New Britain herald., 1928-03-14

the plant Of each customer. This kind o1 service involves of course, operation of some or all of the pls mt
 day and night. Sundays and holidays,
 year in and year out. An insurance
 a galnst interruptions or service
 practically all the apparatus used is
 in duplicate and some even in tripli-
 cate. The fires never go out That
 phrase is . slogan of the great Con-
 solidated Gas Company Of New York
 and il was interesting to note quite
 recently when they started up a huge
 new plant that the fires were lighted with blazing coke brought from an-
 other plant which in it's turn had 1 been fired the same way, and so on
 back to the original works, con- structed in 1923. Quite a record ot
 continuity. but it can be matched
 by others.
 'The first gas in New Britain was made in the year 1857. The plant was then located on Commercial street, east of Main street on land now occupied by the Walker Truck
 ing company The building now used as q stable was then the retor' house. In 1S,1 these quarters Were found too cramped and a gas holder Was built on the present site at Pine and Meadow streets and the plant moved to that location. The increaS- ing growth Of the city has made necessary expansion so that the works now occupy a full city block, about | acres, and no doubt some day, another move may be found necessary. At present the New Brit ain Gas Light company is serving approximately 17.50o customers in the towns Of New Britain. Berlin and kensinston, through nearly 100 miles Of main lines and seventy miles of service pipe.
 Much Of a gas coulNauy's plant is evident above ground in the form of buildings, holders. machinery etc. but the major part of it is out of sight. underground in the form of mains and services and in the GUS toners houses as meters and their connections. One Of L he iimifatons Of the business is the low turnover of the capital invested in this plant. Many business men are distressed if their capital fails to turn over five or more times each year: the gas company must be content with turn over o- once in four 10 five wears. The capital once invested in the form of plant must stay there: there is little if any. that can be converted 10 other uses. should that seem desirable.
 ''Tho capital now invested in this business in the l'nted States amounts to approximately ..-oa, ,n00. .ooo dol lars. and is increasing yearly 70 meet the | demands for eXtt nsion of plant and mains all over the coun- try
 Sales Of gas in the United States have increased 352 per cent in the last D years and doubled in tcr years. New uses are constantly be- ing found and in operations, both domestic and industrial where heat fittt LII rtt'iS tDl!l pl4'tI lS ii''SI1tl, EhH finds it's useful place. In the home, i, cooking and water heating arc standard and the gas incinerator for i garbage and the gas fired laundry dryer are helping to make house keeping more and moro easy for our women folks
 House heating with gas as fuel . has passed the experimental stage and is bringing luxury and hoal1hful comfort to thousands Of American homes, aholishing completely mans i slavery 10 the coal shovel and ash . barrel, making available more space ln the house, and, with automatic . control, giving a degree of comfort ; .hat must be experienced to be fully !