ANNUAL REPORT OF THE UNITED STATES INSPECTOR OF GAS AND METERS, FOR THE FISCAL YEAR ENDING JUNE 30, 1882. OFFICE UNITED STATES INSPECTOR OF GAS AND METERS, SIR: I have the honor herewith to submit the annual report of this office, showing its operations for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882. At its commencement will be found condensed tables giving the illuminating power and purity of the gas furnished by the gas companies during the year. Full monthly statements will be found in Tables A and B. In the remaining tables, lettered C, D, E, F, and G, the monthly inspection of meters, the pressure of the gas, and the receipts and expenditures are fully stated. Very respectfully, your obedient servant, Hon. HENRY M. TELLER, S. CALVERT FORD, Inspector of Gas and Meters. Secretary of the Interior. ILLUMINATING POWER AND PURITY. The illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied in this District during the year ending June 30, 1882, will compare favorably with previous years since inspection has been in operation. The gas manufactured and supplied by the Washington Gas Light Company is not entirely a product from coal; they use naphtha as an enricher. This hydrocarbon is converted into a fixed gas, and then united with the gas obtained from coal. This combination of the gases from coal and naphtha yields an illuminating gas of high specific gravity. On some occasions complaints were made of its giving off smoke; this nuisance will arise, however, from several causes, such as a scant or inadequate supply, imperfect or unsuitable burners, and deficient pressure. If the supply of gas and the pressure be not ample to give a perfect shape or form to flat-flame burners, smoke and unpleasant odors produced by imperfect combustion must be the result. The gas supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Company is manu factured entirely from coal, Pennsylvania and West Virginia coals being used, with from 10 to 15 per cent. of Cannelton cannel coal as an enricher. The inspection of this gas since October, 1881, has been made at the laboratory located on High street, the distance from the gas works by company's mains being about 2,400 feet. Testing the illuminating power of the gas at this point affords a more satisfactory average of quality than when inspected at laboratory adjoining the company's manufacturing department. The illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Company from June 24, 1881, to June 23, 1882, was as follows: Average illuminating power during the year. Average quantity of ammonia in 100 cubic feet during the year candles.. 16.87 .61 ..do.... 5.13 Specific gravity.—Average specific gravity, .491; air, 1.000; highest, .591; lowest, .425. On eighteen occasions during the past year the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Company was of less illuminating power than sixteen candles, as follows: On twelve occasions the gas of this company contained a slight excess of ammonia over the 5 grains allowed in each 100 cubic feet: On five occasions the gas supplied by this company contained an excess of sulphur over the 20 grains allowed in each 100 cubic feet : The illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Company from June 24, 1881, to June 23, 1882, was as follows: Average illuminating power during the year. candles.. 16.94 ...do.......... 20.16 1.57 ...do.... 13.86 .30 .do.... 10. 68 .do.... 16. 44 .do.... 5. 20 Specific gravity.-Average specific gravity, .454; air, 1.000; highest, .530; lowest, .418. On twenty-eight occasions during the past year the gas supplied by the Georgetown Gas Light Company was of less illuminating power than sixteen candles, as follows: On twelve occasions the gas supplied by this company contained an excess of ammonia over the 5 grains allowed in each 100 cubic feet. One thousand four hundred and twenty meters were inspected and proved by this office during the fiscal year ending June 30, 1882. With the exception of two meters inspected and proved for the Alexandria Gas Light Company, the above number were inspected and proved for the Washington and Georgetown Gas Light Companies and for consumers of gas. The results of inspection were as follows: 33 registered fast against the consumers, average error 3.56 per cent.; 117 registered slow against the companies, average error 7.21 per cent.; 1,216 registered within the limits allowed by law, namely, 2 per cent. either way, and were sealed and returned to the companies for service; 51 did not register the gas flowing through them, and one was locked so no inspection could be made. Two hundred and twenty of the above-mentioned meters were inspected and proved on complaint; 55 were complained of by consumers of gas; 17 registered fast, average error 4.16 per cent.; 13 registered slow, average error 3.96 per cent.; 25 registered within the limits allowed by law; 165 were complained of by the gas companies; 3 registered fast, average error 4.28 per cent.; 91 registered slow, average error 10.86 per cent.; 19 registered within the limits allowed by law; 51 did not register, and 1 was locked. I respectfully recommend that the act of Congress regulating gasworks, approved June 23, 1874, be modified so as to require, when for any purpose whatever the heads of meters that have been inspected, proved, and sealed are removed by the gas companies, meters of this description should be classed as repaired meters, and brought to this office for reinspection before again being placed in service. The seal of the inspector is the evidence that the meter has been properly tested and proven as required by law. To admit the right of the companies to remove the head of a sealed meter and rectify whatever is wrong, and return meter to service without reinspection and sealing, would be to render the law practically inoperative, by making uncertain, if not impossible, the protection secured through inspection and sealing by the office created for that purpose. S. CALVERT FORD, Inspector of Gas and Meters. TABLE A.-Report of the illuminating power and purity of the gas supplied by the Washington Gas Light Company from June 24, 1881, to June 23, 1882. Illuminating power in Quantity of ammonia in Quantity of sulphur in 100 cubic feet. 100 cubic feet. Lowest. AVERAGE FOR THE YEAR. Illuminating power in sperm Quantity of ammonia in 100 Quantity of sulphur in 100 candles. cubic feet. cubic feet. reted hydro Mean number of * Each observation consists of twenty readings on the Bunsen photometer, at intervals of one minute. REMARKS.-On eighteen occasions the illuminating power of the gas was less than sixteen candles. Traces of sulphureted hydrogen were found on two hundred and eighty occasions. S. CALVERT FORD, United States Inspector of Gas and Meters for the District of Columbia. Sulphu Number of occasions that sulphureted hydrogen was present during the year. |