Richmond daily register. (Richmond, Madison County, Ky.) 1917-1978, 1921-02-08

Problems So vitality Dependent on
Our Natural Gas Supply-By-prod-
uct Producer Gas Seen as Possible
Remedy-Low Temperature DistiIa-
tion Processes Receive Attention.
Americas natural gas supply is be-
ing exhausted by criminal negligence
and reckless extravaganza, according
to Prof. Robert H. Fernald, head OF
the department. of mechanical engineer
ing in the University of Pennsylvania,
who in a survey for the American So
ciety Of Mechanical Engineers urges
the use of by-product producer gas to
relieve an acute national situation.
1.-The rapid exhaustion of our nat
ural gas supply through criminal neg
Hgence and reckless extravaganza re-
Sulting in drastic restrictions in order
to conserve what little we have left
brings us abruptly to a realization of
the situation and leads US seriously
to query regarding possible substitu-
tons for this remarkable natural fuel,'
says DR.. Fernald, formerly engineer in
Investigations upon gas producers for
the United States geological survey
ana the bureau of mines.
Situation Is Acute.
THE situation is acute. 1t is there
fore imperative that we begin exhaus-
tive investigations to determine the
most practical Solation of the indus
trial problems that have been for many
years past SO vitality dependent upon
on,
reached through such Investigations
may lead into channels quite different
from those under consideration at the
present time, as the necessity of the
situation may develop unthOught of
possibilities.
with the limited amount of study
that has been given to. this problem
to date, the most conspicuous source
of relief seems to be through the de-
velopment of by-product producer gas.
This, Of course, is practically an I'M
known field in the United States.
Spasmodic attempts to develop inter-
est have come to the attention of en-
gineers from time to time, but no Seri-
Gus study of the situation in its
relation to the larger commercial de-
veIopments of. the country has as yet
been undertaken.
''In Europe we find by-prOduct pro-
Queer gas somewhat extensively used
and the large central; station near the
mines recovering the by-products from
the. fuel and distributing the gas I'M
der pressure for severa! miles through
the industrial districts, has become
dependable source of supply.
"Through the abundance of our fuel
supply and our Indifference to the
needs of future generations we have
been ruthlessly eXtravagant and waste
full of our fuel resources during the
past decades. An appreciation of the
necessity of recovering by-products has
but recently received thoughtful con-
sideration from those agencies that
are most seriously interested in the
problems of fuel conservation.
Study and Research.
"At the present moment low temper
allure distillation processes are at
tracing more than casual attention.
Investigation may show combination
of low temperature distillation and the
manufacture of by-prOduct producer
gas to be distinctly economical and
commercial solution of our natural gas
problems, as these processes, on the
one hand, lead to the maximum by
product recovery, and, on the other,
to a supply of gas commercially adapt
able to heating and general industrial
processes.
"Our natural gas situation is seri-
Gus one. The solution requires more
than the casual financial interest of
the private dividend seeker. 1t re-
Quires systematic study and research
involving the expenditure of large
sums of money. 1t is a problem of
national Importance and must be at
tackled on Il broad basis. 1t calls for
the best thought and most serious con-
SideratiOn of the ableSt experts avail
able, financially supported from
sources that will guarantee the re-
suits of the investigation to be free
from industrial and commercial bias.
at has been estimated that two dec
AIDES will see the total exhaustion of
the natural gas supply. We cannot af-
ford tO wait loropr"