1823.] Gas Light Establishments. 421 



ascertain, I should recommend that the gasometers should be 

 erected in the open air, or, at all events, with the slightest and 

 most ventilated covering possible, seeing that there is much 

 greater chance of explosion in the gasometer house, where a 

 very small leakage of gas from the gasometer, may produce the 

 explosive mixture, than in the gasometers themselves, into 

 which large portions of atmospheric air must find their way to 

 create danger ; and this I am the more induced to recommend, 

 since I find that a remedy has been devised for all the inconve- 

 niences that might otherwise be apprehended by the intervention 

 of a small regulating gasometer between the principal gasome- 

 ters and the mains, as already stated ; an arrangement which, it 

 appears to me, ought to be generally adopted, as it would also 

 be attended with other good effects, in addition to those above- 

 mentioned; among which may be noticed the prevention of 

 accidents from the irregular flaming of the lamps in shops, and 

 especially that very serious cause of accidents in such situations, 

 which was noticed in my first Report as being likely to occur 

 from the falling of a gasometer at work, supposing its chain to 

 break, by which, in the present state of the works, the flame of 

 the lamps connected with that gasometer would, on a sudden, 

 be made to blaze up to so great a height as could not but be 

 attended with the most serious consequences in a great variety 

 of situations ; all of which accidents would be entirely prevented 

 by the regulation in question. 



In the foregoing general observations, 1 have stated the liabi- 

 lities to stoppage by corrosion, which exists in the wrought iron 

 service pipes in the streets, and also in the copper feeders in the 

 inside of the houses ; and I have there mentioned the facility 

 which, fortunately for the perfection of this system, exists, of 

 getting rid of this inconvenience by the substitution of leaden 

 and block tin pipes ; I shall now add, as an important regulation 

 for the general adoption of which, I conceive, the government 

 should exert its authority; that all the gas pipes, whether mains 

 or services, ought to be laid in a bed of clay, firmly rammed 

 round the pipe. The necessity of this regulation not only mani- 

 fests itself constantly in walking through the streets of the 

 metropolis, from the frequent recurrence of offensive smell aris- 

 ing from the leakage of the pipes ; but was clearly proved by 

 the accident which happened in the wine vaults under the arcade 

 of the Opera House, into which the gas had found its way from 

 a leak in a service pipe passing over the crown of this vault, 

 though no gas was laid on in any part of the premises. The 

 recurrence of much accident, and the general nuisance above 

 stated, would be effectually guarded against by this coating of 

 clay round the pipes ; in addition to which, a saving of gas now 

 lost by leakage, would ultimately accrue to the companies. The 

 expense, in the first instance, might be considerable, and, it is 

 to be regretted, that it was not originally attended to, because it 



