the business, with a prospect of millions more being put out in the same direction before the maximum of such ventures will be reached. We can better realize the immensity of this business in and around Pittsburgh by means of comparison. Take a single manufacturing establishment that had been buying, not a single car load of coal, but the contents of an entire train of fifty or sixty coal-laden cars every day in the week. The cessation of that single purchaser would in itself materially curtail the output of some of our largest mines; but that single stoppage is a 66 mere bagatelle." Imagine, if you can, a great city with its wealth centred in its manufacturing establishments—many of them gigantic in their proportions—and picture all, or nearly all, of these immense establishments employing natural gas for fuel where formerly coal alone was used, and you may form some idea of the magnitude of the revolution in heating methods. Why, there is a single corporation, only a few months old, whose capital is now between four and five millions of dollars; and it would require the foresight of an Elijah to predict what its capital may be one year hence. That corporation is now selling at the rate of one and one-half to two millions dollars worth of gas per annum, and is then not disposing of its entire product. Computed at the same rate as that sold, nearly another million dollars worth goes to waste.

But this natural gas industry or field of production is not confined to Pittsburgh and vicinity. As I have said, it has been found in nearly all parts of the globe; and, therefore, as there "is no telling where lightning may strike," so also is there no predicting where the next gusher will be found. Indeed, who will say, judging the future by the past and present, that ere long Western Pennsylvania may not be piping fuel to the Metropolis, and Eastern Ohio supplying Chicago and the West with a cheap substitute for corn-cob fires!

Well, when found what is it? It is as different as the different grades of petroleum or rock oil. In some places the illuminating qualities of the gas are placed at ten to twelve-candle power, when used in ordinary burners. In the vicinity of Pittsburghespecially the Murraysville gas-the illuminating value is of only about eight-candle power. In its crude state it affords a very good fuel medium, but it is a poor illuminator.

Nearly two years ago, or when the first natural gas pipes were laid within our city limits, and in our "East End" district, I had a pipe run to the gas works, and endeavored to make an illuminating gas out of the natural product. I succeeded, too.

Now, I am not a chemist, nor do I claim to be an expert gas engineer; but, for a short time, I had the valuable assistance of Messrs. Robert Young, of Allegheny City, and J. H. McElroy, of the old Pittsburgh gas works. You all know who and what they are, and are conversant with the fact that they are not novices in our business.

The only experiments of which I have personal knowledge were those made by the aid of the crude apparatus then at hand. The gentlemen named have since made more extensive and more careful investigations; but the result originally reached was that the product from the wells in Murraysville neighborhood was almost a pure marsh gas, having about eight-candle power. It needed no purification, and was almost odorless. Heating it made no difference in its quality. We passed it through small pipe and large pipe; through iron and through clay pipe. Under high heats and low heats it was still, comparatively, the same. Then we used rich coal gas, petroleum-crude and refined-also gasoline and benzine as enrichers, and made gas of different grades that is, it differed in its illuminating qualities-but, everything considered, it was an unsatisfactory substitute for coal gas as an illuminating agent. The experiments, though, were well worth the trouble and expense to which we had been put, for we felt that natural gas would not immediately destroy the coal gas interests, whatever might be the result in the unknown future.

We did not claim all the wisdom in the world, or that we had exhausted every device for gaining the end sought, and we did not assert that something would not be forthcoming to make it an active competitor; but we felt easy, at the time, as to our coal gas investments, although it was even then apparent that natural gas would soon be the fuel for the mills.

We found that the kind of burner used would make a difference as to the amount of light afforded by a given quantity; also, that if there was too large a quantity of the naphtha enricher used the gas would smoke; if not enough, a blue flame

was the result. In either case the gas was unsatisfactory. It was next to impossible to regulate it so as to ensure a steady or unvarying quality of illumination-indeed, at times, there is a decided variation in the composition of the gas that issues from the same well. While this experimenting above noted was going on-you may believe it or not-my position was far from being a "happy one." All along the line there was a howl about poor gas, just as soon as it became known that experiments with natural gas were being made. It was some months after it had been entirely cut off before I could convince our customers that I was selling them coal gas.

It was not so much the quality that caused the dissatisfaction, but rather the idea that I was still sending out natural gas and selling it to them (mixed with benzine) at coal gas prices. I challenged tests; I told them they were getting good seventeencandle power coal gas. The experiment had a most demoralizing effect, and I do not now know that our company has entirely recovered from it yet, although during the past year we have thrown a "sprat to the whale" in the shape of a twenty per cent. reduction from the price then charged.

