Arizona republican., 1917-07-22
COA[ GAS MAY
 FILL PLACE OF
 OChSOL|NE

Great interest has been aroused by the reference made in the London Tel egraph recently to the economic advan- tages of the utilization of coal gas as a substitute for petrol tgasoline) It has been established by actual practice, says that paper, that 250 cubic feet of coal gas-the ordinary gas that is used for household illumination purposes equals one gallon of petrol When ap- piled to the work of driving motor vehicle. If gas costs seventy two cents a thousand cubic feet. it is equivalent to petrol at eighteen cents gallon, ana at ninety-siX cents a thousand feet Is equivalent to it's competitor at twenty four cents a gallon.
 AS petrol cannot be bought today for commercial purposes at under forty eight to fifty eight cents a gal lon, it will be seen how great is the economy effected. So far as the ol- terationS rendered necessary to the engine of a motor vehicle are con- cerned, the only additional eXpendi-
 ture is about $3.60, and the gas bag container for the storing of the Vapor
 costs $75. Thus for the expenditure of $T860 an ordinary petrol using motor vehicle of any description can oe converted into a gas driven one, and the driving expenses reduced enormously.
 E. Shrapnell Smith, treasurer of the Commercial Motor Users asso- citation, who is an authority on the question, in discussing it with rep reseptative of the Telegraph stated that both the practicability and eco- nomy of gas as a propulsive power for motors had been conclusively demonstrated not only by experiments but by actual practice extending over considerable period. He stated that motor omnibuses propelled by coal gas were running from London to Eastbourne and locally at Noting ham, Harrogate, Grimsby. Bath, Bish op Auckland, and the project was be- ing considered at Glasgow.
 The London to Eastbourne Dus leaves the metropolis Tuesdays and Fridays and carries thirty passengers. It's gas bag capacity is 450 cubic feet, and on this "charge" it travels for twelve to fourteen miles with total load, including vehicle and passen- gers, of about seven tons, the fare being S5 for the double journey. The total distance is about 130 miles, and the consumption of gas for the 'out and home" run is about four thou sand cubic feet the cost of which is S4.32. The rate per thousand feet varies from 7S cents at Eastbourne to $40 at Uckfield, through which the vehicle runs. The saving on the dou- ble run as compared with petrol is s5.4S. The motors have to climb steep hills, and this is done without any difficulty. Indoor tests with gas gave 25 per cent of the power on petrol in
 The distance on which a motor ve- hicle will travel on one charge of gas depends, of course on the size and nature of the vehicle, the route, weather and other circumstances With 250 of gas, which equals gal lon of petrol a motor omnibus will run seven miles. but a lighter car would go thrity-fiVe to forty miles OF the same quantity of gas. An ordinary taXica0 could carry about 120 feet of gas in a bag on it's roof, and on this could run ten miles, It is inter esting to note in this connection that petrol and gas can he used al ternately, so that should the gas sup ply run out at an inconvenient spot on the road, petrol could be requisi- , tiOned to carry the vehicle on to it's next recharging place.
 AL the present time the containers in which the gas is stored are bags composed of layers of canvas and India rubber, and these are dashed to the top of the vehicle The gas is carried at atmospheric pressure, the i holders containing from 250 to 900 cubic feet, and. when full, they are actually lighter than air.
 The gas companies are investigat- 1 ing the question of the storage of ! gas under pressure. but at the pres ent time there are some difficulties. 1 It is possible to compress gas to a l pressure of eighteen hundred pounds to the square inch, but the cost is l considerable and there is a slight 1 deterioration of the vapor. Steel | cylinders are extremely difficult to 1 get at the present moment. There is 1 such a heavy government demand for these bottles" that they are prac- tically unobtainable, pressure of three hundred pounds to the square ] inch is suggested by the experts as l being the best
 | Mr Smith thinks that fbera arc