The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1913-10-15
But They Won't Com
pare Service With Mu-
nicipal Plants.
900 DELEGATES
ALREADY IN CITY
Convention Opens This Morning,
Though Early Arrivals Witness
Demonstration of Apparatus
Which Is Claimed to Re
duce Gas-Cooking Cost
in Homes.

Arriving on three special trains yes
terday afternoon, more than 600 ac-
credited delegates to the eighth annual
meeting Of tho American Gas Institute
registered at convention headquarters
1T the Jefferson Hotel last night. when
convention nreliminarlcs opened with
an address on Surface Combustion."
b. DR.. Charles l.. Luckc. OF Columbia
University. The formal opening excr-
cises take place this morning at $50
o'clock. when the visiting gas EXPERTS
Will be formally welcomed TO the city
By Mayor Ainslie. Charles VI. Cohn.
Of Baltimore. will respond, and for
the next three days the convention viii
be engaged IN a series Of technical
discussions as TO all phases of the
manufacture and sale of gas from, an
engineering and commercial standpoint
The association Is made up in the
main ot the presidents and engineer
iuE experts Of commercial gas com.
panies from every section Of the United
states. superintendent w. p Knowlc.
OF the Richmond works. represents
one Of the largest municipally owned
works holding membership In the as
ISOLATION. Prominent members from
other cities took the ground last night
that II would te out OF taste to make
any comparisons or criticisms between
commercial and municipal plants while
~ : sense til. guests of city which
oTerates one OF tho largest rnunicipal
plants in Ihis country.
Some Aids TO GINS Consumers.
We can only tell you what our
plant is doing for the service of con-
sumcrs. said an officer OF the Con-
solidated Gas Comnany of New York,
NOT hy way of criticism or compari-
son. because aside from our being your
quests, we have not had an opportuni-
" Of closely studying conditions in
hithmond In Manhattan and the
Pronx wc are selling gas at SO cents.
The Public Service Commission having
fixed uniform rate 10 all consumers
from which there are no discounts
and no special favors.
we have four emergency crews To-
Gated at separate points equipped with
specially built motor cars. pulmotors
ana al! emergency apparatus, who can
turn out within fifteen seconds. night
or day. and respond rs promptly as
the fire apparatus in case OF accident.
discovery OF leaks or special troubles OF
all kinds. We have large force of
inspectors constantly going over our
service mains and connections. When
ever street is TO bc improved even
far in the suburbs. we lay all mains
10 prevent later tearing up of the sur
face
Cooking Demonstrations.
We have twenty women trained as
expert cooks, who visited last ycal.
$4,000 patrons who use gas stoves, and
showed them how TO cook 10 the best
advantage with the least use Of gas.
"A j..
the fixtures are old. YOU have only To
telephone US, and we will send out
new tips for Your gas burners and in
stan them without any cost. We MAIN
tain for demonstration purposes a COM
plctcly furnished apartment, where
housekeepers may call at any time and
see the latest lighting effects, the best
heating arrangements, and witness
demonstrations of how to cook BY gas
with the least possible waste. We sup
ply customers with pay-meters if they
desire them. We rent gas stoves at
cost, and install them without charge.
We expended more than $50 o00 last
year in newspaper advertising, and got
ample returns in increa sed use OF gas.
Every complaint is investigated. and
arrangements are made by which any
patron not fully satisfied may person
ally witness n test Of his gas meter
at some hour arranged in advance. Our
force is constantly instructed that
every patron must be fully satisfied
as TO the quality. quantity and eli :
cheney OF our service"
New Method of Cooking by Gns.
The lecture last night. while highly
technical. was heard with absorbing in :
tcrcSt by the coo or more gas experts,
who afterwards crowded To the plat :
form 10 inspect the test apparatus Pro
fessor Lucke had had constructed His
work is the result of seven years Of
laboratory research ut Columbia While
not yet commercially on the market.
the speaker claimed to have developed
process OF mixing gas and air by
mechanical means, by which Il bed of
pulverized quartz is kept at q white
heat, the cooking being done rs over a
bed Of live Goals instead OF in the
direct gas fame. as on the more ia :
mliar gas stove, thus saving, il is
claimed. fully two-thirds OF the gas.
The process is claimed to promise as
great a revolution in the gas cooking
business as incandesccnt burners did
in gas lighting
Convention Opens This Morning.
The formal opening Of the convention
is set for this morning AT 9:30 o'clock
Following the welcoming addresses will
come the reports OF the directors and
the presidents address. and the re-
ports OF many standing committees.
An afternoon session at > o'clock will
continue the hearing OF technical
papers. The official photograph will
be taken at the adjournment Of the
morning session.
Women accompanying members will
leave Immediately after the group pho
tograph is taken for tho Country Club,
where luncheon Will be served. y re-
ception is rendered the institute to-
night by the city OF Richmond and the
Chamber Of Commerce The annual
banquet takes place tomorrow night.
when James NJ. Beck, former Assistant
Attorney OF the United States,
Will be the toaStmastcr