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ECONOMICAL USE  OF CAS,
t
ADDRESSED TO THE
GAS CONSUMERS OF LOUISVILLE
BY
ROBERT G. COURTENAY, Pres't. Louisville Gas Co.
 "Habitual Economy is the greatest lie 1|< to IJ as-lighting.  Jt has $


always been, and it will continue to he, its best friend."
ci
      LOUISVILLE, KY.

C. SETTLE, PRINTER, 97 THIRD STliEEJ

          185S.         1
rC^e^n^^^^^1^^
 
 
HINTS
ECONOMICAL  USE OF GAS,
ADDRESSED TO THE
GAS  CONSUMERS OF  LOUISVILLE
BY
ROBERT G. COURTENAY, Pres't. Louisville Gas Co.
 "Habitual Economy is the greatest help to Gas-Lighting.  It has always b«r.. and
it will continue to be, its best friend/'
          c-v* *-,t-*~ • -~:y  -


       LOUISVILLE,  KY.
C. SETTLE, PRINTER, 97 THIRD STREET.
              1858. 
• 
    HINTS ON  THE ECONOMICAL USE OF GAS.


 To the Gas Consumers of Louisville :
  I present these  remarks  on gas lighting, with the hope that they
may cause gas consumers to think on the subject, and the. informa-
tion may enable them to practice more economy in the use of gas ;
feeling assured that greater  economy in its use will not only benefit
them, but also the  Louisville Gras Company.
   You are aware that illuminating gas is a compound of hydrogen
and carbon.  The hydrogen  alone, although highly inflammable,
would give  no light;  the gas owes its luminosity to the carbon.
The hydrogen, when ignited, heats to an incandescent state the small
particles of carbon  combined with it.  These particles of carbon,  in
passing through the flame,  form  so many centers for  the radiation
of light, when the  carbon reaches the top of  the flame it  combines
with the atmosphere and passes off in the form of carbonic acid gas.
If the carbon be in excess a portion of it will pass off in smoke.
   The quantity of gas that passes the burner, will  always be in
proportion to the size of the orifice in the burner, and the pressure
applied to the pipe.  I will endeavor to explain the meaning of this
word, pressure, as  here applied.
   Pressure, is the initial force which propels the gas through the
 pipes, its degree is measured by comparing  it with the height of a
column of  water,  contained in a small  bent  tube,  with a scale
attached usually divided into inches and tenths of  inches.  When
[ say a pressure of J0 or J*, I mean a pressure of gas  on the pipes
that will support a column of water fo of an inch  or \% of an inch
high.
   The Gas Company  is  obliged to maintain a higher pressure  on
the street   pipes  than  many  consumers  require.   To  burn gas
properly and with economy  the  pressure ought to be adapted to the
kind of gas  burner used.   Some  burners require a  high pressure,
others a low pressure.   I hope to elucidate  this before  I close this
paper.   The two burners, in common use with us,  are the fish-tail
and bats-wing burner. 
4
  The  fish-tail burner  has a flat top, with two apertures  at the
center,  close  to  each other, the channels of  which  are inclined
inwards, so that  both the currents of gas cross  each  other  at the
base; they then form a flat flame,  spreading out  in the form of an
inverted triangle.   This burner is especially adapted to burn gas at
a low pressure.  The bats-wing burner has usually a round top,
with a narrow slit extending across the top, and forms a flat flame,
something like a  bats-wing.    The  bats-wing burner is a high
pressure burner.   There are many other burners, all modifications
of the two kinds above described, the only one of them which I will
mention is called  the empire burner, this burner is  essentially a fish-
tail burner with an arrangement at  its base to  check the  pressure.
  Gas burners are made with apertures of different sizes;  they wdi
emit from two feet  of gas" to eight feet  of gas per hour, and  are called
two feet,  three  feet,  four feet, five  feet,  six feet, or  eight feet
burners;  these sizes may be obtained of each of  the kinds named.
I will hereafter show the result in light, of the  different kinds  of
burners, supplied with gas under different pressures,  so as  to enable
you to  determine the kind of burner best suited  to economize gas,
and particularly the effect of the different degrees  of pressure on the
light from each.   I have said that  gas companies have to maintain
a higher  pressure on their pipes than many consumers require, it
the pressure were adapted to low pressure burners, on  a high level,
