394 F. H. OLIPHANT 



points of consumption are in many instances from 100 to 250 

 miles distant from the place of production. 



The total length of pipes of all sizes from 2 inches up to 

 36 inches in diameter in use in the United States for conveying 

 natural gas at the close of 1902 was 131^859,636 feet. This 

 is equal to 24,973.41 miles — enough to more than girdle the 

 earth at the equator. 



Natural gas is usually sold to the consumer by the cubic 

 foot, at a standard pressure of 4 ounces to the square inch, or 

 36 pounds to the square foot, at a temperature of 60° F. In 

 many instances it is convenient to dispose of the gas to con- 

 sumers at higher pressures, and then it is necessary to construct 

 meters of proportional strength. The mean pressure of the 

 atmosphere for the elevation at which most of the natural 

 gas is sold is assumed to be 14.4 pounds to the square inch. 



