Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-07

| The White House,
January Z, 1909
Commissioners Will Urqe
Congress to Take Action
In accordance with the suggestions con-
tanned in the letter Of United States
States District Attorney D. W. Baker
| regarding carbon mcnoxide gas. the Dis
trict Commissioners today decided to
| urge Congress to pass legislation either
| forbidding entirely the manufacture of
| water gas in the District or restricting
| it within safe limits.
The corporation counsel has also been
asked to determine whether the Commits
| soners can take some steps, pending
legislation. either to prohibit or reduce
| the amount Of water gas distributed by
the Washington Gas Light Company.
| In addition, the corporation counsel is
also considering the draft of regulations
governing the installation of gas water
heaters and similar apparatus around
which turks the danger of the fatal escape
| Of carbon monoxide gas.
The action Of the District Commission
ers was taken on the motion of Commits
| sioner Mcfarland. AS soon as he reached
his Office in the District building this
morning he read the letter of the United
| States district attorney in which the
! dangers of carbon monoXide are brought
out. He then began the preparation Of a
motion to be presented to his colleagues,
outlining the steps to be taken by the
| commissioners to prevent further fatal
| accidents from the effects of carbon mo-
| noxide gas
Would Remove the Menace.
Commissioner Macfarland's motion,
which was approved by the board of Com
| missiOners, follows
In view Of the statements contained in
| the report of Mr.. Daniel w. Baker.
United States attorney for the District of
Columbia, respecting the carbon monoxide
in the gas manufactured and furnished
by the Washington Gas Light Company. |
move that the Commissioners recommend
| to Congress that it amend the laws re-
| speeding the Washington Gas Light Com
pany in its manufacture and distribution
| of gas by either fOrbidding entirely the
| use Of water gas or restricting the guam
tity used to such minimum that it's pres
| ence in the composition of the city gas
would be insignificant and harmless
LAS the district attorney states. similar
measures of protection have been taken
by the legislatures of other Jurisdictions.
While the Georgetown Gas Light Com
pany does not at present make water
gas, but manufactures and furnishes coal
gas, 1T should be included in any legisfa-
ton that Congress may enact to prevent
the dangers due to the presence of water
gas.
II also move that the corporation coun-
sci be requested to advise the Commits
sioners whether pending the enactment
4 of such legislation any legal steps can be
taken by the Commissioners to prevent
Tor reduce the manufacture and distribu-
Ition of water gas by the Washington
! Gas Light Company"
When the motion was laid before Com
missioner West he at once approved 1t.
| Regarding the steps which the Commits
sioners are taking to regulate and safe
guard the use of gas water heaters Com
missioner Mcfarland said:
| 1.-THE corporation counsel is now draft
ing a regulation for the Commissioners to
| safeguard the use of gas water heaters,
| the matter being referred to the corpora
ton counsel January by the Commits
| sioners, in view of the recent accidents,
| and that regulation will be promptly put
into force: but this is only temporary
expedient because the only complete REM
edy is to prohibit the production and dis
quantity
Regulations Drafted.
| Shortly after the first fatal death at
tributed to the escape of carbon mon
oxide gas from gas water heater the
district inspector of plumbing took up
the matter of regulating such heaters.
He recently made a recommendation to
the Commissioners that an amendment
to the gasfitting regulations be promul-
gated covering gas water heaters. This
amendment was referred to the corpo-
ration counsel, and he said today that
the draft prepared by the plumbing IN
spector will be approved by him. 1t is
expected that the amendment will be
loot rod Stn
In recommending the promulgated OF
the amendments Plumbing Inspector
Davis says
lowing to the several accidents which
have occurred, due to the carelesSness ir
some cases in lighting and operating hot
!, water heaters. and in the absence of any
regulation governing same. / suggest that
section Of the gasfitting regulations be
amended.
Il make this suggestion regarding the
amendment to the regulations because
believe some supervision should be giver
the installation of these heaters. Ere
quently they so installed as to make
1t impossible to remove the jacket sur
rounding the water heating surface fol
cleaning purposes. thereby accumulatine
SCOT. which, together with the gas help:
to generate gases which prove to be dis
astrous to life or. if not fatal, to produce
violent headaches.
Recommended by Inspector.
The regulation as proposed by the
plumbing inspector is as follows
"All gas water heaters shall be pro
vided with door, through which the
gas burner and all the heating surface
shall be exposed for the purpose of light
ing and cleaning, and said heaters shall
be provided with fiue pipe to carry of
the noxious odors emanating therefrom t.
the outer air.
1.-The use of pilot lights on water heat
ers is absolutely prohibited, except fol
large water heaters automatically oper
ated by thermostat.
The shuttle on the mixing valve shall
be so constructed as to prevent the posi-
biity of disarraugement due to careless
ness, expansion or contraction, yet be &C
, cessible and easily controlled.
"The heater shall not be set closer t
. the floor than two feet six inches. meas
uring from the top of the burner.
. when complaint is made of existing
gas water heaters they shall be made II
conform to the above requirements or b'
$ replaced with heaters of approved type
INTEREST AT THE CAPITOL.
House District Committee May