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

admittedly this carbon monoNlde eS-
capes from gas supplied by the Washing
ton Gas Light Company. But the question
present is whether any criminal liability
is suggested by the fact thus appearing
1t does not appear from the report that
the deaths are directly resultant from
the mere presence of this carbon monox-
ide in the city gas, or from the use by the
Washington Gas Light Company of car
buretted water gas; but it appears that
in the case of the unfortunate victims, IN
ferior apparatus for heating or lighting
purposes was used. and that the gas es-
capped ewing to defects in these services
and appliances
The report shows that the stove which
was used BY the family when brought
into the laboratory of the Department of
Agriculture was deliberately experimental
with. the result being to show that the
production of the poisonous gas was
traced directly to the heater employed.
But, apart from the fact that sufficient
criminal liza bility for these deaths under
these circumstances could not be thus
fastened upon the mere manufacture of
the gas. it is important to observe that
the Washington Gas Light Company has
the sanction of Congress for the manu-
facture of water gas, or the gas which
contains this quantity of carbon monoxide.
No restriction is imposed upon the gas
light company as tc the quality of it's
output or as to the materials used.
Powers of Gas Company.
The charter of the Washington Gas
Light Company embodied in the act Of
Congress, approved July 8. 1913 % Stat.
! L., I22), provides in section Z as follows:
| " That the president and directors shall
! have full power and authority to manu-
| facture, make and sell gas. to be made
of coal. oil, tar, peat. pitch or turpentine
or other material, and to be used for the
purpose of lighting the city OF Washing
ton, or the streets thereof, and any build
lngs, manufactures or houses therein
contained and situate. and to lay pipes
for the purpose of conducting gas in any
of the streets, avenues and alleys OF the
said city; and. also. that the said COM
of gas AS not to injure private property
or create nuisance
Under this authority there is no pro-
hibition against the use OF water gas in
| the manufacture of the gas of the Wash
ington Gas Light Company. The only linn
itation or requirement. with respect to the
gas supplied. seems to he that it's illu-
minating power shall be of certain can
die power, and that its purity shall be of
the standard prescribed in the following
act. The act of June 8, 1896. section :; co
Stat. l.. .jD provides:
g That section 1 of an act entitled, AN
act regulating gas works. approved June
%, 1S4I, is amended SO as to read fol-
lows: That from and after June 50, 1895
the illuminating power of the gas furnish
ed by any gas light company. person or
persons in the District of Columbia shall
be equal to twenty-five candles by the
Runsen photometer, using the Bray slit
union burner numbered seven, consum-
ing five cubic feet of gas per hour, and
such gas shall not contain more than
| twenty grains of sulphur in any form in
100 cubic feet, nor more than five grains
of ammonia in any form in 100 cubic feet,
and shall be free Of the impurity known
as sulphureted hydrogen said impurity
to be determined by passing the gas
through a glass vessel containing strips
of bibulous paper moistened with Il solu-
ton OF the acetate of lead. and If any
discoloration of the test paper is found
to have taken place. this is to be held
conclusive as to the presence OF sui
phureted hydrogen In the gas.
"'When the illumination gas supplied
by any company. person or persons in
the District of Columbia shall at any one
time be of less illuminating power or of
less purity than according to the stand
ard jus; heretofore given, it shall be so
reported b. the inspector OF gas and
meters to the company. person or persons
supplying the same. who shall be subject
to d penalty of 800. to be recovered be-
fore the proper tribunal and paid into
the treasury Of the. District of Columbia
aforesai id for each and every day during
which such violations shall continue. Pro-
vided, however, that If 1t shall appear
that such deyiations from the above
named standards could not have been
prevented by ordinary care and prudence,
but was occasioned by some unavoida able
causes, then the said penalty shall not be
enforced
This last act was amended by the act
approved March ). 1906 (33 Stat, p 1861,
as follows:
"'And hereafter the illumination power
of gas furnished by any gaslight COM
pany, person or persons in tie District
of Columbia shall he equal to tWeuty-
two candle power.
Suit Against Company Pending.
November 4. 1907. the District of Co.
lumbia filed suit against the Washington
Gas Light Company, under the authority
Of these acts. seeking to recover $500 in
penalties for failure to supply gas of
the standard prescribed by the act. This
suit is pending, and is known as District