pany, however, were not shaken in their
opinion that the new illuminant would make
their fortunes In time. so they continued
their preparatory operations In spite OF
numerous disbursements. Gradually pub
lie confidence in tho scheme was restored.
a new company. known as the City OF Lon
don Gaslight Company was formed, and at
last the original company succeeded In ex-
tending Its main from one OF Its stations to
the heart of the city. The feat was duly
celebrated The directors and proprietors
gathered at the New London tavern for
congratulations and a feast. and there was
splendid, not to say awe-inspiring gas
light illumination of the hosiery that led
| to many orders being placed with the COM
pany during the ensuing few weeks.
This event marked the turning point In
hn al IL
ing Soothing ceased: prejudice gave way:
people became eager to reap the proved
economical advantages OF the new light.
Prosperous days dawned at last for Mr..
Winsor and his poorer associates. though
they came too late TO let them realize the
great fortunes that should have been theirs
by right of works and faith.
The next few years were devoted 10 i'm
proving the quality OF the gas, the method
of production the machinery, etc. 1t was
in 1916 that Mr.. Ciegg hit upon the idea
of and made the Interior meter. THE part
forming the interior consisted OF hollow
wheel or drum, which was accurately d.
vided into several compartments The wheel
moved upon a hollow axis. and was In
closed in an alright case. which was a
little larger than itself. Both the outer
case and the lower chamber OF the wheel
were filled with water rather higher than
the axis, and each compartment had two
apertures. for admitting the gas to en-
ter Il and the other for the passage out.
When the gas was entering into any one
commitment its outlet orif1ce was below
the surface of the water, while the adjon-
ing chamber had its outlet aperture above
the water and, of course, was discharging
the gas to pass in the burners. Thus, by
the combined effect OF the alternate and
successive filling and emptying OF the re-
spective compartments. the wheel was made
to revolve AS its axis was connected with
and communicated motion to series or
wheel work which registered Its revolu-
ttons the exact quantity OF gas that passed
through the meter was ascertained. and the
number of cubic feet was shown by an In
dex and dial plate" Prior to the Invention
OF the meter gas was sold by the burner
and the hour.
Mr.. Clegg was with the company four
wears When he left 1t three stations
were manufacturing 100000 cubic feet OF
gas daily When the company started fur
nIshinR gas II had but one gasometer OF
/ 400 cubic feet capacity. That was In 1874
Eight years later its annual consumption
of gas was 24S0O0.Oo0 cubic feet, II mad
I22 miles OF mains and fed 3oi3o lamps.
while the four leading companies or Lon
don had AZ gasometers. with capacity OF
917.9tO cubic feet their annual output OF
gas was 397 100000 cubic feet, and they
supplied 6l,203 private and 1.2oS public
lamps.