The Washington herald., 1909-02-01


which he turned cOaI gas first only int
certain rooms BE knew the perceatag'
Of carbon non0xide IN the cosl gss, and
he made experiments in different parts
Of the room during different lengths 0.
time during which this coal gas had beer
flowing into the room. and from thcss
experiments he deduced o. made up GER
tain theories as TO how soon Dersor
would be killed by the admission Of Goa
gas into room and Of carburetted water
gas into a room. he did rot try IL. Tie
simply determined the percentage OF coal
gas that would be In a room after Ger
tain amount Of flow into the room.
Statement Of Mr.. Alfred E. ForsfaIl
Coontfnued from Sundays Issue.)
4 Mr- Notwithstanding that your state
meat and the statements Of the other
gentlemen who have appeared here are
true. that the passage OF this bin would
mean the destruction Of this business,
VIII you tel me whether. as the result
Of your inquiries, you have heard that
because death has occurred from the use
Of electricity OF the use Of the trolley
or railroads. any one has introduced q
measure 10 stop railroads. OF the trolley.
or 20 prevent the use q sleetrcltyR
Mr. Forstall-No. sir
Mr.. Aloore-That is all.
AIr. Sims-I feel ] viii have 10 ask q
question. IN view Of the line Of investi-
cation. 1 DO not understand that this
bill raises the question as 10 whether
one sort Of public service is more dan
gereus than an entirely different charac-
ter OF public service. but the question
here is whether gas made exclusively OF
coal, or gas made partly of water, shall
be used. The only question before Us.
II seems 10 me, Is which VIII necessarily
and Ia fact result IN the least number
OF deaths OF accidents. have under
stood you 10 say that II IS practically a
negligible quantity.
Mr. ForstalI-Tes; that is what I say.
Ar. Moore-Have you not already said
that. SO Tar as the operation CT the gas
plants is concerned IN various munich
paiities. It Is very largely a matter Of
regulation by the various municipalities?
AR Forstall-Practically al the gas
companies Ia the larger cities OF the
United States are under q regulation as
70 the quality and purity OF the gss.
There are certain constituents. both OF
coal gas and carburetted water gas. which
have been picked out b. law as being
obnoxious. ana the extent 10 which they
are permitted to be present has been
limited BY law or by ordinance. and the
gas companies IN ali the large cities are
under those regulations; but those regu-
laticns have never included carbon mon
oxide They include sulphUretted hydro
gen, which IS not allowed az all Then
there are sulphuretted compounds and
other things which are not known 10 the
trade al ali which are allowed 10 extend
70 twenty grains per 100 feet The reason
that those things have been picked out
for regulation is that the products OF
combustion formed by them are obaox-
ious- Il is not that they themselves
are particularly obnoxious IN the gas. but
when the gas IL burned the products are
obaoxious.
MT. MOOre-They make a smoky Eas?
MT. FOTstaIl-NO: the suiphuretted fy-
drOgen and the sulphuretted compounds
70 q certain extent viii produce the
same effect on you that IS produced By 4
the fumes CT 3 sulphur match Il snecrs 4
the mucous membrane OF the throat and .
lungs 7 said that all Of them were 4
picked out or course. the presence OF 4
has been limited because Of its 4
eject while Il IS IN the Eas, but that 4
regulation is gradually disappearing now. /
England has given II Up altogether; has 4
had Il and given Il up.
Nr, Colds boEOugh-It pays the gas CON-
1any 10 take Il out. does & notz
Sir. FJrstall-A large gas company. yes.
iir; small gas company. il does not
Ar. MUrphy-The question, II the man
,er IN which Il was stated BY AIr. Moore.
vas that you estimated that there would
,e destruction OF 10000 worth OF
property "a the change here. lou cid
lot make any estimator
Mr. Forstsl-No. I made no estimate.
nd I tried 70 make that clear in my
.nswer
Nj Moore-Have you any COMPROMISE
o suggest 20 this committee as between
he operation of this bill. which has been
aid 70 be practically destructive, and
be proper distribution OF gas service 70
he people OF the District OF C0lumbia2
Mr.. Forstall-I suggested IN my answer
o Mr Sims that a great deal OF the /
anger from gas poisoning II the loca-
Ions in which the statistics show Il 70
ccuT can Re Temedied, OF could be ohvi-
ted, by giving the health department
the District the authority 20 enforce :
equations as to the character and size
burners that should be used n The
oonls OF the lodging houses and smaller
.nements.
Mr. Moore-Then you boil Il al down
, a question OF regulation. would you? ,
Mr. Forstail-It IS a question OF rezu- .
-tion Of piping and fittings and fixtures
AR Sims-FrOm your knowledge OF the I
1nditions IN Washington, does not the
7ashington Gaslight Company furnish ,
le water gas IN as excellent a manner :
; It can be furnished?
Mr.. FOrstall-As Tar as the company. IS
'ncerned. yes.
AIr. Sims-In other words. by ANYTHING E.
.e company can do IN retaining the
ster gas they cannot reduce the dan t.
rs TO Hfe or healths
Air. FOrstall-No. You see. as far as tbei
operations are concerned there
no danger. 90 not think there has
'en case " poisoning TO an employa
the gas company. I found no record
Il in going over the records, and that {.
the rule throughout the country-there :
g no gas employees that are hurt =
dr. Sims-I have reference to the public i
rvice. TO their customers.
dr. FOrstall-There is. nothing the co-,- c
my can 90. II delivers II 10 the meter
ir. Sims-No regulations can be adopted 4
legislation that VII make the water a
5 more safe to the public here than Il a
as now distributed. II I understand. as u
: as the company IS concerned? y
dr. Forstall-No; do not think OF any.
III. Keliher-The authority OF the com
ny ceases when the gas reaches the q
ter. does x noe? "
IL. ForstaIl-SO have always under Il
'od- think that Is the view that is
ken 81
dr. heliheT-From the tine Il leaves tt
meter the company has nothing to h
with directing the manner in which in
Is carried7 bI
IL. ForStaIl-The company can act in 50
advisory capacity, but It cannot lay "
Tn any regulations as to how It must
used 70
IT. KeIiher-Bave you found any law "a