SECOND DAY-THURSDAY, OCT. 21-MORNINg Session.

After order was called the Secretary read a communication from John W. Baker, of Philadelphia, inviting the members to examine a novel gas cooking stove which was in operation in a Sansom street restaurant.

The President then called upon Mr. W. H. Denniston, of Pittsburgh, Pa., who read the following paper, entitled

SOME FURTHER REMARKS ON NATURAL GAS.

Mr. President and Gentlemen of Association :-I now appear before you rather reluctantly, but I really could not well refuse the courteous inquiry of our Secretary, who wished to know if I would again favor the Association with something on natural gas, and who also asked if my views on the subject had not changed somewhat from those entertained by me at the time of our meeting in Cincinnati, Ohio, last year. I am neither so modest nor indifferent as not to have re-read my paper and the discussion thereon, on the subject, after these had been printed in the American Gas Light Journal,* but I had been careless enough not to file my copies of the Journal, and upon receipt of the Secretary's last invitation I was, in order to refresh my memory, obliged to send to New York for another number of that publication, which was duly forwarded. Having looked over the opinions then expressed, I do not find that these have changed materially, although I may confess to having since learned something that I did not then know about natural gas. I know now that a good high candle power illuminant can be economically made from the natural gas product. This, no doubt, is what the Secretary referred to when he asked if my views had not undergone some change since our last meeting.

I said last year that I had experimented and succeeded in making -though not continuously so—a good gas; but the success was not attended with material advantage, since the product cost me as much to make as coal gas did. Further, I said because I had failed, and others in the same line had also failed, in making out of it a cheap and good illuminant, that it did not follow someone else

*See anti, Page 50.

would not yet succeed in so doing. Our good friend McMillin emphasized that point. I also said that in any event it behooved those of us interested in coal and coal gas to be on the alert to take advantage of any good thing offered; and in closing my reference I said that even if natural gas were made into a successful illuminant there was no good reason why we, the managers of the coal gas companies, should not be the most responsible and efficient parties to introduce and utilize it, for we had the plant, and could certainly distribute it more cheaply— our services being all in and mains laid—at a less cost than was possible of achievement by new companies, or those especially organized for the purpose.

Now, I am of the "same opinion still" in these respects; and I hold that the coal gas men are to-day in a better position to utilize natural gas for illuminating purposes than are the natural gas men themselves, even with their fuel pipes laid in the same cities and in the same streets occupied by the coal gas mains. That state of affairs will continue as long as the natural product is so abundant, or is to be furnished at a high pressure for such comparatively low prices. If the supply shrinks and the price goes up, then competition may take place, for meters will be put in, and conservation of the vast quantities now actually wasted will begin. Also, when the fuel gas must be furnished at a low pressure a higher price must be charged for the lesser volume, and competition may thus be made possible.

People interested in manufactures and in the locating of manufactories now hardly stop to consider whether or not the present supply of natural gas is to remain with us indefinitely, nor do they care greatly about questioning what it is composed of, or making close scrutiny into the matter of its components' percentage. This one fact is accepted-where it is found in large volume, that place is at once voted a favored locality; and another great victory is accorded it-which bears no relation whatever to the "heat unit" end of the problem-that success in high degree has been attained in the texture, finish—in short, in a real enchanced value of the product of the manufacturer who uses natural gas as a fuel, over the product from the furnace, mill or factory operated by a competitor not so fortunately situated.

Thus what was at first considered problematical or looked upon with doubt, and, even where permanence was desired, with much theorizing and distrust, is now accepted as a fact beyond questioning. For years natural gas has belched forth without attempt at its utilization being made, and now that it is being so extensively employed, no perceptible diminution (at least in many cases) in the supply volume is noted. Of course, in some districts in which this gas has been found a greater or less decrease in pressure is observed, and perhaps the ordinary methods used for increasing the supply have failed of that purposenotably so within our own city limits; but I speak as a class of the clearly defined pools or localities where the unusually high pressures have been found. That the flow has been greatly reduced in some places does not make it certain that all will ultimately fail, nor can we argue that these are exceptions to a general rule. Despite all that has been taught and learned on this part of the subject, we are still at sea; but ordinary minds, and men possessed of profound scientific attainments as well, will go on with their studies and theorizing about it, and even these, most likely, so far as we know or care, may but end in theory.

But as gas men-and principally (if not entirely) coal gas men-how does natural gas affect us? Let me reply to you: In more ways than those which simply relate to illuminating gas, and the effect of its operation will extend beyond the limits of the territory in which it is found so abundantly.

