,1823.] on Gas LigJd Establishments. S 



My first observations will be directed to the quantity of gas 

 produced and consumed, and here we not only observe a very 

 considerable variation in each Company, but also a very marked 

 difference in the different stations of tlie same Company. At 

 the Westminster station, it will be found the whole consumption 

 of gas for all lights by my mode of calculating leaves a minus 

 quantity of 5,612,900, which would be considerably more if esti- 

 mated, as they have done all, as public lights. At the Brick 

 Lane station, the overplus or waste is above 21 per cent. ; and 

 in the Curtain Road, nearly 20 per cent. At the City of London 

 Road Works, the waste will be found to be nearly 46 per cent, 

 and at the South London 38 per cent. It will be impossible to 

 account for the extraordinary difference which exists in these 

 statements, but by supposing there must be some error : but 

 the most surprising discrepancy is in the Westminster. The pro- 

 portion is so different from either of the others, I should be very 

 strongly inclined to think that the quantity of gas produced from 

 a given quantity of coal varied very materially, although it is 

 stated that at each station one chaldron of coals produces 12,000 

 feet of gas. Unless they have an accurate gas-meter through 

 which all their gas enters as it is made, previous to its passing 

 into the gasometers, I know not by what means they can possi- 

 bly ascertain what quantity of gas is made, as at times, particu- 

 larly in the long nights, tliey must be producing and delivering 

 at the same time; to assume that, because a chaldron of coals has 

 upon one or two trials produced 12,000 feet of gas, it must 

 always produce the same quantity, is certainly a very imperfect 

 datum to calculate upon. At the City of London Works, 

 where it is stated the greatest waste takes place, there are 

 strong grounds for presuming that they over-calculate the quan- 

 tity of gas produced. By the tables in the Report, a chal- 

 dron of coals is stated in all the Companies to yield the same 

 quantity of gas and the same quantity of coke. The Chartered 

 and South London give in addition 10 gallons of tar and 11 gal- 

 lons of ammoniacal Hquor, as it is there termed, while the City 

 of London Works produce 16 gallons of the former, and 18 gal- 

 lons of the latter. Now it is not very probable that a chaldron 

 of coals in their hands should obtain an excess of 13 gallons of 

 two products w^ithout any diminution of the others. The more 

 likely supposition is, that if there be this excess in these, there 

 must be a corresponding deficiency in the other ; it is on this ac- 

 count that I have made my calculations uponthe quantity of coals 

 used, and not upon the quantity of gas produced. In the one 

 case it is most probable they are correct; while, in the other, their 

 accuracy is more than doubtful. In examining the tables, we are 

 struck with the very great advantages which the Chartered Com- 

 pany possesses over the other two. As we are oftentimes puzzled 

 by the exhibition of a large number of figures, and do not readily 

 see the exact proportions, I have reduced the scale to gne 