then in low ground or in  cellars, the pressure would be too  low to
afford sufficient light with these  same  burners, and altogether insuf-
ficient  for  high  pressure burners, street lamps,  &c,  &c.   The
pressure on gas pipes is  found to increase |0 inch every twelve feet of
altitude, and decreases in the same ratio, with  the same number of
feet of depression,  therefore, if there be % inches  pressure in  the
cellar of a house, there will be \°0 pressure in apartments forty-eight
feet above.
   I believe the fish-tail burner is best adapted for general use, and
 will afford the best result, but the rapid flow of gas must be checked,
 so that it passes from the burner at a low pressure—-from \0 to J0 is
 the best  pressure for these burners.   When the gas  passes  with
 greater velocity,  a portion of the  carbon, the  moment it comes in
 contact with  the atmosphere is consumed; under a high pressure
 the heat and intensity of the light  is increased, but the quantity, or
 illuminating power of the light  is diminished, the velocity may be 
5
increased until the whole flame becomes blue, then all the carbon is
instantly consumed as it ignites.   The  same effect is produced by
allowing a stream of gas to pass through wire gause, which allows
the air to mingle with it before it ignites, the result is intense heat
with little or no light.  You will see the same  effect produced by
air in  the gas fittings.   But  when  gas is burned under a  low
pressure, less surface is exposed to the air,  and a greater number of
the  particles  of carbon  are  rendered  luminous before  being  con-
sumed.  By increasing  the supply of air, much of the carbon is
consumed at once, without taking a solid form in the flame; more
heat is then produced, and those particles which are solid in the
flame are more intensely heated,—quantity of light is then sacrificed
to intensity.  The Empire burner checks the  flow of  gas by its
tortuous passages,  so  that  it  reaches  the tip of the burner in a
proper  condition for combustion.  This   burner requires a high
pressure to produce a good effect.
   The bats-wing burner never gives  as much light in proportion to
the consumption of  gas as the  fish-tail, but as  it is adapted  to a
high pressure,  in  some situations it  is  better  than the  fish-tail.
The best pressure for the bats-wing burner is from }J to ", and
about  the same pressure is required for the Empire burner.   The
light from a bats-wing burner may be increased from twenty-five to
thirty  per cent., by placing a hood, precisely like the burner in form,
with a slit wider than the slit in the burner over it.   This increased
quantity of light is produced by diminishing the velocity of the gas
before  it ignites.  The arrangement, however, inclines the burner to
smoke a little.   All burners afford the maximum quantity  of light,
when adjusted just at the point where, if the velocity of the gas were
checked any more, the light would smoke.
   Large burners give more light in proportion to the consumption of
gas than small ones.  The burners should  be selected so as to have
large burners where much gas is  required, and  small ones in other
places.
   Particular care  ought to be  used  to turn off the cocks at the
burners, when light is not required, or reduced so  as to afford the
required quantity,   They may be turned down  to a mere point, (in
this state they  consume very little gas,) and in a moment turned on
to a full light.  It frequently is  convenient to have the gas brought 
 down, by means of a movable pendant, to the table.   A small light
 close to you is better, for  many purposes,  than a large light  near
 the ceiling, and less expensive.
    Now,  as much of the economy in using gas depends on properly
 adjusting the pressure, it is proper  that  I  should indicate how this
 pressure may be controlled.   When there  are a small number of
 burners,  the pressure may be adjusted by turning the cock attached
 to the burner.  When you see  the  flame too high, or  very much
 spread, or the gas  appears to be moving Avith great velocity, the
 cock ought to be turned so as to arrest a portion of the gas.
    All large establisments,  where much  light is used, would save
 money by procuring  a  regulator to regulate  the pressure.  The
 regulator may be adjusted so a<? to give any pressure, less than  the
 pressure  in the  street pipes.   With the  regulator large fish-tail
 burners should  be  used,  and the  instrument  adjuoted to  a low
