The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1909-01-31

reports were issued.
Nj Sims-Moditled which Way7
l Mr. Barker-Reduced: that is. along
Certain lines.
cThe extracts from the reports referred
to are here printed in the record in fun.
as follOws3
Report OF 1SSs)
WATER GAS.
Seven gas companies have applied for
/ licenses TO make and sell water gas. TN
/ der chapter AS Of the acts OF last year,
which Is printed IN the appendix; namely,
/ the Amesbury and Salisbury Gas Com
pany. the Brockton Gaslight Company.
the Cottage City Gas Company. the Nil
ler's River Gasiight Company, the Rox-
bury GaSiight Company, the South Ros-
ton Gaslight Company. and the Spencer
Gaslight Company. All the cases were as
signed for hearing on the same day
: The petitioners and remonstrants were
represented by counsel Since the second
hearing. the cases have been postponed
from month 10 month, AT the request OF
all the parties. or On motion Of the peti-
TONERS and with the consent Of the re-
montrants.
The various parties in interest. remon-
strants as well as petitioners, expressed
the desire and request that the commits
sioners might visit other cities where wa
ter gas was IN use. Accordingly. pending
the adjournment OF the hearing, all the
members Of the board have been to New
York Brooklyn. Albany. Rochester. Chi
icago. and ST Louis Visits for the pur-
pose OF Inspection and inquiry have also
been made BY one OF more members OF
1.-THE beard to Kansas City. Topeka. Omaha,
St. Paul. Minneapolis. Milwaukee. To-
ronto. and 10 Trenton. New Brunswick.
! Newark. Jersey City. and Hoboken in
New Jersey, and New Haven ana Put
nam. Conn.
Il has been. and is. the purpose OF the
board impartially 10 gather as much In
formation as possible from any and all
sources. IN the comparison OF coal gas
and water gas This has been done so
far BY inspection Of gas works. inter
views with leading gas engineers. in
quiries OF the health officers OF the vari-
Gus cities. and examination into the de-
tails OF accidents caused by the two
gases
While this work is stiH in progress. be-
fore the petitioners have completed their
side Of the case or the remonstrarts even
been heard. II would be manifestly unjust
to form ultimste opinions and wholly i'm
proper to attempt 70 indicate at the pres
ent time what the final conclusions may
be-
There is, however a phase Of the cases
which the board believes should be stated
70 the legislature At the first hearina
each Of the counsel present was Invited
20 give his Interpretation Of the meaning
OF the statute under which the petitioners
were asking for licenses. in reply to the
queries: Can conditions OF terms Of any
sort be imposed In the license, If one be
/ granted? Can Z license De made revoca-
bic, or issued for a certain period Of
time? The act requires the board. IL il
grant a license. 20 certify in il that the
gas "can be used with safety Can these
words be qualified IN any way. for in
stance. by provision requiring care in
its USE Must the conclusion be reached
that water gas IS as safe as coal gas. be-
fore a license can be granted Again. II
It is shown OF admitted that both gases
are dangerous. can the certificate right
I fully be made7
These questions received various an
sweTs from the able counsel. and the
/ commissioners are IN doubt as 70 the
! true Interpretation Of the act Moreover.
/ they believe. and beg leave to suggest.
/ that Il IS impolitic and harmful 20 convey
the impression that either coal gas or
water gas IS not dangerous. Il Il known
+ that a mixture Of either gas with air
/ forms a terrific explosive. and either. II
/ breatEed long enough. wil cause death.
Accidents from gas arise usually from
I ignorance or careiessness. is IL not bet
! ter that the community be warned Of the
danger rather than misled into feeling
/ OF safety which might even lessen the de-
/ gree Of care now shown IN the use Of coal
gss2
! IN order that the hoard may be enable1
10 grant a license for making water gas
/ IT, upon TIRE f1si consideration OF the
matter. Il shall deem & prudent so 70 do
I IL respectfully recommends that the act
/ be modified By striking out the portion
/ requiring certificate as 20 safety. and
/ by expressly allowing the board the po~-
! CT 20 insert In the license such terms and
( conditions as Il shall deem prudent; and
az any time after due notice to a COM
/ pany, 10 revoke or change the license.
Report Of 1891
WATER GAS.
. The board. since its last report. has
continued its investigations on the sub
I jet Of water gas II Is understood that
the parties in interest do not desire 20
offer further evidence In the cases pend
/ ing az the close Of the year. The board
I believes that some modification OF the
/ present law is desirable. and tha. a 70
/ port OF the work OF the commissioners in
\ this branch Of their duties ought 70 be
made 70 the legislature al the present
/ time
/ In the course OF its inquiries. the board
/ has endeavored to ascertain what COM
mercisl advantages. If any. might accrue
/ 10 the companies from an extension of
! the present statutory limit OF carbonic
oxide. believing that in any such advan-
tages the consumers would ultimately
share and that the companies ought 10
/ be permitted 70 avail themselves OF them
I If they could do so without prejudice 10
the public interest For this purpose in
/ formation has been obtained by personal
/ inspection and correspondence from more
I than 100 companies The board desires to
I gratefully recognize the uniform cour~
tesy which has been freely extended Il
( by the engineers IN charge OF water gas
/ works In other states, and 10 acknowi-
/ edge it's obligations for the information
so freely furnished.
/ n IS clear that the cost Of gas. whether
( coal or water, is not an infiexiole figure,
the same for all times and places; an
advance Of % cents per ton in coal or OF
i / per cent per gallon in oil. making an
/ increase Of 10 per cent in the cost OF
coal and water gas. respectively. In
certain large works. where both kinds OF
/ gas have been made. the advantage in
/ cost OF production has been sometimes
with one, sometimes with the other kind
/ OF gas. There are more exclusively
water gas works In the anthracite coal
! region IN Pennsylvania. and within easy
reach OF IT. than in any other portion OF
( the country Of the same area, because
/ there the price Of anthracite coal has
been low. and that CT gas coal relatively
/ very high. The particular location of a
/ gas works. and its arrangement. the
quality Ct he materials and kind Of
/ apparatus used. ard the kind Of labor