Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-13
NATURAL GAS SALE
TREND is UPWARD
New Uses Found for Product
Result in Greater
Distribution.
BY GEORGE z. DoYiNG.

The trend toward use of natural gas
continues undated. A survey made to-
day shows that, while new territory is
being opened for industrial and domes-
tic consumption and new commercial
uses are being found for the product,
new sources of supply are constantly
being developed and tremendous waste
Of the fuel goes on.
Although the wastage of natural gas
in California was reduced to u per cent
in 1880, nearly half Of the States prod
uction Of more than 554 billion cubic
feet was blown into the air. In the
Texas Panhandle district alone more
than half billion cubic feet Of natural
gas is wasted every day. Texas pro-
duces in excess OF two billion cubic feet
daily.
Increases General.
The large gas companies throughout
the country, particularly those using
natural gas, show material increases IN
consumption, due principally to their
efforts to develop use of the product for
house heating. The pipe line companies
are continuing the construction Of long
lines, and 1t is expected that the big
main being run from Texas to Chicago
will be in operation soon. Announce
ment has just been made Of the begin
ming Of work on a new pipe, line from
gas fields in Eastern Kentucky and the
Southern part Of West Virginia to
Washington, D. c., as part OF the
Columbia Gas & Electric Corporations
plan to develop the Eastern seaboard
markets.
The electric utilities are making in
creased use of natural gas, according
to the United States Geological Survey.
Last year the increase in the use of
this fuel in the making of electricity
was 81 per cent, jumping from about
112 billion to 40 billion cubic feet.
Ten years ago the electric companies
used less than "a billion cubic feet, so
that the increase in the last decade
has amounted to more than 400 per
cent.
In IL Western States about 1880
miles of new gas mains were laid last
year, making a total of 24,0l9 miles
now in use. Hundreds of small cities
and towns are receiving gas service and
thousands more will find 1t available
this year as the great pipe lines under
construction through the Central and
Eastern States reach completion.
New Uses Found.
New and novel uses are being found
for gas. Garages are installing gas
service to be used in breaking in" the
motors Of automobiles and buses. Au-
periments, hoping that they may find
an economical means of offering cars
ready for the road without the present
necessity of many miles of slow driving
for the purchaser. Less heat and slow
speed, without carbon or noise, are said
to be among the benefits of gas over
gasoline.
In Oregon the Portland Gas Utility
Is planning to furnish heat for
mushroom factory" where a gas-fired
hot-water system will maintain an
even temperature of SIS degrees in a
large insulated compartment.
Scores Of local gas utilities are tying
in with the new pipe lines and mixing
natural gas with the artificial product.
Whereas the gas industry not many
years ago was rather definitely on the
down grade, it has staged g. remarka-
BILE comeback and now Is making great
strides forward.
(CopyriEht, 1917