Since the time I speak of "companies and companies" have been formed; private parties have invested and speculated; individuals and companies have been bought out, and combinations have been effected. The territory of Messrs. McElroy and Young has been invaded, and they have sought to and do control, at least to a large degree, what at first seemed to be an influential competitor. Now gas of both sorts-for lighting and heating—is being delivered by them to the same class of customers, through different main systems, of course. They at last seemed to be satisfied that natural gas has come to stay for some time, and so have made their preparations accordingly. In other localities where natural gas has been found and utilized, in nearly every instance a diminution of the supply has been observed. This is especially the case at East Liverpool, Ohio; Erie, Pa., and throughout the oil territory of Northwestern Pennsylvania, and even at Sharpsburgh, near Pittsburg, as well as at other places of lesser note. Like the great oil pools, the end may come, and in the same way.

The supply around Pittsburgh now seems inexhaustible, and it is found on all sides of the city-to the north, south, east, and west. Whether it is inexhaustible or not is the problem now in process of solution. The oil supply in the most wonderfully prolific districts did dwindle down to "nil." The gas output may follow the same course. The gas-containing strata developed in different ages of the world's formation may not have sufficient capacity for storage of an indefinite supply, and the manufacturing facilities" down below" may not be equal to the demand. What causes it? Why is it found in certain localities and not in others? Is it of animal or vegetable origin? Or is it of animal origin in one place, and vegetable or a compound of both sorts at another place? These are all questions upon which there are held all sorts and varieties of opinions. This fact, however, remains—those of us interested in coal and coal gas, who are residents of the natural gas-bearing sections of the country, need to learn all we can about this very subject.

Already parties are claiming that plans have been perfected which will insure its use for illumination as universally as it is now being employed as a fuel. It is a menace to the coal gas interests. Whether or not it will injure such interests to a greater extent than has been done by water gas, electricity, or other lighting methods, no one can foretell with certainty. If made a success as an illuminant, there is no good reason why the coal gas companies should not employ it in connection with their present plant, for the reason that a large proportion of their capital is invested in street mains, and changes can be easily and cheaply made in our distribution systems if found desirable to supply natural gas either in part or in whole.

The pressure at which the gas is delivered in the city of Pittsburgh will soon be regulated by means of high and low pressure pipes. The large or delivery mains from the wells will be maintained at heavy pressure, while the mains for tapping and distributing the output to consumers will be carried at low pressure.

I have used natural gas as fuel under the retorts, and found it a good substitute for coke. I only used it when there was a demand for all the coke made. I then paid (for a quantity of gas equal in fuel effect to the coke that would have been used (a sum equal to what the coke would have been worth in the yard. In

that way I supplied my coke customers, and used their money in return to pay for our fuel gas.

Since writing the above I mentioned to a friend that I had prepared a short article on the subject of " Natural Gas," which was to be read at the next meeting of the Association. He in turn asked me what I thought of Emerson McMillin's article on the subject. I had to plead ignorance, because I had been away from home at the time the paper was published in the American Gas Light Journal. On my return I did not have time enough to spare even to read the daily papers; so I did not hunt up the Journal which contained the paper mentioned until last Sunday. On that day I looked it up and read it over carefully. It furnished me with excellent Sunday reading. Our Secretary knew of that paper, and I can hardly understand why he should have asked me to dilate upon the theme after Mr. McMillin had handled it so carefully. I would recommend those who have not seen the McMillin article to get a copy of the Journal (date of August 17, 1885,) and read it. They will find a vast deal of information on this subject that is presented in a most interesting manner. I know the difficulty experienced in inducing members to prepare papers to be read and discussed at our annual meetings; and while I would have preferred that someone else had been called upon to formally present this question, I feel that I have only performed a duty in complying with the request of the Secretary. I leave it with the Association to decide whether or not the matter presented by me is worth their discussion.

Discussion.

MR. DENNISTON-In the paper I have made some facetious remarks about piping gas to the Metropolis and to Chicago. While reading the newspapers yesterday I noticed that a a proposition had been mooted by capitalists to convey natural gas in pipes to the seaboard; so that although I have referred to the project in a humorous way, there may be really more in it than we now anticipate.

THE PRESIDENT-This is a very interesting subject to all of us, and I hope the paper will meet with a full discussion. Perhaps some of the members would like to ask Mr. Denniston some questions. He is no doubt prepared to answer them.