Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-01-31

of coal gas. this naphthaline. and there
does not seem TO be any remedy for IT.
Mr.. Tucker-Just one more point there.
Prior to the act of 1896, the present law,
1 remember it was testified before this
committee that the percentage Of water
gas used here was about 66 per cent, or
about two-thirds of the gas was water
gas. Now about so per cent is water
gas.
Mr.. McIlhenny-WeI. in the depth of
winter here. when all the machinery is
involved and must be employed. of
course there will be little more water
gas. but when the days begin to lengthen
and the quantity of gas is not required.
there will be more coal gas.
Mr.. Taylor-Do I understand then, that
the percentage varies at different times
Of the year.
Mr.. McIlhenny-For that reason Mr..
Taylor, when all our machinery has to
be employed. when we are making all
the coal gas we can make and all the
water gas we can. we have little lee
way on the water gas The percentage is
less in winter than it is in summer; any
one can see that. because we will send
out only half the quantity in summer time
that we do in winter.
Mr.. Tucker-The point I want to bring
out is this: 1t seems that the gas has
become more satisfactory here as an IL
lurninant since the Introduction of a
SiCdtCA percentage VI water SdS.
Mr.. Taylor-You speak as a citizen of
Washington?
= Mr.. TNIcker-YeS.
Mr.. McIIhenny-I have seen as many
as one hundred complaints a day here
at the office
Mr.. Sims-You are making water gas
as good as the water gas furnished any
where in the country. are you not?.
Mr.. McIlhenny-I think we are making
it better. / do not want to reflect on
n 6Gty1 he
very best we know how.
Mr.. Slms-There is no question made
against this gas as water gas; that is,
that there is better water gas service
we shall abandon water gas entirely.
Mistake Would Be Made.
Mr.. McIlhenny-You would make mis-
take if you did.
Mr.. LeClerc--May 1 ask you, what is
the cause Of the low gas pressure which
we, in certain parts of this city. have?
The pressure is SO low that the lights so
out.
Mr.. Mc1lhenny-That must be acct
dental. I do not understand it, why that
Should be so. What part of the city is
it to which you refer?
Mr. Moore-This' does not relate to the
bill which we have under consideration
Mr.. Taylor-I think l voice the senti-
ment of the committee in saying that
We are not here to investigate the pres
sure at this time.
Mr.. Sims There was a bill sent by the
commissioners relating to that subject,
and II we can get any Information out of
this gentleman I think we should do So
Mr.. McIlhenny-I won like to say in
answer to this gentleman's question that
II he will go to the gas Office and tell
them that in this CITY there
Is an absence of pressure, Or there is any
other thing to be complained Of, we will
have it remedied Immediately. 1 do not
suppose he has ever gone to the gas Once
and told them what he knows about it.
MI LeClerc-I hope / will have a chance
to testify on that point later.
MIR. Taylor stated to you that any
body Is entitled to make. statement
along the lines of this investigation.
Mr.. LeClerc-I would like to ask, in case
that is so. that if there is a low gas pres
sure, what remedial legislation could we
get. or what would you offer?
Mr.. McIlhenny-Of course, it is mat
ter of engineering. All we have to do is
as they call it.
Mr. IeCIerc-That is all want
STATEMENT OF MIR. ALFRED E.
FORSTALL, NEW YORK CITY. n. Y.
Mr.. Taylor-Where is your home?
Mr.. Forstall-Montclair, n. j., but my
Office is in New York city. Do you
care for my experience?
Mr.. Taylor-In a minute, yes. You
come before the committee at whose sug-
gestion?
Mr.. Forstall--At the invitation of the
Washington Gas Light Company.
Mr.. Meore-Are you connected with any
gas light company?
Mr.. Forstall-One very small one, In
Mauch Chunk, Pa.
Mr.. Taylor-You might give us little
resume of your experience.
Mr.. FOrstali-To certain extent I was
brought upan the gas works. My father
Orleans Gas Light Company from the
time was five years old, and l was
trained especially for the gas business
1t was understood that I was to go into
1t. Part OF that training was a course
in mechanical engineering in Lehigh
University, at Bethlehem, Pa, followed
by postgraduate year in chemistry
After leaving college I went right to work
for the Chicago Gas Light and Coke Com
pany, at Chicago, H.; stayed with them
for six years; then came to Newark. n.
j., and stayed with that company for
seven years: then went to the small COM
pany In Mauch Chunk, which was after
ward absorbed by the Newark company
in, in 1889. as 4 consulting engineer.
Any Other Gas Fatal.
1t seems to me rather curious thing
about this whole hearing that this ques-
ton Of the amount of carbon monoxlde in
the gas, and as to whether 1t was wise
to do it, was precipitated, as IL it was
something entirely new, by an accident
which did not depend at ali upon the
amount of carbon monoxide in the gas
Any gas, natural gas, burned under those
conditions, would have caused that acct
dent just as quickly as gas containing
100 per cent OF carbon monoxide.
Mr.. Moore-You refer to the Bremen
man family?
Mr.. Forstall-Yes, to the Bremerman
family. Commissioner Barker referred
this morning to the sale of carbureted
water gas In spite of the explanations
that have been given, l do not think that
the nature of carhureted water gas has
really been made clear. 1t has been
spoken of as water gas mixed with oil,
but it is not. 1t is water gas mixed
with oil gas. The gas does not become
carbureted water gas until the oil is
changed into Oil gas. and that is the
reason why the percentage of carbon
with the candlepower. A low candle
power water gas is a mixture, say. of
70 per cent water gas and 80 per
cent of oil gas. The oil gas has no carbon
monoxide in it, or practically none; the
water gas has the So or possibly
40 per cent of carbon monoXde. The
high candlepower carbureted water gas
is mixture of. say. 80 per cent water
gas with 40 per cent of oil gas. Nat
urally the high candlepower water gas
has less carbon monoxide in it than the