Omaha daily bee., 1910-08-17

coined its Introduction for II saves him
the old chore Of carrying coal and in fact
has made the coal hod no longer a neces-
sary household implement. And II is not
only the gas range, but the gas irons the
gas conveniences of every sort that are
adding to the comfort of homes.
In industry the use of gas has become
a recognized factor. In newspaper offices
1t is used in the composing and eleotrotyp-
ing rooms to keep molten the lead that is
used in up-to-date printing. In the big
wholesale grocery houses 1t is used for
coffes roasters and such machinery. One
Of the largest wholesale grocery companies
in the west that has its main offices and
factories in Omaha uses 5.0OOO00 feet Of gas
a year for its coffee roasters esa a~ Isl
Gas SnpDIRnts Coal.
Although gas is used only to a very
small extent to replace fuel for general
ing power 1t has very largely supplanted
coal In furnishing fuel for machines that
require heat directly. .--e- .s--.t
The gas company in Omaha has been one
of the most influential factors in the city S
development Omaha has grown, In such a
way that companies have had to assume
heavy burdens in order to give anything
like complete service. r.t ---ea r-a-s a
For a long time the progress Of the city
was slow and timid. 1t did not seem to
have even the ordinary vitality OF western
towns. Then came sudden burst of energy
and the town began to expand. Specula-
ton and forced real estate booming took
possession Of everybody's mind and the
true business good of the town. was entirely
forgotten. without the slightest regard for
the possibilities of future collapse or the
hat IN m n
went ahead to make a big city OF herself
The gas company, as we'll as some other
public service corporations, was called upon
to help. When some Spectator would
choose spot in the woods upon which to
locate a new city addition he would swing
every possible influence to get gas main
extended out to him. Then, as things
changed rapidly, his tenants or his buyers
might be gone from that part OF the city
by the time the gas was readily for them.
So " hen the crash came and the town
found itself spread over four or five times
as much territory as it could really take
care OF, the gas mains that tie company
had extended were absolutely useless. y
~ But since the exposition year the growth
Of the city and the growth of industry in
general has been steady and substantial.
The unused mains Of the gas company have
been gradually drawn upon by the ever
growing suburbs and the open spaces in
the citys territory are being filled with
homes.
Many Street Lamps.
The public whole gets the benefit Of
street lamps as well as house lighting and
heating from gas. When the gas lamps
were first installed in the streets they were
fishtail burners, but since the introduction
OF Welsbachs they have been used alto
getner. There are now 1226 such lights in
the streets with a candle power per light of
2Sss.
The street lamps are not as powerful or
useful as electric arcs, but a special sort
of gas arc called Humphrey light is used
In offices and gives a more powerful ill.,
Elimination than electric lamps. There were
S,S6S of these and similar Welsbach arcs
liniuse last year. or~ ~ "
The gas mains of the Omaha company,
II put end to end, would reach half way to
Chicago, and ticking away al regular inter-
walls along their ramifying length are 2412s
meters.
To the consumer the gas meter Is the
embodiment and incarnation Of all the
diaboiical schemes ever invented to beat
him out of his money, Perhaps there is a
psychological reason why he hates the
meter since it is a machine and is per-
tectly impassive and unhurt by all the
abuse 1t gets. but the fact OF the matter
is that the meter is, almost infallible, The
experiments of the gas commissioners
office show that most meters vary about
per cent from exact measurement. 1t is
impossible to make them any better than
that and more than that much they very
seldom go wrong. ~ {fEfEha
They will wear out in. time, but the
wearing out results altogether in the favor
OF the consumer. They are constructed Of
leather iNaphrams and as the leather wears
out they let more and more gas through
without registering It Many a consumer
sees his gas bill going down rapidly until
1t stops altogether. Scarcely ever does he
say a word about it, although he knows
that he Is burning as much gas as ever
but II 1t is ever a dollar more than he
thinks II ought to be he Immediately raises
complaint and wants his meter tested.
How Gas II Made.
Omaha gas is made from the combustion
Of coke and crude oil by what is known
as the Lowe process OF manufactures The
main factory, with its generating plant its
purifying tanks and its enormous storage
tanks is at Twentieth and Center streets.
At night the factory is very picturesque
and interesting sight AS the flames are
taken off OF the burning oil and coke they
are allowed to shoot up into the air and
at regular intervals at the gas plant the