The Washington herald., 1909-02-01

close thss mornings session in a pleas
ant frame Of mind; VIII you tel ne how.
when chemical experts fall cut, ordinary
legislators can best protect the consumer
IN this. and also the pubiic2
8Ir Forstall-By following the advice
OF the men who are practically scquaint-
ed with the business OF The distribution
Of gas. Great laughter.)
Mr. Evan h Tucker-Are you familiar
enough with conditions in the District OF
C0lums-a 70 state how much more, II It
would cost more, It would take 10 make
a straight coal gas OF 22-candle power
and distribute It than Il does TO make
ard distribute the present mixed gas?
Ar. FOrstall-I cannot say now much
more 1t would cost, Mr.. Tucker. but all
my experience has shown that It costs
more per candle power 10 make a straight
coal gas than It does 10 make q straight
carburetted water gas. or a mixture. so
# you were going TO make the same
candle power in each gas there is no
question that the coal gas would cost
more
AIr Tucksr-You could not give any
figures?
ar. ForstaIl-I would have TO work q
week on Il before ] would have figures
that would be satisfactory 10 myself
Mr. H 3. Shaw-Mr. Forstali quoted
some figures IN regard to the rate OF
death IN Chicago for a certain time, as
understand It, when coal gas was used.
the figures being 43 Per 10000, and an
other period when water gas was used
the deaths we're S.4 per 10000. would
Ike 10 ask him, may It not be possible
that that IS accounted for BY the people
becoming more familiar with the usage
Of gas in general, by better appliances
being provided. better gas fittings. and
by the fact that the population has in
creased in greater ratio than the amount
CT gas has increased; also BY the fact
that electricity has superseded the use OF
gas 10 some extent? Those are q lot OF
questions in one, but they come under
the same principle.
Mr.. ForstalEIf the population OF Chi
cagO had not been increasing so rapidly
BY reason OF the people coming into 1t
from the country. II IS entirely possible
that there would have been a better
knowledge OF the use OF gas Il might
have decreased the rate Of deaths from
gas poisoning. but as the conditions were,
I 90 not think IL had any effect. think
that the influx OF population which was
not accustomed to gas more than fully
made up for the increase Of knowledge
on the part Of the population that was
there As far as any decrease IN the
amount Of gas used IN proportion 70 the
number OF population is concerned. dur
ing the interval between 1880, which was
the last year OF the first period, and
lS97& which was the last year OF the
second period, the quantity OF gas IN
proportion 70 the population increased
very much. and not only that, but
the number Of meters installed in
proportion to the population increased
very largely. 50 that there was no de-
crease in the amount Of gas sold IN pro
portion 10 the population, nor was there
any decrease in the points OF danger IN
proportion 10 the population On the
contrary. there was an increase in both
those respects. so the tendency would
have been rather 10 an increased number
Of deaths had other things remained
equal The constant progress in the gas
business has been 70 increase the amount
Of gas sold per inhabItant; to Increase
the number Of meters set per inhabitant.
That is true Of Chicago, as OF all other
cities n the United States.
Mr.. Shaw-That is the point I wished
to bring out, but may L not be the case
that q much larger proportion OF the
gas was used for manufacturing pur-
poses where a large amount would be
used, and apparently increase the amount
per capita
Mr.. FoTstaIl-That co not think would
hold IN Chicago. I an rather familiar
with the circumstances IN Chicago. and
7 DO not think they have made any great
increaSv- There are some cities where
that would hold There are some cities
that have made a very large increase IN
the gas used for Industrial purposes, but
7 90 not think in Chicago II has cut
very much figure.
Mr.. Shaw-What about the possible
improvement IN applianoes7
Mr. ForstaIl-Well, Mr.. Shaw, the sta
tstics show that practically all these ac-
Cidents occur through burners being left
turned on, and not through rIshandlIng
Of any appliances OF course, n this
particular case n Washington II was
question OF the appliance.
Nr. Shaw-That was what I have IN
mind. that sometimes the cock may turn
fully around instead OF being stopped.
and It may be that some OF those were
defective IN that way
8Ir. Forstall-Deaths due 70 that cause
are z very. very small percentage OF the
total number OF deaths due 70 gas pois-
onlng. SO Il seems 10 ne that the i'm
provement o. appliances of that kind
would cut very little figure in affecting
the rate