 pressure, say from «0 to J0 at the burners.  All the usual number of
 lights ought to be lit, and the pressure set at J0.   This pressure is to
 be ascertained by the gas fitter, by means of a pressure  guagc
 attached to the gas  pendant, in one  of the  rooms on the principal
 floor.   If this  does  not give light  enough, increase  the pressure
 to  J0,  if still  there  is not  enough,  change  the  burners for  larger
 ones,  and try it again, with the pressure at ?0.
   The gas litters can procure and furnish regulators, when required.
 1 have no doubt, in  many  establishments a regulator would save
 from 20 to 30 per cent, of the gas bills.  Kidder's regulator ha i been
 some time in use,  and is a good one.   The past year J. II. Cooper
 of Philadelphia has patented a regulator, this is  cheaper than Kid-
 der's,  and appears equally effective, in  some respects the best, yet
 this new regulator has not been fully  tried here.
   I said I would show that some  burners required a high pressure
 and others a low  pressure.  To illustrate this I have prepared a
 table containing the result of twenty-two photometrical experiments.
 with different burners, each burner under different pressures.  Eleven
 experiments with fish-tails,  commencing with a small burner, gradu-
 ally increasing the size of the burner in each experiment, I commenc-
ed with a low pressure for the burner  tested and gradually increased
the pressure to the point at which the light is not in proportion  to
the gas consumed.   The experiments  also prove that  large burners
give more light in proportion to the gas consumed than small ones. 
7
  Experiment No. 2, shows, that with a small fish-tail, 5^  feet of
gas per hour only gave  the light of 9.J||0 candles, while experiment
No. 5, a larger burner,  with the same consumption per hour,  gave a
light equal to  16.*90*0  candles, and  experiment No.  11, the  largest
burner with a less consumption, (o./o feet per hour,)  gave a light
equal to 23. fo^ candles.   The experiments with batwing burners
show that  they do not give as much  light, in proportion  to  the
gas, as the fish-tail,  and  large  ones give more  light,  in proportion.
than small ones.
   All the results  show that you  obtain a  much greater quantity
of light from gas, by  burning it under a low pressure,  with a proper
burner.
   The best results in the table are produced by the  Empire  burner,
which has an arrangement within itself to reduce the pressure, at ;t
low pressure it does not produce a good effect.  It must have a high
pressure.  The table is arranged so that one burner, under different
pressures,  may be compared with  another,  and any one may deter-
mine by its examination, the effect in light and quantity of gas con-
sumed.
   Whenever a leak occurs in the pipes  or fittings a gas fitter should
be  called to correct it,  as a large quantity of gas may be lost by ;;
very small leak.  Should a leak take place at  the  meter, the Gas
Company, on notice left at the office will immediately repair it.    If
a large quantity of gas  should escape, be careful not to approach the
apartment with a light.  Illuminating gas,  when mixed with atmo-
spheric air forms a very explosive mixture, which will explode with
the force of gunpowder, when  ignited.   Different proportions  from
one part of gas to eight  parts of air, to equal proportions of each form
this explosive mixture.    Therefore great  caution ought to be taken
not to allow a light to be used when there is a strong smell of gas—
but at once open the  windows,  particuliarly  the upper sash, as the
mixture, being lighter than the atmosphere, will ascend to the ceil-
ing. 
EXPERIMENTS on ilte  Illuminating power of LouisviUe  Gas, with different Burn-
   ers and Pressure, compared with  Sperm Candles consuming  120 grains  per hour.
   Results shown by Bunson's Photometer.
      Experiment No. 1.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light in candles........
      Experiment No. 2.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure.......
■ Vnaumption in feet of gas per hour.
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light in candles.......
      Experiment No. 3.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light  in  candles.......
      Experiment No. 4.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure.....
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of  light  in candles.......
 0.3
 2.
 1.251
 2.502


