394 Mr. Peckstoni't Comparison of Oil and Coal Gas. [May I, 



Toth« Editor of the Monthly Magazine. Here the difference between the annual 



SIR, receipts and expenditure is 1,I42{. 18*. 8d. 



I WAS recently called upon to sub- or at the rate of nearly ten per cent, profit 



niit plans, and to give an estimate, <"» ?''50(« (the capital invested,) after 



for erecting works, and laying 7,500 S^imeni *'""^"* ^^V^rx^^ of the 



yards of street-mains for lighting a ,J.„ asc"erTain the cost price to the manu- 



small city in the sister kingdom, where facturer of 1000 cubic feet of coal-gas, we 



160 street-lamps, and 500 private must proceed thus: 



lights, would be required to be sup- To the annual cuirent expendi- 



plied with gas ; but, whilst I was en- ture of 2,085 14 



gaged in making the necessary arrange- Add the interest of money in- 



ments, &c. a doubt arose in the minds vested as capital (ii,500t.) 



of the principal inhabitants as to whe- at six per cent 690 



ther coal-gas or oil-gas ought to be — -~"~~ — 



used (principally on the score of eco- ^ , . . , . , . 2,776 14 



nomy); and, to satisfy their minds on From which deduct tlie value of 



the subject, I made the calculations of P'^' ^/"'- ''" ' ' '""' on« « « 



„■■ , .•! f 11 • . . iiionia, &c. 908 6 8 



Which the lollowing is a correct copy. ' ____^ 



April 17, 1823 ; T. S. Peckston. The difference is .... 1,867 7 4 



46, Mar sham-street, Westminster. Or the real cost of generating 7,022,000 



Estimate fur Coal-gas. cubic feet of coal gas ; therefore, as 



Expense of erecting the necessary Cubic Feet. ^ c. F. ». rf. 



Buildings, fonuins; tanks, and 7,022,000 : 1,867 :: 1000 : 5 3| nearly, 



building a boundary wall to the which in round numbers we may call 5s. 6d. 



station : this item also includes Estimate for Oil-gas. 



the money required for pnrcha- Expense of erecting the necessary 



sing ground to erect the works buildings, forming a tank, and 



"pon • • .£4,630 building a boundary wall to the 



Expense of Apparatus, viz. retorts, station: this item'also includes 



condenser, purifiers, gas-holders, the money required for purchasing 



connections, valves, &c 2,800 ground to erect the works upon ^2,350 



Expense of furnishing and laying Expense of Apparatus, viz. retorU, 



down in the streets 7,500 yards washing vessels, connections, 



of main-pipe, with the necessary valves, &c. 1,460 



sjphons, bends, blanches, &c. o'f Expense of furnishing and laying 



filling-in the ground, and re-pa- down in the streets 7,500 yards 



ving over the trenches, also fit- of main-pipe, with the necessary 



ting-up 160 public lamps, leaving bends, branches, syphons, &c. of 



the whole ready tor lighting 4,070 filling-in the ground and repair- 



ving over the trenches, also of 



Money required to be invested fittingup 160 public lamps, leav- 



as Capital 11 ,500 i„g ,i,g vvliole ready for lighting 3,990 



To supply the lights already mentioned . 



with coal-gas for one year, would require Money required to be invested as 



7,022,000 cubic feet of gas to be gene- capital 8 000 



rated,and such quantity would be procured Taking for granted that .S cubic feet of 



from 790 tons of Wigan Orral, or Newcas- oil-gas are equal in illuminating power to 



tie coal, provided the retorts were worked jq of coal-gas, (the propoition named by 



at a proper temperature. The profit and some of the most sanguine of the oil-gas 



loss account of such an establishment for manufacturers,) there would require 



one year would, in such case, stand as 2,106,600 cubic feet of oil-gas to be ge- 



follows : — nerated in one year to supply the lights as 



Expenditure: this includes the mentioned before; and as, from informa- 



salaries of officers, wages of tion received from an intelligent manufac- 



mechanics and labourers, turer of oilgas, it appears that a ton of 



cost of coals and lime used, good whale oil, which can be purchased 



and the expense of wear and for 221. produces 25,000 cubic feet of gas, 



tear, all repairs, &c ,£2,085 14 it follows that 845 tons would require to 



Receipts, viz — be used for producing 2,106,600. The 



Rental for 500 shop-lights, profit and loss account of such an establish- 



at 4/. each £2000 meiit for one year would, in such case, 



Rental for 160 street-lights, stand thus: 



at 2i. each 320 Expenditure : this includes Uie 



Value of products, viz. coke, salaries of officers, wages of 



tar, ammonia, &c. 908 6 8 mechanics and labourers, cost 



~~^~~-~ — of oil and fuel for heating the 



3,228 6 8 retorts, and the expense of 



wear 



