Bluefield evening leader. [volume] (Bluefield, W. Va.) 1906-1911, 1910-01-22


natural gas belt and with natural
gas competition. with an annual out
put of eleven million cubic feet
charges from s125 to $1.Oo. No divi-
bends paid.
Columbus Gas ar q Fuel Company
Columbus, Ohio with several hun
dred thousand inhs bitants. located in
the natural gas belt. with natural gas
competition. with an annual output
of fifty million cubic feet charges
from Sl.lO TO Loo per 1000 cubic
feet. Annual dividend of > per Ger
on preferred stock, no dividend on
common stock
Lima Gas, Lieht Company Nima.
Ohio with natural gas competition
with an annual output of fifty million
cubic fees charges from 1925 to 81.
per 1000 cubic feet No dividends
paid
Ii will De C5serv su tnat the gas com
panies In four OF the above named
cities have natural gas competition.
and all except ChlHcothe use more
than nine million cubic feet per an
mum.
1t will also be observed that Roa-
noke, Lynchburg. Petersburg. New
port News. Lima and Columbus use
from four to five times as much gas
as Bluefeld would consume for yeras
to come.
A glance at the above will show
that gas companies more favorably
located than would BE- possible In
Bluefield are not fortune makers.
Gas companies in Massachusetts
are under control OF the state and
are required TO regulate their price
to an extent that will not admit of
more than reasonable profit An ex
animation OF the statistics OF tho
Massachusetts gas companies will
shows that in towns the size of Blue
field the price is equally as high a.
that named in our application.
1t has been stated chat because
gas is sold in New York at ninety
cents and 81. per 1000 cubic feet il
should he sold in Bluefeld equally
as cheap We submit that this state
ment is preposterous The gas com
panies in New York sell billions OF
cubic feet per annum. and some
buildings alone consume nearly as
much gas as could be sold to the en-
tire city OF Bluefield.
The New York gas companies are
able to supply ten million cubic feet
OF gas per annuHF for eaOf- mills on,
mains. It would require twelve or
fifteen miles of mains to supply
Bluefeld with ten million cubic feet
OF gas per year. In other words,
gas company would have to build IF
teen times the length in mains 10
supply the same amount OF gas i'm
Bluefeld that it would require in
New York. The same is true Of pip
ing and laterals.
New York is also located within
easy reach OF the great PENNSYLVANIA
coalhelds with railroad competition
and low freight rates. and by BUYING
millions of tons Of coal at time can
secure it as cheaply as company in
Bluefeld. Aside from this, the gas
companies in New York can find
ready and immediate sale OF all coka
without cost of reloading, which item
gives them still another advantage
a gas company in Blucfeld would
have to lay twice the mllage Of mains
piping and laterals as Il would i'm the
average city of the same size. for the
reason that the town is widely scat
tered very uneven. and on account
OF this mevenness the mains and
laterals would have to take circuit
Gus routes to reach the entire city.
The probability of securing natural
gas has been discussed We have in
vestigated this proposition and had we
found natural gas, or mad reasons TO
| believe that IL would be found I'm
reach of Blucfield, we would not at
tempt tho cost Of an artificial gas
plant. The nearest point at which
natural gas can be secured In guam
titles that would assure supply is
/ 20 miles from here. around Warheld.
/ Kentucky. A glance at a Topographic
cal man OF the country will show that
there is a steady incline from this
section to that point If gas should
/ he discovered between here and War
field it would be in what g. known
as pockets and would soon exhaust
A number of wells have been sunk
between here and the gas belt. some
OF them below the sea level In a
few of lhcso % small amount of ga
has been discovered sufficient to light
a match or supply p small Iighf for