The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-05

Is what ! got:
STATEMENT OF MI. ALEXANDER
c. HUMPHREYS.
President Of the Stevens institute Of
Technology.
The Chairman-AIr. Humphreys. please
state your name and your business
Mr.. Humphreys - Alexander c.
Humphreys. president Of the Stevens
Institute Of Technology, and in the gas
Mr.. Pearre-You are a gas expert. is
that Il?
Mr.. Humphreys am an operating
gas manager; president Of the Buffalo
Gas Company. l have been in charge
OF not less than fifty gas companies
Mr.; Coudrey-Are you a resident Of
Washington?
Mr. Humphreys-No; am a resident
OF New York or MOrristoWn, y. j.
whichever you like.
Mr. Pearre-And you came here to tes-
tfy for the gas company?
Mr. Humphreys-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 | 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-Yes sir.
Now, Mr.. Chairman, If / may go
ahead IN my own way, l would like 10
DO so, but If the committee desires
The Chairman-Yes, If you would pre-
Ter II, you may proceed Uninterruptedly
10 maze your sta .cIEent. CT the COM
mlttee might desire TO ask you some
questions as you proceed.
Mr.. Humphreys-It does not make any
difference 70 me, but J think. perhaps,
q IL IL
Ineligible If 1 proceeded for a while
uninterruptedly.
The Chairman-Very well, and I 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
Refers to Testimony.
Mr.. Humphreys-First OF all. would
like TO refer. as IT is very likely fresh
in your minds. TO the testimony that
was offered by the gentleman this morn
ing In regard 10 the quality of gas. The
gentleman who testified said that there
was too much oil in the gas. That may
be true, and IL may not be true. If 1t
Is true. then IL means that they are
making too rich gas. or that a certain
amount OF gas went through at that
time which was Unduly enriched; that
Is. with too high candlepower. But the
chances are that that was not true, but
mat II was simply a matter of a rich
gas being burned in a draft, or some
thing of that kind, SO that the COM
oustion was not complete I believe
that vas minated by the witness. I
also understood him 70 say that Oil IS
not always used TO enTigh the gas
40 not know Just what was meant there
II he means that there are other en-
FlchInentS than oil, Of course that is
true For many years our coal gas was
en1Ched with camel coal and other hi
luminous minerals 10 a very high can
dlepower. but the present tendency is
10 enrich even coal EaS with oil bur oil
Is most generally used, however. To n
great extent. in the enrichment Of vbat
IS called water gas. Water gas can he
run al a much higher Illuminating value.
OF candlepCwer, than can coal gas In of H.
er words, without undue smoke Won could
uSe = or 3 CandlepOwer water gas
where q coal gas Of IS or 70 candlepoyy+r-
would give about the same trouble With
smoke In all cases Won will GET sr,,oL -
II the combustion is not complete: that
Is. with any gas Of fairly high candle
power. Where you get a perfect cIear
name Without smoke. that means under
almost al conditions that IL is a very
low candlepoWer gas, and you do nor
need any scientist 10 tell Won thar
Nhere there IS a strong tendency ro
give on smoke. il is simply a matter or
a very rich. heavy gas The aygs
thatrthe witness referred In rs bs,t7D =
made 1.S@ feet Of Il at a price OF al
cents was / presume. what Is known
10 DOUBT, as rich oil gas, and thai
amount--4J CentS-waS I S1IDDose M
manufacturing cost That vvoTiIS Il -, -
distilled direct from the oil without
awning else, and very much the same
character OF gas as the Pintsch gas that
mas heen used for many years in Iiebf-
r.
amount of illumination without 10
smallest compass. but in that v-a,- ole
ing themselves additional problems o.,
the way OF getting rid of froIff!es A.
70 improper combustion. bararee - - =;
extremely difficult 10 bum those 10
gases without smoke I can snea. m
or mat particular subject. because am
familiar with IT, as 7 was for tI,ee 80 -
q halt years the chief engineer or fbe
Flntsch company, and the first Ameri-
can engineer in charge Of that COM
p@HIys business IN this country.
Dir GOldSbOTOuEh-YOu smoke Of 20
cents being the cost Of the retort NAM
tacture. You meant to say that II did
aoJ include the cost Of distribution or
fixed charges? ~
MI Humphreys Explains.
Mr. Humphreys-Yes the n1anufactur-
Ing cost. without anything else. OF
course, we should consider that q nro-
hibitive cost. for gas without any other
scharges.
Now. gentlemen, have q few notes
that I made the other day at the hear
ing here which I would like to refer to
If you care TO have me do so First.
If I may be permitted. would ike 20
refer to the complaint that was made
here the other day as TO a bill Of s..
OF course. ! don't know whether the
Committee cares 10 hear anything upon
that or not The practice throushout
the United States with regard to de-
pOsitS is to take a deposit where the
company has no means Of knowing the
standing Of the applicant. just as when
you 90 into a dry goods store to buy
on credit. you have 10 esta blish vour
credit before you will be allowed 10
open an account. So 50 is deposited.
and If a bill OF S279 should net be
paid. then the method Of procedure
would practically amount TO the de-
Quoting Of the 1913 from the deposit
to cover the bill, and then immediately
asking the customer to put up 81 20
in order TO complete the deposit again.
In other words, Il is intended. under
such circumstances, that the deposit
shall stay always ahead of the bill
This amounts TO the same thing as
happened in the case complained OF.
when the company demanded that the
bill be paid and the deposit left in
tact.
Another witness referred 10 the fact
that il would not be necessary 10 have
the money from additional capital to
make extensions either Of the mains or
Of the works, because the company al
ready had a large surplus from which
70 pay for such extensions. I don't