 0.3
 2.6
 2.357
 6.129


 0.3
 3.
 2.639
 7.919


0.3
2.3
2.850
6.565
0.4
2.2
1.555
3.423


0.J
3.
2.388
7.136
0.5
2.3
1.705
3.922

0.6
3.3
2.258
7.454
0.6   I 1
2.35   3.3
1.662  1.262
3.9061 4.165
1.
4.4
1.836
8.081
0.4    0.5   0.6
3.3    3.5  I 4.3
2.634  2.816 2.367
8.692  9.65510.185
0.6
3.1
2.920
9.053
1.
4.4
2.289
9.294
 1.5
 5.5
 1.658
 9.122

 0.9
 5.5
 2.310
12.706
 1.
blew.
      Experiment No. 11 —Fishtail.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light in candles.......
  0.3
  2.3
  3.
  6.9

  0.3
  2.5
  3.011
  7.529

  0.3
  2.7
  3.3
  8.976

 0.3
 4.2
 3.785
15.899
 0.5
 2.8
 3.0U5
 8.419

 0.5
 3.
 3.250
 9.750

 0.5
 3.5
 3.43
12.005
 0.9    1
 5.5    5.8
 2.999,  2.75
16.49415.899
0.6
3.5
1.
4.2
 3.104| 2.732
10.86411.480
        Experiment No. 5—Fishtail.
                    Pressure............  0.4    0.6
 Consumption in*feet of gas per hour......I 3.5    4.5
 1 foot of gas per hour equal candles......j 3.172  3.286
 Quantity of light in candles............11.102 14.788

       Experiment No. 6.—Fishtail.
                    Pressure.......
 Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
 1  foot of gas per hour equal  candles.
 Quantity of light  in candles.......

       Experiment  No. 7.—Fishtail.
                    Pressure.......
 Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
 1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
 Quantity of light  in candles.......

       Experiment  No. 8.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure.......
 Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
 1 foot of gas per hour equal caudles.
 Quantity of light in candles............  8.976 12.00513
      Experiment No. 9.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure............  0.3  '  0
 Consumption in feet of gas per hour......  4.2    5.2
 1 foot of gas per hour equal candles......  3.785  3.786
 Quantity of light in candles............15.899 19.688
      Experiment No. 10.—Fishtail.
                   Pressure........
 Consumption in feet of gas per hour..
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles..
Quantity of light in  candles.......
 0.8
 4.
 3.176
12.706


 0.6
 3.9
 3.554
 1.
 4.5
 3.134
14.104

 0.8
 4.6
 3.253
 0.4
 4.5
 3.576
16.094

 0.3
 4.5
 4.103
18.462
 0.6
 5.8
 3.931
22.801

 0.4
 5.2
 4.566
23.745
 0.6
 5.6
 3.609
20.210

 0.7
 6.1
 3.636
22.181

 0.5
blew.
 0.7
blew.
 1.
 5.3
 3.074
16.292 
9
     Experiment No. 12—Batswing.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of  light in candles.......
     Experiment No. 13.—Batswing.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light in candles.......
                                        0.6
                                        1.8
                                        1.462
                                        1.755


                                        0.7
                                        1 6
                                        1.357
                                        2.172


                                        0.6
                                        1.2
                                        2.423
                                        2 908

                                        0.5
                                        1.9
                                        1.966
Quantity of light in candles............  3.736
     Experiment No. 14.—Batswing.
                   Pressure........
Consumption in feet of gas per hour..
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles..
Quantity of light in candles........

     Experiment No. 15.—Batswing.
                   Pressure........
Consumption in feet of gas per hour..
1  foot of gas per hour equal candles.
     Experiment No. 16.—Batswing.
                   Pressure........
Cousumption in feet of gas per hour..
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles..
Quantity of  light in candles........
     Experiment No. 17.—Batswing.
                   Pressure........
Consumption in feet of gas per hour..
I foot of gas per hour equal candles..
Quantity of light in candles........
     Experiment No. 18.—Batswing.
                   Pressure.......
Consumption in feet of gas per hour.
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles.
Quantity of light in candles.......
     Experiment No. 19.—Batswing.
                   Pressure.........
Consumption in feet of gas per hour...
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles....
Quantity of light in candles..........

Same Burner and pressure, with Gates' hood
     placed on it, consumption the same.

1 foot of gas per hour equal candles....
Quantity of light in candles..........

  Experiment No. 20.—Empibe Burner.
                   Pressure..........
Consumption in feet of gus per hour....
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles....
Quantity of light  in candles..........
  Experiment No. 21.—Empire Burner.
                   Pressure..........
(Consumption in feet of gas per hour___
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles....
Quantity of  light in candles..........

  Experiment No. 22.—Empire Burner.
                   Pressure..........
Consumption in feet of gas per hour....
1 foot of gas per hour equal candles....
Quantity of  light in candles.
 0.5
 2.2
 2.417
 5.317


 0.5
 2.9
 2.596
 7.529


 0.5
 4.2
 2.418
10.155


 1.8
 5.3
 2.901
15.378
 3.872
20.522
5
948
371
 1.
 3.
 3.320
 9.960

 1.
 4.
 3.980
15.920
 0.8
 1.4
 1.457
 1.968


 0.8
 1.8
 1.354
 2.437


 0.8
 1.4
 2.303
 3.224

 1.
 3.
 2.411
 7.233

 1.
 3.5
 2.560
 8.960


 1.
 5.
 2.6
13.


