The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-31

ject before you Tic proportion of
deaths 10 the number of consumers pen
auuUm is about Wh8t-tise number %.
deaths due 10 This poi@oHiu&ts
Has Tabulated Information.
1u- AIsILHEENY-AIr. foTssteH has
tJhuI8tad that iulomatiO..
Air NOOEE-Do you believe the pro-
portion of deaths due to accidents on
the trouey roads. or ON the railroad or
any other public service corporations,
t0 Zee less than they gre as the result
Of the use of water gas in given COM
an. 1IcuHENNY-I ann happy to- say
tnal I do not think gas kills hail as
many as are killed Iy the others They
say there were GUU deaths by trolley ac-
cideLJs in New Noril last year
An Interesting Resume.
AIr- NOORE-You have given as q
very interesting resume OF the gas bust
ness. ana you have alluded To history
twice, showing that yoa do considerable
reading You are familiar, OF course
with the introduction of gas i'm the city
OF Philadelphia.
AIR. AIcILHENNY-Yes
Nh. MOORE-Do YOU remember the
stories of the agitation at that time2
Mr.. MgILHENNG-Ees
Ar. IANLOR-As a member of the
committee who does not remember.
would like TO have some light.
MI. MOOREwSuppose You tell the
chairman end the members Of the COM
mittee what the impression OF the people
generally was when tnis new iilumi1auJ
was proposed.
The First Exhibition.
Mr. MeILHENNN-The first exhibition
'of gas took place i'm 1916. when the
crowned heads OF Europe assembled in.
London TO celebrate the downfall of Ma
poIeon. There was a MT Murdoch
there, who came out Of the establish
ment of Belden & Watts. The world
is indebted To Watts for being the in
ventOr of the pump the boiler pump
making steam engines available
This MT Murdoch. i'm order 20 cele-
bTaIe this great event which was
probably the largest gathering of dis
tmgUished people ever together I'M the
world, had pagOda built Tor the pan
to g given 80 them, and 1000 OF the
had them all lighted at once, and II
made great impression on the people
there, who came from every part OF che
world. and the business spread nm
mediateiy through the greatest adNef-
tlsemeut that has ever been known.
Looked Better at Night
Also. people looked better under The
gas light than they did in the day light
and il magniGcd even the bTilliancy of
the jeweiry It had everything TO com
mend il, and works were built all over
the civilized world
In 1875 the city of Philadelphia sent
Samuel Merritt whom YOU have heard
Df often over TO Europe TO investigate
the gas business There had been some
gas before Iu this country, / believe
I'm Baltimore and boy this time the par
lament OF England nad discovered tntl
ir would explode They had not thought
OF that and So they commenced 10 make
laws against the gas. one OF tht
things they compelled them 20 Go was
10 pvt q brick house over every ea9
holder, and then they thought the pipes
would explode under the streets
Increased the Damage.
OF course putting the house over the
GAS holder only increased the force OF
the damage. because the lights III each
iron holder would explode and DO no
harm, but IF they exploded, all these
bricks were scattered over everything,
and they might hurt people 50 they
gave that u7.
citizen there. man VINO diLei " ara
became the engineer of the gas WOfka.
John C. Preston. member OF lhe
Franklin Institute puoAshed gtPei7,
which are stu iu existence ADVISING
people against introducing IT.; that Do
was dangerous and poisonous, ana u
YOU swallowed iJ II would XIII you III
YOU allowed "a little Of IL IN your room
il would explode and destroy you, and
He said. finally, that the pipes would
Am hToW uD uudar the streets and blow
NM The town. and all that Of course,
all of that was wrong
Regarded as Dangerous.
Mr. IOORE-It was generally regard