The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1909-01-30

Mr.. SIMS-If the manufacture or Wa
ter gas IS entirely eKcIudCd by law by
the States and the nation viii It not
make a greater draft upon the use OF
the coal supplies OF tne country than
IL otherwise would?
Mr.. BAEEER-Its draft would be
entirely upon certain specific line OF
coal supply, but IT certainly would
greatly Increase the draft upon THAI
line of coal supply. As you understand,
for the manufacture of coal gas, there
is only a particular grade OF coal 5ult-
able, and that is found only Ia mar
row belt in this cOuatry-iu the Penn
sylvania and West Virginia belt.
Mr. STNS-And is that kind Of coal
highly useful for other purposes than
3ir. B8RKER-Yes, sir, for steel pur-
Mr.. sIMs-One Of the best Goals We
! have?
MI SINIS-SO that the manufacture
/ of water gas takes of, to that extent
the burden from that reserve or a par
ticular character of coal supply
Mr.. BARkER-Yes, sir.
Mr. SIMS-And makes an argument IN
/ favor of the use of water gas. II II can
/ be done safely2
! Mr.. BARKER think so. as you sug-
/ gest it. I never had ii occur to me IN
! that way before. l think perhaps tha'
/ is true
A Poor Assumption.
Mr.. TAYLOR viii ask you another
1 question. Did not the discovery Of nat
uraI gas in certain places reduce the
/ drain On the aoal2
NJ. BARKER-Tes, sir
Mr. SIAIS-And also the process Of
/ making water gaS2
/ MI BAREER-Yes. sir.
/ Mr. SIMS-We are trying to look at
I this from all points. With the same fix
/ lures and fittings the same caretuiness
and the same CareleSsness, averaging
/ the city over, taking cas- that rs now
manufactured stated as being so per
cent upon the average Of water gas,
/ which would be to the interest OF ne
/ against accidents and i'll health to use
( the gas part water and part coal as no"
/ used, or 10 use coal gas exclusively
/ Mr. BARkER-l think yOu would get
I very much the same results either way
Mr.. SIMS-In other words, you say
that 10 per cent practically excluded
/ water gas from being manufacturers al
all, the 10 per cent limit FOR carbon ron
oxide. Now, evidence has been put be
fore this committee that water gas IS
Eve or six times more deadly or danger
Gus than coal gas, containing less imam
10 per cent carbon mOnoXlde.
Mr.. BARkER-That is, think, YOU
Will notice. a poor assumption; as Jne
statement IS made by the people VINO
make 1t. here is no question but Whal
carbon mOnOXlde is violent poison and
other things being equal, the more you
have Of Ii ia a mixture the more pols-
I OnOus that mixture might be- but otneI
things are not equal when you are com
pairing Illuminating coal gas ana llluml-
mating water gas SO that statement aoes
not apply TO the two things When peo-
pie undertake to say that II is certain
number OF times more poisonous because
of the increase In the. amount, that Is
pure assumption. There is absolutely ~
evidence about it. there never has beer
any experiments 10 "poTt the PROPOSE
What Experiment Shows.
: Mr.. SINIS-What do you have to say
2 TO these experiments when you eNpos'
Z animal life 20 these gases. coal, anC
! water gas, and animals exposed to thu
water gas die in much less time ant
o. are fatally poisoned la much less time
Do you contend That that proposition Il
not true2
& think that is true that is shown BY Tia
e. experiments In Massachusetts. II wa
e in Massachusetts that Lnp5e tAPeii
e meuts were demonstrated, out the lac
70 is that the exposures 70 uluuilndliIl'
o. GAS which are fatal are exposures 10
To- a sufficient length OF time, as Iule
{ / so that death results. and would Iesu.
j / whether the gas was s0-calied codl ga
% or water gas / mean for practIcaL SN
K Mn. SHfs-In other words. the praC
- ticaf exposures aTe necessarily idtdI
e II fatal at all, ia eitaer case; IS tina
NJ RARKER-I do not mean T.
g saw that they are necessarily rata
/ because we have more cases OF fecoN
j. cry after exposure, both from codl "a
D and from mixed gas. than we nav
d Mr. STNS-I understood you to stat
j. J IN a former part OF your testimony ti'a
d there was a greater NUMBER OF dI. u1
u0ie1u.ugs from exposure TO water "a
or mixed gas than there are from -
posures to coal gas. that oIJeneT th
j. trouble with coal gas was suHoTaLlo
rather than actual poisoning Am 1 -OI
recL In that statement
e Mr.. BARKER-That IS right.
@. Recovery Indeterminate.
4 Mr.. SIIS-Now. then. by exposin
n the people, by accident or otherwise
% two gases. one chat almost UNIVERSAL
~ nelson's and the other does not Away
!. but affeC.s by sunocation. would n,
p / inc chances for recovery IN eNpOSuI
~ he greater where the trouble would 2
y I suff0caUOu rather than actual poison
=, i''SSr r BARKER-The actual cases. man
= hundreds OF them, have been invest
u. / rated and considered by as, ana the
Il leave that proposition, l think uls'
M say, Iudetermin1Lu. - a.
~ NIr SIAS-Are you member OF q
rCgrd Cf health OF MassaChusettsE
Ie Mr. BARKER-No. sir, OF the gas 81
=. electric light commission
ar EINS-Are you physlCl-
- Mr.. BARkER-No, sir. 81
Mr. SIMS did not remember O
- no know but what you were.
q. Mr.. BARKER-Nos sir, i nope MAJ
~ NV understanding OF IL clear ana IN
o is that iu the investigation or a g,
% uIIr0bpr of these fatal cases tie eNposu
, was for "a sufficient length OF time al
90 1.-THE exposure IS ordinarily from the III
- ture II things, for a sufficient len6th
L tsfue to ccuse death, whether II was co
rs, gas OF water gas; that is 10 say ev'
~ II IL were theoretically prOYaDie IN
"a Inc coal gas would Kill in o cerIat
~ number of hours, and that the wat
"a . gag would Kill lL q certain less NUMB
AZ Of hours. the exposures or the lat
as cases are almost Invariably sufficient
long to bring death I'm either case,
" Mr.. SIM@Relauyelys what dllLefeIi
le OF time would IL require TO produce I
~ I tai results by the exposure 10 mixed
- / water gas and exposure 10 tue oLi
ne gas2
at Probably Same Result.
in Mr. BARKER-I do not think IN
y. body can answer that question exec
.r TO saw that it would probably be I
tv same result.
cd Mr.. SIMS-In water gas?
Mr.. BARkER-lu water gas.
Mr. SIMS-And, therefore, YOU co
Cede that the length OF exposure 10 pi
is, duce fatal OF dangerous results Is IL
II i'm water Eas, or mixed gas, than