TABLE 12.—Summary of accidents other than street railways and motor busses investigated by the bureau.

GAS-INSPECTION BUREAU.

E. G. RUNYAN, Inspector of Gas and Meters.

The duties of this bureau comprise testing and sealing all gas meters to be installed by the gas utilities, inspecting and testing gas meters upon request of consumers, investigating the quality and pressure of the gas furnished, and verifying the statements of all gas meters in use in all the buildings and offices occupied by the District government and certifying to the correctness of the account rendered for the use of gas.

The salaries of the inspector, three assistants, and one messenger were paid, as heretofore, from the appropriations for the general government of the District of Columbia, as provided by law, until June 30. During the remainder of the year they were paid from the appropriation for the Public Utilities Commission, as provided in the appropriation act. The additional inspector who had been employed during 1913 was discontinued. This was made possible by the procedure in testing meters under the new regulations.

The following is a description of the relations existing between the testing stations of the bureau and the holders and manufacturing plants of the gas utilities. The Washington Gas Light Co. distributes gas to its consumers from holders located at its two manufacturing plants, the west works at Twenty-sixth and G Streets NW. and the east works at Twelfth and M Streets SE., and also from a holder at First and K Streets SW., which may be filled with gas from either manufacturing plant. The gas-inspection bureau maintains three testing stations in the territory supplied by this company, the northwest testing station at 1405 Fourteenth Street NW., normally supplied with gas from the west works; the southeast testing station, at Fifth and D Streets SE., supplied with gas from the east works, and the central testing station and office headquarters, at the northeast corner of Tenth and D Streets NW., which may get a supply from either works or from the holder at First and K Streets SW. The Georgetown Gas Light Co. maintains a manufacturing plant, with the necessary holders, at 1118 Twenty-ninth Street NW. The Georgetown testing station of this bureau is located at the northeast corner of Wisconsin and Dumbarton Avenues for the purpose of testing the gas sent out by this company. Daily inspections are made by this bureau of the gas supplied at the four testing stations.

REGULATIONS.

During the first eight months of the year this bureau was carrying on its work under the old regulations. On September 1, 1914, the new regulations of the Public Utilities Commission for gas service went into effect, and since that date all work of this bureau has been done in conformity with these regulations. On account of changes in the requirements of the new regulations, some of the data obtained during the two periods will be considered separately.

The old regulations, which were in force until August 31, were printed in full in the last annual report of this bureau. They required an illuminating power of not less than 22 candles, fixed the maximum limit of total sulphur at 20 grains in 100 cubic feet of gas, of ammonia at 5 grains, and prohibited the presence of hydrogen sulphide.

The new regulations, which became effective September 1, appear in full as Order No. 86 in Formal Case No. 28 in Appendix C of this report. They require that the monthly average total heating value of the gas supplied by any gas utility for any calendar month shall not be less than 600 British thermal units per cubic foot of gas nor shall the daily total heating value of the gas for any day fall below 550 British thermal units per cubic foot of gas; that the gas shall contain not more than 30 grains of total sulphur in 100 cubic feet of gas and not more than 5 grains of ammonia in 100 cubic feet of gas; that the gas shall not show the presence of any hydrogen sulphide; and that the pressure measured at the outlet of the company's service pipes shall be never less than 2 inches nor more than 6 inches of water. During the month of August the central, northwest, and Georgetown testing stations were equipped with gas calorimeters of the Junkers. type. On September 1, at the time the new regulations went into effect, the three stations mentioned were prepared to make heating-value determinations of the gas supply, and all four stations were provided with apparatus for the carrying out of the regulations in regard to tests of total sulphur, ammonia, hydrogen sulphide, and pressure.

ILLUMINATING POWER.

UNDER OLD REGULATIONS.

Washington Gas Light Co.-A total of 550 official photometric tests of the gas supplied by this company gave a mean of 22.93 candles. On 23 days the illuminating power was below the legal standard of 22 candles at some 1 station, on 11 days it was below the standard at 2 stations, and on 2 days it was below the standard at the 3 stations.

Georgetown Gas Light Co.-Two hundred and two official photometric tests of the gas supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Co. gave a mean of 22.77 candles. On three days the tests showed the candlepower to be below the legal standard of 22 candles.

For the results of the tests of illuminating power, see Tables 13, 14, 15, and 16.

TABLE 13-Illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Jan. 1, 1914, to Aug. 31, 1914 (central testing station).

• Each observation consists of 10 readings on the Bunsen photometer, at intervals of 1 minute.

TABLE 14.—Illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Jan. 1, 1914, to Aug. 31, 1914 (southeast testing station).

a Each observation consists of 10 readings on the Bunsen photometer, at intervals of 1 minute.

TABLE 15-Illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Jan. 1, 1914, to Aug. 31, 1914 (northwest testing station).

a Each observation consists of 10 readings on the Bunsen photometer, at intervals of 1 minute.

TABLE 16.-Illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Co. from Jan. 1, 1914, to Aug. 31, 1914 (Georgetown testing station).

• Each observation consists of 10 readings on the Bunsen photometer, at intervals of 1 minute.

HEATING VALUE.

UNDER NEW REGULATIONS.

Washington Gas Light Co.-A total of 178 official calorimetric tests of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. gave a mean of 629.6 British thermal units per cubic foot of gas.

Georgetown Gas Light Co.-Ninety-five official calorimetric tests of the gas supplied by this company gave a mean of 645.7 British thermal units per cubic foot of gas.

For the results of the tests of heating value, see Tables 17, 18, 19 and 20.

TABLE 17.-Heating value and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Sept. 1, 1914, to Dec. 31, 1914 (central testing station).

TABLE 18.-Heating value and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Sept. 1, 1914, to Dec. 31, 1914 (southeast testing station).

TABLE 19.-Heating value and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Co. from Sept. 1, 1914, to Dec. 31, 1914 (northwest testing station).