Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1920-10-15
CITY GAS PLANTS
Barred TO PUBLIC
Company in Attempt to Kill
Coke Business Reports.

Technical explanations to show that
certain abuses which the gas company
has been accused of are impossible be-
cause of the nature of its operation, We're
made by officials of the Citizens Gas
Company to city officials and newspaper
men, who were taken on a trip Oh IN
snection to the Prospect and Langsdale
plants yesterday.
The gas men permitted the inspecting
party to examine each part Of the plants
in operation and explained to them par
ticularIy to show that it is impossible
for the company to make more coke with
out corresponding amount of gas, that
other by-products besides coke, such as
tar and ammonia, must be taken out be-
| fore it can be sent through the mains
that gas is not wilfully permitted to
escape in huge quantities; that the popu-
lar belief that air is mixed with gas is
false and that completion of a number
of improvements will better the gas sup
ply.
| CAN'T INCREASE COKE
WITHOUT INCREASING GAS.
| In support of their contention that
more coke can not be made without an
equal increase in gas production, the gas
officials took the city officials to the top
of the coke ovens at the Prospect plant
and demonstrated that the more gas there
: is taken out of coke the more valuable
/ is the by-product.
Customers of the company would not
pay the high price they do for it's coke
| if it contained other than a very negli-
gible quantity of volatile matter, the part
of the coal which turns into gas when
the coke is baked, so it is to the com
pany's interest to get all of the gas out,
it was said.
The other by-product equipment was
| inspected, 1t being shown by the gas
men why tar, ammounia and other sub
stances will clog the mains and result
in unbearable smells in homes where gas
I is consumed unless removed.
Gas is not permitted to escape the COM
pany officials stated, because with some
of the ovens out of repair practica ly
all of the time 1t is necessary to use all
of the gas produced by the others to
supply the demand.
WANT MORE ROOM
FOR COAL STORAGE
Addition to the coal storage facilities
at the Prospect plant, where approx
marely 10000 tons are on hand at pres
ent would relieve the fear OF a fuel
shortage which constantly hangs over
the company. 1t was said.
This supply win last about thirty
days.
a little more than month ago re-
serve supply OF only $1,000 tons was held.
The daily requirement of the plant is
1900 tons.
How the replacement OF the old coke
ovens at the Prospect plant with modern
ones such as the forty added to the plant
in 1918 would increase the gas produc-
ton was shown gas officials. -
Two kinds OF gas are produced In ali
coke ovens-lean and rich.
The rich gas is sent through the re-
fining process and ultimately to the con-
sumers, but the lean is sent back through
the ovens to heat the coke so as 10 pro-
duce more gas.
Rich gas is that with a British Their
NAL unit heat value Of from 400 10 900,
while lean" is less than 400 value.
The forty new ovens produce 60 per
cent "rich" and 81 per cent lean" gas.
while the old ovens, which are more than
ten years old, produce 30 per cent rich"
and 20 per cent lean"
If the old ovens were of the same eff
ficiency as the new between 30 and 40 per
cent of their production now necessarily
kept from reaching the consumers could
be put in the mains.
Statement of gas officials that all OF