The Washington herald., 1909-01-31


the country any agitation on the part OF
MAYORS or commissioners with respect
TO increased poisoning or death from
the increased Use Of water gas since
the use OF water gas first became so
seneral2
Mr.. Forstali-So. ] have not. I lie
lust outside OF Newark, y. J.. and there
was an agitation there a couple Of years
ago on account Of several cases Of gas
poisoning, but il was not against any
particular kind Of gas. but was against
the lIse OF q particular kind Of meter
II happened that these particular cases
occurred through the use of the prepay
ment meter, IN which you drop quarter
in the slot and that sets free the meter
for tire use Of g certain amount OF gas.
and. Of course after that IS used the
flow OF gas stops and the lights IN the
house 20 out. In this particular case the
people had been cut somewhere in the
early part Of the evening and when they
came back they dropped qusrteF n the
slot and that turned on the meter and
set the gas to flowing and they did not
think of a child that Was asleep IN the
next room. and Il was Saturday night
and they did moi get up until late the
next day, and when they got up the
child was dead.
Mr.. Sims-If this bin was passed limit
/ ing the amount OF carbon mOnoxide IN
the gas of Washington City, would II %
/ possible 10 use water gas et ail-prac-
ticaIly possible
Mr.. Forstall-No. it would be practically
I Impossible.
Mr.. sims-PrscticaIly impossible?
Mr. Forstall-Yes.
Mr. sims-Then the practical effect or
I passing this bill is 10 eliminate the use
OF water gas in Washington City
Mr.. FOrstaIl-Entirely: YES. sir
Mr. Sims-Entsiling the expense ard
cost. whatever II nay be. Of converting
the present gas manufacturing plant into
an exclusively coal gas manufacturing
plant?
! Mr. Forstall-Yes
Mr. Sims-Which is the CHEAPER to
manufacture. the gas that Is used mixed
/ 50 per cent water gas. AID % per cent
coal gas on the average, OF an exclusively
water gas or an exclusively coal gsse
/ Mr. Forstsli-I should say. without hay-
ing made an investigation OF the quality
/ Of the gas in washington. but from my
knowledge Of the general conditions along
/ the Atlantic Coast that the mixture Of
coal gas and carbGretted water gas would
be decidedly cheaper than either one by
+ itself.
/ Mr. Sims-It would be cheaper
/ Mr.. ForstaIl-Yes.
/ Mr. Sims-And therefore Il could be FUR
nished at lower rate to the consumer
without trenching upon the returns OF the
company
Mr. ForstaII-Yes Now ~ explain
that. or. rather. along that line. I wan,
20 say that IN practice II works out that
+ the cost Of mixed gas may be very
much less than the cost OF a straight
coal gas. even though the cost Of water
+ gaS-caTburetted water gas-is apparently
/ greater than the cost OF coal gas That
( seems Al first sight strange; that II you
I are making coal gas and have certain
cost, and you can show that making car
buretted water gas viii be more expen-
/ siVe than making the coal gas. vet you
can make a mixture containing & large
F, proportion Of water gas more cheaply
than YOU could a coal gas exclusively.
The reason for il is that. owing 20 tho
facility with which a carburetted water
gas plant can be started ID and let
down, you can work your coal gas plant
so much more economically when YOU
I have the caThgretted water gas plant 10
take The huCtustion brought about by
various causes. Owing 20 tie kind OF 4
day. the amount viii iuctuste. You can
easily imagine how much more gas WIFI
be used on cloudy. dark day. and. OF
course, the demand for gas IN winter is
much larger than in summer. on account
or the shorter days. Il IS very expensive
10 take Up thoss fluctuations with coal
gas II il comparatively inexpensive 70
E srLre Al.
when you have the mixture. you can gait
your coal gas plant TO its most economi-
cal running, get Il running IN the way
that Il VIII run for the year most eco
nomicaily. and take up the fluctuations
with the other: and the result is thai
you save enough on the coal gas &c make
I'D the extra cost OF the water gss.
Mr. Sins-What IS the price. The com
meTcial value. OF this heavy oil that is
used in the making OF carburetted water
gas7
Mr.. ForstsII-It varies from time 10
tine.
Mr. Sims-Per gallon. mesn7
Mr. Forstan-I can only say what I an
paying for * now-namely, cents
Mr.. Sims-FOur cents a gaIlon7
Mr.. ForstaIl-Yes; and buying II in
small lots. so that I can buy it from
anybody. That Is. buy II IN such small
quantities that 1 can go to any independ-
ent refiner and get what I want from
him. and am in position TO set one
OF against another. Now, .Arge com
pany which has 10 depend on one COM
pany only. because that company IS the
only company that has the quantity 70
supply them with, may have 10 pay (
little more than that
Mr. Sims-Do you know as g matter
OF fact. what the Washington Gas Com
pany does pay for the Of it uses?
Mr. ForstaIl-I do not
Mr.. Sims-An5 do you agree with Mr.
Love that 81 takes about six gallons OF
this oil to a thousand feet OF water gas
TO make the 2 candle poTer7
Mr.. ForstaIl-I hope il does not
Mr.. SIms-I say, do you agree with him?
Mr.. Forstail-No, sir; do not.
Mr.. Sins-What do you say as 10 Ihat2
Mr. Forstall-He is q little high on that
think DIT. Love said from FIVE 70 six
gallons
Mr. Taylor-Dr. Love in stating that
said: II am q gas chemist. ant not
gas engineer
Mr.. ForstaIl-If he said four. I think
you might poSslDlg 90 II Win hout- AV1
could not do Il year in and year out with
four, but you ought to be able TO do it
with four and half.
Mr. SIms-Four and a half gallons per
1.050 cubic feet?
Mr. Forstall-Yes.
Mr. Sims-To make the twenty-five
candle pOveT7
Mr.. Forstall-Yes-
Mr.. SIms-How much VIII Il take per
1.000 cubic feet TO raise coal gas to tweB-
ty-two candle pover2
Mr.. ForstaIl-I should say one and a
half or two gallons
Mr.. .Sims-You do agree with him. then.
on that statement
Mr.. ForStaIl-Yes. sir.
Mr. Sims-What does il cost TO manu-
facture. exclusive Of this oil. 1.ee0 feet OF