 1.
 6.2
 3.054
18.937
 1.
 1.6
 1.523
 2.437

 1.5
 2.1
 1.844
 3 873

 1.
 l.i
 2.267
 4.084

 1.5
 4.4
 2 469
10.863

 1.3
 4.5
 2.551
11.480

 1.5
 6.6
 3; 143
20.748

 1.3
 6.5
 2.951
19.186
 1.5
 3.1
 3.355
10.400

 1.5
 3.5
:4.175
14.614

 1.5
 5.0
 5.021
25.105
Note.—The Louisville Gas is made from the best Pittsburgh Coal. 
10
   We frequently meet with persons who doubt the  accuracy of the
gas-meter, and who believe they have incontestable proof of its inac-
curacy.   One will say, my gas bill, last quarter, was very small,—
I know I have burned less gas this quarter—the  days have been
longer, and less light used, and yet you present me with a bill for
half as much more gas.
   Another will say, that  the  meter cannot be  reliable, because,
during a certain quarter,  his family were not at home, but little gas
was consumed, yet he had to pay a large bill; the following quarter,
he entertained much  company—a great deal of gas  was used—jet
his gas bill was less than the preceding quarter.
   These  statements, truthfully  made, do  throw distrust on the
meter, and require  explanation.   Every quarter   each  meter is
examined, and the position of each hand on  the dials noted in a
book.  This reading is necessarily done in  a  hurried manner, it is
read under all  circumstances;  sometimes  you  place  your  head
through a small opening in the floor to read it, sometimes in dark
closets, and in all out of the way places.   No matter how inclement
the weather, the state of the meters must be taken by the first day
of the month,—no matter how cold  or how  wet the men are,  the
dials of the meters must be read, and noted in their books.
  On the meter  there are generally three  dials enclosed with a
glass, each having one hand.  The machinery that moves these
hands is  enclosed by glass and metal; the hands  cannot be moved
backwards or  forwards,  or  moved  at  all, except  by  passing a
gaseous fluid through the drum of the  meter, and  then only in a
forward direction.  The dial on the right  hand indicates hundreds
of feet;   when the  hand on this  dial has completed  its circuit,
making one thousand feet, the hand on the middle dial moves one
figure, and indicates  one  thousand feet.   AVhen  the hand on  the
middle dial has completed its round, the hand on the left dial moves
one  figure, and indicates ten thousand,  and thus  it continues  to
register the gas  that passes through the  drum, till the  left dial
indicates one  hundred thousand feet, when  the instrument  beo-ins
again at zero.   All this movement is beyond the control of the (las
Company.
  Now, to explain the discrepancies  in gas  bills above alluded to,
suppose,  in reading the state of the meter, for the  first complainant,
the man read the thousand  dial three instead of Jive, the consumer 
11
would pay for tvJO thousand feet  less than he had used; at the
expiration' of the next  quarter,  suppose  he  had consumed four
thousand cubic feet more, this added and registered, would make the
dial  read  nine thousand  feet.   From this  deduct the  erroneously
reported state of the meter at  last quarter three thousand feet, and
he would  be charged with six thousand feet;  thus this ingenious
machine corrects  the error made  in the  last bill,—the consumer
will pay for the four thousand feet used in the present quarter, and
for the two thousand feet which he ought to have been4charged with
last quarter, and  would have paid, but for the error in taking the
state of the meter.
   The errors are as likely to be made in  favor of the consumer as
against him, but if, at any  subsequent  quarter,  the  state of the
meter is correctly reported, the  meter corrects the  error, and neither
the  consumer or  the Gas Company is wronged.   These errors do
not happen more than once in a  thousand bills.   It is unfortunate
that they happen at all—they sometimes cause ill  feeling and unjust
remarks—at  times  when the officers have  not leisure to explain
how these errors may occur;  and sometimes the consumer will not
o-ive them an opportunity for explanation.   Until men work  with
the unerring accuracy of a machine,  these errors  will  happen, but
 they are  harmless errors, in one respect, because  the succeeding
 reading of the meter will correct the error of the eye or hand, made
 at last settlement.
   The more fully these difficulties are explained,  and the construc-
 tion of the  gas-meter is understood,  the  less likely  will these una-
 voidable  errors  lead to  unpleasant  remarks on  the  settlement  of
 gas bills.
   I subjoin the following remarks on the meter, by J. JN. U. Ixutter,
 of England.
    "Now, that the meter is complete in  all its parts,  and we have
 so  long  been familiarized with  its operations, it  is  impossible  to
 understand the difficulties which  beset the path of its inventors,  as
 it is to over-rate the skill that contrived, and the perseverance which
 completed  this  beautiful  machine.   Many  changes, and  many
 improvements have been made, both in the external lorm, and  in
 the internal arrangements  of  the  meter, since  it first came out o
 the hands  of Mr.  Clegg, and was  transferred to those of a man
 equally deserving of being remembered—the late Saml. Crosley. 
12
   *'But the principle is the same in all, whatever be the variations
 of form, or other details of construction, and experience has shown
 how admirably adapted is that principle to the work the meter  has