A few years ago we were admonished to assiduously cultivate a fuel custom for our gas. We were told how some of our brethren even furnished as stoves to their customers—“ free, gratis, for nothing"-in order to secure a consumption in the hours of daylight. I went into the gas stove business, on behalf of the company with which I am connected, to a limited extent, too; but, like most others similarly situated, I have not extended or largely developed that particular branch of our industry. Natural gas is now so cheap in Pittsburgh that oldfashioned, wide, open-hearthed fire-places, with "back logs and fore sticks," are the rage, and highly ornamental " dog irons," with cranes and pots and kettles to match, are becoming quite common. Of course new and fancy as well as useful and orna

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mental designs are on the market. And here is where the natural gas furore will eventuate in general good to the fraternity. People will become accustomed to the use of gaseous fuel. using it as a luxury, it soon becomes a necessity (more particularly when applied to manufacturing industries), and its application will be increased and extended all over the country. Then new schemes and ways for the manufacture and utilization of fuel gas will be brought to our attention, and those of us near and remote, as the case may be, from natural gas territory will be benefited. Even those who are right in the territory and, so to speak, surrounded by gas wells, can prosper materially by making the most of their opportunities.

You all know with what doubt, almost amounting to aversion, we coal gas men looked upon the assumption of the water and oil gas processes, and yet we can see how they can be made use of, not to supplant coal gas, but to utilize them in such a way that our output per ton of coal may be increased and the candle power of the gas product be magnified, and thus a benefit be conferred upon the gas companies and their patrons.

The same generous view may be taken in respect to natural gas. It is not impossible (as has been attempted to be demonstrated by coal gas companies) to deliver both fuel gas and lighting gas through one set of mains; but where we have natural gas the consequent cheapness of the fuel-which requires delivery at a higher pressure than for light-would make the separate conduits a convenience, if not a necessity, even if the candle power of natural gas were greater than is generally the case.

That natural gas can be mixed with coal gas, and that it can be enriched with water gas and with naphtha are established facts. We may theorize, talk wise (and otherwise), offer chemical and scientific arguments against the practice, and say that it is not possible to make an illuminant of it; but it has been done. Anyone who wants to, and will take the trouble to investigate the subject, can be satisfied and convinced that it is being done in the East End, Pittsburgh; in Beaver Falls; in Titusville; in Meadville; in Warren; in Franklin; in Oil City, and other places in Pennsylvania. It could not be successfully done by simply retorting it, for I tried that years ago and failed. It is not done by the ordinary mode of carburetting. Passing it

through oil or naphtha increases the illuminating power to some extent, but at the same time gives imperfect combustion, and its use in that form imposes on the walls and ceilings an extra covering.

It must be passed through incandescent coals, and enriched at the same time, to make it into a fixed, non-condensable, good illuminating gas-I mean fixed and non-condensable as the terms are applied to other gases. The enricher may consist of crude or refined oil, or any of its products, gasoline, benzine, etc. It can be used without steam; but perhaps to better advantage with it. At any rate, a small amount of steam does no injury. The candle power can be increased or diminished at will. Too rich a gas is neither desirable to the consumer, nor profitable to the manufacturer.

As the candle power of natural gas in our immediate vincinity does not differ much, there need be but little variation from a defined formula for producing the fixed illuminating gas. Even if it did vary the process would be the same, and the enriching material proportions be increased or decreased to accomplish the desired result. The whole plant necessary to put such process in operation, from comparison with a coal gas works of equal manufacturing capacity, is merely nominal, and this is one of the great recommendations. Another and perhaps no less valuable requisite is that if the natural gas should cease to flow or become so scarce as to become comparatively expensive, the very same plant that we have can be used, without any loss of time, and with little additional cost, to manufacture water gas.

Patents upon patents have been issued for carburetters of various kinds; but so far as making a fixed, economical, and, at the same time, satisfactory light to the consumer is concerned, they have been but a delusion and a snare; but this process now in use is all that is claimed for it. As I said before, I do not ask you to take my word for it, or go to theorizing about it. I simply say come and see it in operation. Further, I can say if any of our members or their friends within the natural gas belt wish to try the process, parties can be found who will give a written guarantee it will do all that is claimed for it; if not, the buyer need not lose a cent, for if it does not accomplish all that is asserted, it will be taken down and away at the guarantor's expense.