The Washington herald., 1907-10-18

An unexpected contest arose yesterday
at the election Of officers by the men,
bers Of the American Gas Institute, now
holding its second annual convention at
the New Willard Hotel
Two tickets were put in the field. and
MIR. a. c. Humphries. who was on the
regular ticket for president and on the
opposition ticket for second vice presi-
dent, was chosen by a margin Of eleven
votes as president Of the organization.
The opposition candidate was o. F.
Pritchard, and, although the remainder
OF the opposition went down in defeat.
Mt II. /. DOugherty, of New York. on
that ticket. was named first vice presi-
dent The second vice president is Mr
W. A. Baehr, Of ST. Louis.
The members Of the board Of directors
are: Mr.. Walton ForstaH. Philadelphia;
Mr.. X. NJ. Mitchell, St. Joseph, No;
Mr.. Baehr, J. II. Jourdan. Brooklyn.
and Mr. w. H. Norcross, New Haven.
The secretary-teasurer Of the organi-
zation will be selected at this mornings
session.
The meetings yesterday closed with a
banquet In the big bali room on the, top
floor o. the New Willard. where an eIab-
crate menu was gone through with by
more than 200 members Of the organiza-
ton. 1t was purely a masculine affair,
the women guests at the convention
having formed a theater. party after a
trip to Great Falls, where they spent
The afternoon.
After the election of officers. much of
the regular business that had been
scheduled was postponed. because of the
amount Of time having been taken up
by the election, and the feature Of the
whole session was a lecture by Prof F.
A. CAM. of St Stevens Institute Ho-
boken, on "ElectrOIysis, -. and the dis
cuSsion that followed his talk.
This lecture was distinctly the most in
teresUng part Of the whole session, as It /
seems that electrolysis. how 10 avoid il.
and how TO legally protect the companies.
Is subject near and dear to the hearts
OF the gas men. who listened. with much
enthusiasm, TO a technical, yet clear. ad-
dress, illustrated by the use Of a black
board, and at its close a rising vote Of
thanks was given the professor.
The talk included Illustrations Of vari-
Gus methods for detecting and measuring
the How Of electricity from gas pipes to /
car tracks. including the question OF
bonding" the pipes 20 prevent electroIy- /
sis, and the puncturing of many falla- /
ciOus arguments that have been advanced /
concerning the question
That IL is UP 10 the companies to avail /
themselves Of the use Of the methods de- /
vised by scientists for proving the exist /
ence Of a flow of current from pipes. was t
the tenor Of the address. Prof CAM 4
pointed out that in cases where pipes 1
have been destroyed by such a process. !
the companies are always ready 20 ad-
vance some other cause than electrolysis /
for the havoc, and he pointed out that. /
by the use OF accurate instruments. IL is /
possible to determine whether or not
there is stray electricity flowing through
the grOund-hOw much. and in which di- 4
rection. and with just exactly what force.
With these instruments available-and /
most Of them are the product Of German I
inventOrs-it is possible 10 present such 1
evidence as will give a gas companys I
cause accurate standing in a case at law. 1
An Elaborate Research,
At the conclusion Of the lecture. the re-
&ipA "a NAtS NStAAt-ANA0S va GittAa SIS an n
elaborate research was presented by the /
chairman OF the committee, a. G Glas- |
gov. who highly praised Prof CAM and /
his talk. He explained that the commit /
tees report had been complete for some /
time, and that he had not heard from the /
members concerning It. and then. on mo- 1
ton OF Mr.. Donahue, the committee was /
ordered discharged, and the work turned /
over to the committee on technical mat /
ters. This action was preceded by a dis
cUssion Of something like an hour, con
corning the lecture and the report, in
which many members. including Messrs
Miller. Mcdowell. and Daugherty. took
occasion TO comment on or find flaws in
the ideas advanced by the speaker.
After the question had been put on the
motion to discharge the electrolysis COM
mittee, the meeting adjourned, and was
followed by a session Of the board Of di-
rectors.
There was no set programme at the
banquet last night. the members respond
ing 10 toasts and making impromptu ad-
dresses.
The business to-day viii begin at 10
o'clock. with a discussion Of a paper on
Air blast gas appliances" compiled By
N1essrs. W. K. Eavenson. S. TulIy VIII
son, and w. II. Allen. The afternoon ad-
iOurnruent will end the convention