The Washington herald., 1910-04-05


on your own responsibility. and without
having called meeting OF the subcom-
mittee, did you not?
Mr.. Cary-I intended 10 call the sub
committee together. but in the meantime
Mr.. Smith had tried to make some kind
OF an arrangement previously. but he
could get no satisfaction, so I thought I
would write letter to see what salts
faction I could get. and this is what I
got.
STATEMENT OF Mr.. ALEXANDER c.
HUMPHREYS.
President or The stevens Institute OF
Technology.
The Chairman-Mr. Humphreys. please
state your name and your business.
Mr. umphreys-Alexander c. Humph-
reys, president OF the Stevens Institute
Of Technology, and in the gas business.
Mr. Pearre-You are gas expert, Is
that it?
Mr.. Humphreys am an operating gas
manager; president Of the Buffalo Gas
Company. I have been in charge OF not
less than fifty gas companies during my
life
Mr.. Coudrey-Are you resident Of
Washington?
Mr.. Humphreys-No; I am a resident Of
New York. or Morristown. n. J.. which
ever you like
Mr.. Pearre-And you came here to tes-
tify for the Gas Company?
Mr.. HumDhreys-Yes. sir.
Mr.. Coudrey-At whose request?
Mr.. Humphreys-At the request of the
gas company.
Mr.. Cary-were you not here year or
two ago?
Mr.. Humphreys was here about two
years ago. Mr.. Cary, and I remember
meeting you at that time.
Mr.. Cary-You came at that time at
the suggestion of the gas company also,
did you not?
Mr. Humphreys-Tes. sir
Now. Mr.. Chairman, II I may go ahead
! in my own way. wouldslike 10 do so.
hue If the committee desires
! The Chairman-Yes. IL you would prefer
| il. you may proceed uninterruptedIy TO
make your statement, or the COMMITTEES
might desire 20 ask you some questions
as you proceed.
Mr.. Humphreys-It does not make any
difference 20 me, but I think perhaps
that my remarks would be a little more
ineligible if 1 proceeded for a while un-
interruptedly.
The Chairman--Very we'll. and 1 think
that would be more satisfactory to the
committee. Suppose you proceed for If
teen or twenty minutes, and then if any
one desires to ask you questions, they
will do so.
Mr.. Humphreys-First of all, l would
/ like to refer, as II is very likely fresh
/ in your minds, TO the testimony that was
offered by the gentleman this morning
/ in regard to the quality of gas, The gen
tleman who testified said that there was
too much oil in the gas, That may be
true, and it may not be true. II il is
/ true. then 1t means that they are making
too rich gas. or that certain amount
of gas went through at that time which
was unduly enriched; that is, with too
high candle-power But the chances are
that that was not true. but that it was
simply a matter OF q rich gas being
burned IN a draft. or something of that
kind, so that the combustion was not
complete. I believe that was intimated
by the witness. I also understood him
to say that oil is not always used TO en-
rich the gas. I do not know just what
was meant there. II he means that there
are other enrichments than oil, of course
that is true. For many years our coal
gas was enriched with camel coal and
other bituminous minerals TO a very high
I v,rFf,
is 10 enrich even coal gas with oil; but
oil is most generally used, however, to
a great extent in the enrichment of
what is called water gas. Water gas can
be run at q much higher illuminating
value. or candle-power. than can coal
gas. in other words, without undue
smoke you could use a % or % candle
power water gas where a coal gas
Of Is or 10 candle-power would give about
the same trouble with smoke In ell
cases you will get smoke If the combus-
ton is not complete; that is. with any
gas Of fairly high candle-power Where
you get a perfectly clear flame without
smoke, that means, under almost all con-
ditions, that II is very low candle-power
gas. and you do not need any scientist
TO tell you that, Where there is a strong
tendency TO give off smoke it is simply
a matter of a very rich. heavy gas. The
gas that the witness referred 20 as hav-
ing made 1900 feet OF II at a price of -
cents was, I presume, what is known,
no doubt, as rich oil gas. and that
amounts cents-was, 1 suppose the
manufacturing cost. That would be gas
distilled direct from the oil. without any,
thing else. and very much the same
character OF gas as the Pintsch gas that
has been used for many years in light
ing cars, so as TO get the greatest
amount of illumination without the
smallest compass. but in that way CIV
ing themselves additional problems in the
way Of getting rid OF troubles due 70
improper combustion, because il is ex-
tremely difficult TO burn those rich gases
without smoke. can speak upon that
particular subject. because I am familiar
with il. as I was for three and a halt
years the chief engineer OF the Pintsch
company. and the first American engineer
in charge of that company's business in
this country.
Mr.. Goldsborough-You spoke Of 80 cents
being the cost of the retort manufacture.
You meant to say that it did not include
the cost Of distribution or fixed charges?
Mr. Humphreys-Yes, the manufactur-
ing cost, without anything else. OF
course. we should consider that a pro-
hibitive cost for gas without any other
charges.
Now, gentlemen. have a few notes
that made the other day at the hearing