 to perform.   Set in motion by an impulse less  powerful  than the
 breathing of a new bom infant, and discharging the duties assigned
 to it with the fidelity of a tried  servant,  and accuracy of  a skillful
 accountant, the meter may truly be described as  the  offspring of
 genius,  well instructed by philosophy.   To find fault  with  the
 meter is easier than to improve  it.  Many  persons abuse it,  and
 almost always for its honesty.  It enjoys the confidence of all who
 have taken pains to make themselves acquainted with its  movements.
 If there be any who still have misgivings concerning its  capabilities,
 let me advise them to devote only one-tenth  part of the time to an
 examination of its  merits, which  they have spent in searching for
 defects, and all their objections will be satisfactorily answered,  and
 their doubts entirely removed.  Those who think, or speak slight-
 ino-ly of the gas-meter may,  with great propriety, be required to  tell
 us in what other department of  trade or  manufactures goods  are
 measured, or weighed with anything approaching to the accuracy or
 the  disinterestedness with  which gas  is   measured.    In other
 branches of trade, whatever may be the accuracy of the instruments,
 or the care of the attendants, weighing or measuring,  whether in
 large or small  quantities, are interrupted processes;   and conse-
 quently there is waste, loss, and  liability to error.  The measuring
 of gas is not an interrupted process, and no attendant is  required.
   '•The machine performs  the  whole of the  work,  and  keeps a
 record of its own doings.  Although each of the four chambers of
the meter is filled  in succession, they  are  so contrived  that  the
 current of gas  flows continuously—faster or  slower,  as  may be
required,—and  suffers no interruption until entirely shut off.   The
Tnost vigilant observer would not  be able  to determine the precise
 iroment when one chamber was  full and  another empty;  and  yet
 the successive filling and emptying of each chamber respectively is
 more perfect than in measures used for articles  which  are twenty
thousand time more costly.   Think, for a moment, of the work  the
 zaeter does, and what is the  value of the material it measures, com-
 paring it bulk for bulk, with other commodities."
  Take whisky at  twenty cents per gallon  as one example,  and
 French brandy  at four dollars per gallon as  another; one thousand 
13
cubic feet of the  former costs one  thousand four hundred and
ninety-six dollars, and the same quantity of the latter twenty-nine
thousand nine hundred and twenty-four dollars.  "Neither of these
articles is measured to  the dealer or  consumer,  with anything
like the accuracy of gas," which costs,  in  Louisville,  two  dollars
and eighty-five cents per thousand cubic feet, or thirty-eight cents
for one thousand gallons.
   "The meter is not absolutely perfect; that is not to be expected ot
 any  machine.  It may be as perfect as care and skill can make it:
 and if certain specified conditions  could be always, complied with, it
 would remain so—subject, of course, to the wear and tear  of ma-
 terials.  But the meter is often subjected to rough treatment.   Fixed
 in some of the most out-of-the-way places, where it is exposed to the
 extremes of temperature and every variety of weather, it is no won-
 der that its use should be  attended  by occasional inconveniences
 For these the meter is not to be blamed.  A sheltered situation, and
 an uniform temperature above the freezing point, are most favorable
 to a proper performance of its duties; and yet either from ignorance
 or other causes, these conditions are constantly neglected.   When
 fixed in a warm  room, the water in the meter evaporates.  The
 machine, under such circumstances, requires occasional adjustment,
 or it will err in its measurement,  and  at last come to a stand-still.
 But the error, in this case, is against the Gas Company, and in favor
 of  the  consumer.   More recently, a meter,  constructed on  a princi-
 ple very different from the wet meter in ordinary use,  has been re-
 ceived with favor.  This is the dry meter; their durability  and uni-
 form accuracy, as compared with wet meters, are the only questions
  which remain to he settled.
     -That dry meters have heen made which measure gas accurately;
  that they will pass auy given quantity, according to their s.ze, stead-
  ily, and with such a  trifling degree of resistance  as  to be scarcely
  wo th noticing;  that  they  will perform  this duty when exposed to
  extreme changes of temperature; and that they have contmued to do
  so, subject to the conditions of every day practice for years m suc-
  ce sion and without the least symptoms of faflure, has been safs-
   atTrily ascertained.   So  far, therefore, it  is right to conclude tha
  no praedcal difficulty stands in the way of the general  adoption ol
  the dry meter, but that which is common to all new mvent.ons. 
14
  I have prepared the annexed table,  showing the average number
of hours in each  month in the year from sunset till ten o'clock at
night, with the quantity of gas that will be consumed per month by
the different sized burners, if they burned these hours—In summer,
it will not be necessary to light so early, but in winter, particularly
in dark weather, you will have occasion for light frequently an hour
before sunset,  and also  in the  morning,  which  is not estimated in
the  table.

