day, just before this meeting was opened, what I considered the elements of cost in making 1,000 feet of gas? I hope that trail will be followed up.

MR. NEAL-I understand that Mr. Forestall, who was with Captain Dresser and Mr. Greenough on their trip abroad, spent a great deal of time in the examination of the Paris gas works. He is prevented from being with us to-day by the ravages of the yellow fever. I understand that he had prepared, or was to have prepared, a very interesting paper upon that subject, to be read to us; and, perhaps, in this connection, it would be well for Captain Dresser, in the absence of Mr. Forstall, to give us some account of the Paris works.

CAPTAIN DRESSER-I would say that when Mr. Forstall was absent, Mr. Greenough was the Frenchman of the party.

MR. GREENOUGH-I think it hardly fair that any individious remarks should be made about the exceedingly small proportion of the French language that I am familiar with. In reference to the Paris works, I would simply say that Mr. Forstall was in Paris very much longer than I was, and he devoted much more study and attention than I did to the Paris gas works. I understood that he was to prepare a paper on that subject to present to this meeting. The number of gas works in Paris that I visited was very few indeed. My principal object, while in Paris, was to familiarize myself as much as possible with the working of the electric light, and not in any way to bestow careful attention upon the details of gas manufacture, and I was at only two or three gas works, and made but a very cursory examination of them. The necessity of utilizing their coke is so much greater than it is with us, and it is so much more important for them to save every pound of it that they can, that they have devised, as you all know, the most ingenious plans for saving it, and at the same time obtaining very high heats. The average temperature of their retorts was 135° C, or 2,500° F. Their retorts are 25X10X9 feet, and they are charged every four hours with about 270 pounds of coal. Their works present a singular contrast to the London works; and the impression which was left on the English engineers, who visited Paris in company with us, was very great, especially

when they found that in the works which we visited they had 1,100 retorts, and were making about 8,000 feet from each one of them, and that, too, with the use of only about 25 per cent. of coke as fuel; and I think that in the works where they were using either the Siemens furnace, or another similar one that was arranged by themselves, they saved about a quarter of that 25 per cent. The utilization of the residuals, coke, ammonia, etc., is so much of an object to them that the chief engineer of the Paris company, M. Arson, told me that his residuals paid him not only for the manufacture of his gas, but also for a very considerable portion of the cost of distribution. That is a result, the bringing about of which, I think, we should hail with enthusiasm in this country.

The impression left on my mind, after visiting the works in Paris and in London, was, that if we were to take the French retort house, and the English purifying apparatus, and run them in conjunction, we should have pretty nearly a perfect set of works. At the works at La Villette, the arrangements for purification were singularly simple, and small, as compared with those of the great London companies. It is my recollection that the only purification to which the gas was subjected was that of oxide of iron. Charging, as they do, their retorts every four hours, instead of every six, as the English do, it was contended by the French engineers, and, I must say, I think with entire correctness, that the amount of bi-sulphide of carbon was very much less in the French gas than in the English. That assertion was at once contradicted by the English engineers who were present; but it is my impression, notwithstanding, that the Frenchmen were entirely right.

I have very little to say on the subject of these French gas companies. The relation of the Parisian companies with the public I suppose you are all familiar with It simply amounts to this, that the Parisian company in 1853 or 1854, contracted to supply Paris with gas for fifty years. They sell to consumers at a price equal to about $1.75 per 1,000 feet, and they supply the street lamps at half that price, I think. They are allowed to pay 10 per cent. dividends to their stockholders, to provide for a sinking fund, with which their stocks shall event

ually be redeemed, and also to provide for all repairs that are necessary; and then any extra dividends which they pay beyond that, they are required to divide equally with the city of Paris. That, of course, gives the city the interest of a partner of the company. The amount of money which was paid to the city of Paris last year by the companies was, I think, 8,500,000 francs, which a little more than paid for the gas they burned. You thus see that they made some money by the operation.

CAPT. DRESSER-They paid for the gas they burned at about the rate of 87 cents; then what they got from the division of profits, over and above the authorized dividends of the company, a little more than paid for the gas they used. So that, under such a condition of things, it will be seen that it is to the interest of the city to burn as much gas as possible. The more gas they burn, the more money they make. [Laughter.]

