The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-02-01
MORE LIGHT ON GAS
Continued from Seventh Poge)

/ Of these outlying districts that are now
suffering from lack OF pressure?
Mr.. GOLDSBOROUGH-It is intended
10 do that, and / believe it viii do II,
but the company has not any objection
to your making provision that wiz in.
sure an adequate supply TO these peo-
pie They ought 90 have il.
AR. lie CLERC-nr. Chairman X is
very evident that the main ont there
at TaSOma Park Is TOO small and any
amount of gas go'ag through there VIII
not supply the reOple OF TakOma Park
and the SuT-Oun ling territory. As I said
/ before. there are 500 or 900 houses being
built this very minute, ground is being
broken for then, and they are in pro-
3 cess OF construction. ana. this one little
main out there, L am sure, cannot sup
ply us.
Building Another Main.
Mr.. GOLDSBOROUGH-There is an
other main being constructed there. I
omitted to mention that. IL IS a high
pressure main for the express purpose
OF accomplishing the end that is de-
signed by these gentlemen from Ia
k1ma Park
Mr.. LIE CLERC-I am very Glad the
gas company is not going TO autagOnize
. our measure, but, in order to make il
dcuDly sure, I sincerely hope that this
committee VIII recommend to Congress
I
10 give us a minimum pressure of at
least I inch, so that we viii have the
gas I do not believe in relying exactly
upon the construction OF a tank away
down here on First and Ks
Mr. LDSBOROUGH-We are per
fectly agreed TO that II the chairman
please, that this measure shall become
law. / only stated what xFas being
/ done iu explanation of the attitude of
lhe company.
-Ir. LIE CLERC-But on that I did
not want TO have the committee under
stand or think that simply because YOU
/ had another tank here that we would
1 be given all the gas we needed. That
I Is only an opinion of yours as an at
tOrney and not as an engineer.
DIT GOLDSBOROUGH-I am some
Mr. liz CLERC-That Is all right; ex-
cuse me
Willing % Safeguard.
Mr. GOLDSBOE Ought am perfect
ly willing to safe 4urd that proposition.
however, ia any way the committee
may think proper
Mr.. LIE CLERC-I want TO iucorpor-
ate this report which was sent to the
commissioners, in the minutes 1t is
practically the same that Is written
there
AIr. TAYLOR-If il is the same thing.
why should YOU have ii iu9
Alr. lie CIERC-It is not exactly the
same thing it is better worded.
A1r. TAYLOR-Very well.
AR. SHAW-Mav I ask the attorney
Il the main which is carried across the
section Of country below TaEOma Park
woHid alueiI0rate the condition at Tako-
ma Park Would il not be necessary
to carry larger main right out to
IaEOma Park rather than that we
should depend on a main at some inter-
mediate point, as I understand the COM
pany mas planned or is planning, at the
present timer
Urges Direct Main.
Tt seems that we ought to get larger
main directly at Takoma Park in order
20 get -he volume of gas to keep up the
pressu he speaks OF We hope we are
not asking anything unreasonable. but
You WIZ see Ia spite Ct the fact that
You brought out the response that no
/ fatalities have occurred out there. that
we are constantly meuaced bv this low
pressure, and IL requires extraordinary
care and constant thought ON our part
10 get out OF the danger that may en-
sue.
The pressure Is low for. perhaps, a
period or two hO-5rs ia the evening, and
perhaps one hour In the morning, and
there may be iE3ts burning in different
parts OF the house that are forgotten
about. and as soon as the pressure has
become too low. the lights viii go out,
and Immediately the pressure returns.
there is flow o. gas into tina: part of
[ the house and we have forgotten about
it
No Dispute Apparent.
SIR TAYLOR-There does not seem TO
be any dispute between the citizens Of
TakOmI Park and the officers of the
company. Z 90 not know why we should
discuss it. They admit that that pres
sure Is lower than il should he, and
[ admit this menace, and are Wiling TO
have certain regulations passed bE Con
Eress compelling them TO live up 10 this
pressure
Mr.. SHA1v-The only point 7 desire TO
make before You is that we want the
company TO provide "a safer service
The committee adjourned at 1875
O'Clock.
Report of Nh. lie Clerc.
The following paper was submitted
by Mr.. lie Clerc, and is here printed
ia the record IN fun, as follows:
The citizens of Takoma Park are
vitality interested I'm the recently pro
posed legislation concerning the pres
ence or carbon mOnoNlde in Iluminat-
ing gas. The committee on gas and
lighting of the Citizens Association
beg to present the 'Ol' swing report of
JOu In this suburb.
For more than q year the people OF
Takoma Park have been troubled with
an insufficient amount of gas for both
cooking and illuminating purposes.
the quantity being so low that on
very frequent oCcas ems the Caslfghts
In both The gas ovens and i'm the
ordinary Illuminating lets have be-
come eEtU guished This has been the
case particularly between the hours
of and i'm the evening and and
in the morning, and we have been
especially troubled Ga having our gas
go out since the month OF October.
- often, it happens that the
ligAs which heat the ovens of gas
stoves VIII so out while the small
lets on top Of the same stoves or
. lights in the kitchen or other parts of
the house VIII remain lighted This
produces condition which IS danger
Ouss not only as regards fire bv ex-
plosiOnss but, in the light Of the recent
disclosures, also as regards the health
and very life of our citizens, for quite
often the leakage of gas is not noticed
for some little time.
In fact one OF our citizens rp3Orts
( the following ca-e Quoting from his
letter.: 'One evening, owing TO the
failure TO remember that I had two
Jets lighted when the gas failed. one
In nay furnace room, was not turned
off. Fortune ely I discovered the
OdOT of gas and located it the next
morning without a light Had the
furnace bC eu lighted there would Ger
I taiuly have been an explosion which
would have wrecked the house" In
/ the same letter is the following.
/ During the latter part OF October the
/ lights went out ia all parts of nv
house repeatedly IN the evening