The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-02-03
NATURAL GAS TROUBLES.


whether the pumping plant at Scipio
is unable to do its work, whether the
mains from the gas fields are too
small or whether the quantity OF gas
available is not as abundant as it
should be-one thing is certain: The
natural gas supply for the city of To-
peka is not adequate for the needs OF
its customers in the city for heating
purposes at the very time when heat
is most desirable and necessary This
is a lamentable condition, but it is
none the less so and must be met and
faced accordingly.
During the cold snap of Friday
night. Saturday and all Of Sunday un-
til the temperature began to moder-
ate considerably towards yesterday
there was actual suffering among
many people all over the city from
the cold because of the failure of the
natural gas supply to meet the de-
mands that were made upon it. Had
not the weather moderated to the ex-
tent that it has, this suffering would
have grown to a severity that it is
hard to imagine. Most persons. who
planned to depend for their heat on
AAcA Ill al gas QIlO0T .DS dSSuIdHCoS
that the supply would be more than
adequate for all kinds OF cold wealth
er, found themselves in a. serious pre-
dicament when the supply failed
They had no coal on hand and in
many, many cases they had disposed
Of their coal stoves and had nothing
in which to even burn wood to help
warm their houses.
But regardless of the expense in
volved many are busy today laying In
supply of stoves and coal so that
they will be ready for any cold
weather that may come That's about
all that they can do for the present
gas supply is not adequate to do the
work it should and that it was prom
ised it would.
If the fault now rests with the mains
in or out the city being too small, 1t
is one that cannot be remedied during
the winter season for it will hardly be
possible to lay larger mains to the gas
fields until spring or summer. It is un-
fortunate that this is SO, but neverthe-
less the unpleasant situation will have
to be met by the people of the city In
the best way possible.
IL QOcS nOl S06Il1 tIldI the local gas
company is really to blame for the
shortage Of the gas supply except as to
it's golden promises that it would be
adequate. The local company is merely
distributing company and the fault
seems to be with the supplying COM
pany. And it would seem to be some
thing Of ridiculous move for the city
council to take snap Judgment and in
the heat of their wrath take away the
franchise from this local company. The
company is not prepared to Immediate
ly manufacture gas to take the place Of
the natural supply. If it was put out
Of business by the abrogation Of its
franchise conditions would even be
worse than they are now, for even
though the gas supply is poor and in
adequate 1t is better than no supply
would be at all
Natural gas as great boom for fac
tories has been more or less of failure
When it was first piped into the town
there was almost a frenzy Of excite
ment over the great things 1t would
60 for the city. It would be the means
of bringing untold manufactures here,
so it was held out, because of the cheap
ness with which they could be operated
as to their fuel
When the supply first showed itself to
be inadequate the existing manufactur-
ing plants in the city which put in gas
furnaces had their supply shut off and
those who changed from coal fuel to
gas have been compelled to go back to
the former and at a considerable ex-
pence Of changing the machinery neces-
sary for the operation Of their motive
power.