The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-03-07


ager Of manufacture. The meat of the
matter, or the niger In the woodpile,
as it were, was lack OF adequate pres
sure.
The demand, according to Mr. Turner,
has been too ogreat in the past few
months for the purifying and distribut-
ing apparatus OF the plant. The plant
was capable Of generating $50, 600 cubic
teet OF gas per hour, which would have
been adequate TO supply the peak de-
mands Of the consumers, no said, but
the company did not have and could
than enough distributing and purifying
apparatus TO permit the furnishing OF
more than 1880 cubic feet Of gas per
hour.
Had to Cut Pressure.
often at the peak hours-breakfast,
luncheon and dinner hours Of the day
storage tanks If the gas tanks would
begin 70 empty with such rapidity that
II would be necessary TO reduce the
consumers, In order 20 prevent The
tanks from becoming emptied, which
would have compelled a shutdown q the
plant the second the supply of Gas
nit the bottom" II would then have
been a matter of IS hours, Mr., Turner
said, until gas service could have been
resumed.
But when the pressure WAS cut down
the gas came slowly through the pipes
In the homes Of the consumers, II the
housewife was preparing q meal, or II
some member Of the family were heat
ing water for a bath, II took Just twice,
perhaps three times, 40 long to do these
things. Now perhaps IS per cent OF the
heating value Of gas is wasted by radia-
| ton, by dissipation into the air while
1t is burning. Mr.. Turner explained, so
that If it is necessary to burn the gas
twice as long, or three times as long,
as the case might be, just twice OF
three times as much gas would be diSsi-
pated by radiation.
This is what made the bills so sky
rocketinE, said Mr.. Turner. why, |
have been up against 1t Just like the
rest of you" he said. why, WASH
my bill $14 last month when 1t should
have been only So"
Rebates-0h, No.
But your company Is not offering Il
give any rebates to the people, MIR, Tur-
ner," the reporter for The News SCim.
itar %interposed,
true. But, say what you please; speak
Of watered stock and padded bills and
big bills, the company at no time in this
past IL months has realized enough
money from the sale OF gas to pay foi
the oil and coal used In its manufac.
ture."
When the gas service is resumed thu
product will be more pleasing to the
olfactory nerves, the public may be-
assured. There will be no particular
difference in the candle power or heaI
units Of the gas, but 1t will smell bet
ter. The. pungency which was sug
g@estive Of summer breezes from tn,
Of a head Of limburger, mingled with {
gust from Hades, will be gone.
This was the explanation made b!
Memphis Gas and Electric company
when asked by The News Scimitar t.
explain just what was meant when TIL
company made the following statemen
in an advertisement appearing in tn,
newspapers Friday: We are conf
dent that already the problem OF qualit.
Of a has been scolved, and that ther'
viii be NJ future cause Of complaint Of
that account"
Relief Only in 0dor.
Neither Mr.. Rainier nor Mr.. Turner
would admit that the gas which tn,
company has been furnishing the people
for the last few months was capable o
esthetic matter OF odor. Mr.. Turne
explained that the company has heel
furnishing continuously a "carbonateC
water" gas, which they produced whei
using either c0al and oil or coke and oil
Mr.. Turner impaired the secret, how
ever, that mot a pound Of coal hat
been used for a week by the compan!
in the production Of gas at the plant
His interrogation was unable, though N
tried hard to understand his explana,
lions, just why the company thought 4
advisable, when gas service has reached
the maximum OF inefficiency and tn,
public the peak OF evaporation, tC
abandon the Use or coal THE aban.
donment OF the use OF coal appeared
to be inconsistent with the previous
statements that the company had beer
manufacturing the ann kind Of gas
with a composition Of either coal ant
oil or coke and oil.
Explanation improbable.
Mavor Montaynrda ana tbn con,ri,