MR. GREENOUGH-On the night of the great illumination in Paris, celebrating the anniversary of the Republic, when I happened to be there, the engineer of one of the companies told me that they were ordered by the city to furnish gas for 400,000 extra lamps that night. I believe that is all I have to say upon this point at present. I shall be glad to answer any questions that may be asked, so far as I am able to do so. One thing I had forgotten to say, and that is, they make the most beautiful exhibition of their residuals at the exposition.

They not only work their coal tar and ammonia water into ordinary products, but they also produce a species of fuel which is extensively sold throughout the country, at a very great profit, as I understand. Using their coke dust, and, I think their coal dust, and mixing with it the residuals of their tar stills, they produce blocks of this compound, which are, perhaps, about 12 inches square. These they sell to railroad companies for fuel. They are very easily stored on the tenders of engines, and you will see them in piles of thousands of tons around the large railroad stations in the vicinity of Paris. The working up of their residuals is carried on in the most exquisite way, and the products which they show are such, as to excite astonishment, that they can be produced from a source we are all so familiar

with, and from which we get so little. They make the most beautiful exhibition of their products in this line. We had the pleasure of being present at a luncheon which was given to the Societée Technique, and also, to the British Association of Gas Managers. The tables were spread in the new retort house belonging to the Parisian Company, at Ivry. I think the gentlemen who were present were very much surprised to see the extraordinary beautiful trophy which was there exhibited. It was on the brick wall at the end of the building, the extraordinary construction of it you would never notice, until you came to pick it to pieces, and see what it was composed of— rakes, stand-pipe augurs, shovels, etc. I would like to say, in this connection, that the hospitality with which we were received in England, was fully equaled by our reception at Paris. Nothing could exceed the courtesy and cordiality with which we were treated. I might say a good deal about electric light, but you will hear enough of that.

MR. PRICE-It has been said they manufacture all their material.

MR. GREENOUGH-They manufacture all their retorts and fire-bricks, not only for their own works, but for works at other places. They also sell some retorts.

CAPT. DRESSER-They make everything that they use. They make their own holders, their own fire-brick, etc.; and not only that, but they make gas stoves, and gas engines, and anything that will increase the use of gas.

MR. NEAL-Do they make money by the operation?

CAPT. DRESSER-I don't know; I did not get any from them.

MR. MCILHENNY-So much has been said by the gentlemen who have just addressed you, in regard to the manner in which they were received across the water, that I am tempted to say a few words upon that subject. I visited Europe three years ago, and I rise now simply for the purpose of making a statement that I have made privately to a good many members of the Association, in regard to the reception I met with. The expressions of the gentlemen who have been there since, have

been so unanimous with regard to the overflowing and spontaneous hospitality with which they were received, that I fear it is, perhaps, very ungracious for me to tell about the cool reception that I met with over there-in fact, no reception at all. They let me severely alone, and I could not account for it; but since Capt. Dresser has come back, it has all been made clear. He told me that he was told by all the people over there, that there was a gentleman visited them by my name, but that they thought he would not live to get back home. I think perhaps the lack of attention on their part, toward myself, was due to the fact, that they were afraid I would die on their hands, and they did not want a first-class corpse over there. [Laughter.]

CAPT. DRESSER—I would like to say one word in reply to what Mr. McIlhenny has said, and that is, that the treatment I received (and, so far as I have heard, the treatment that was received by the other gentlemen who were over there), from the moment I landed in Liverpool, till I left, was of the most hearty and cordial character. Everything that these gentlemen could do, in the way of giving information and allowing me to examine their books and papers, was done. Not only that, but they assured us, that if at any future time, anything came up in regard to which American gas companies wanted any information, they would give us all it was in their power to give. We were invited to their houses, and were treated in the most sincere and courteous manner, in every way, and I cannot conceive of anything being more hospitable, than these people were to us on every occasion. In going into small villages, and into gas works where I was entirely unknown, by simply announcing myself as from America, and interested in gas matters, I was immediately received with the greatest cordiality, and shown everything. There is no single instance, where there was any different treatment received by us, The feeling seemed to be, that they could not do enough to return the hospitality that had been shown, not only to the members of the gas profession, but to other English gentlemen who had been in this country; and there was the greatest desire on the part of all, to promote good feeling and increase their acquaintance with gentlemen from this side.