Table showing the consumption of .gas each month in the year,
  from sunset to ten  o'clock,  bimied in  a 3^, 4} 5, or  6 feet
  burner.
	Average hours from sunset to 10 o'clock.		llouiy per month from sunset to 10		Cubic feet of gas consumed per month by burners burning per hour			
			o'clock.		3i. Feet	4 Feet.	5 Feet.	6
	Hours.	Minutes.	Hours.	Minutes.				Feet.
January ... February .. March .... April..... May...... July...... August.... September . October ... November.. December..	4 4 3 o o 2 2 2 3 3 4 5 5	56 24 52 22 54 33 36 06 52 39 14 20	152 123 119 101 89 76 80 96 116 144 157 165	56 12 52 54 30 36 06 09 20	535 431 420 353 315 268 282 336 406 504 549 578	612 492 480 403 360 306 322 384 464 577 628 661	765 615 600 504 450 383 402 480 580 721 785 826	918 738 720 605 540 459 482 576 696 865 942 992
Cubic feet per annum					4977	5689	7111	8533
  The average of all the experiments  on the  illuminating power of
Louisville gas,  made  during last year, with different burners, show
that one cubic foot of  gas  per  hour,  gave a  light equal to  that of
three and a half sperm candles, or

1000 feet of gas which costs.........................  S3 00
Gives light equal to 651bs Sperm candles, @ 50..........  32 50
or     "      "      781bs of Mould tallow candles, @ 12^..   9 75
or     "      "      751bs of Star candles,  @  23......~. . .  17 25
or     "      "      8f0 gallons of Sperm oil, @ $2 50___  21 75
  In conclusion,  this  paper has been  prepared on the  principles of
gas-lighting, with the  hope that it may be beneficial  to gas con-
sumers, and enable them to light their houses at less cost. 
15
  1 have prepared the photometrical table with much care, and hope
it may be of practical use to gas fitters, by indicating to  them the
conditions under which our gas affords its full value as an illuminat-
ing agent.   If they apply these principles in fitting houses—provid-
ing means for  sufficient light and no more,—adapting the  burner to
the use that is to be made of the light in each room, and the  dis-
tance the light has to be cast from its source, remembering that the
number of rays of light from any source is inversely as  the square
of the distance from the source:—If the light  of three candles is
sufficient four feet from you, it will  require twelve  candles  at the
distance of eight feet, to produce the same light,—and they put up
their fittings in a workmanlike manner, there will be less  complaint
of high gas bills and consumers will realize that there is no light
so cheap or so convenient as gas light.
      Office Louisville  Gas Company,  February 20, 1858.
r^t+m*ifc*0*i#fr^>-' '       .-£***' 
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