Rrynoips— Recent Analyses of the Dublin Gas Supply. 309 
Gas managers and others, interested in the supply companies, 
have strongly urged that the water-gas mixtures have not caused 
more accidental or other deaths than plain coal-gas. They laid 
their case fully before the Committee, but the latter do not adopt 
their views. On the contrary, the Committee point to the Ameri- 
can statistics, and quote the case of Boston where there were 29,554 
consumers using plain coal-gas in 1886, but no accidents were 
recorded. In 1890 there were 46,848 consumers of a gas supply 
of which only 8 per cent. was water-gas, and there were six deaths 
from gas poisoning. In 1895 the number of consumers reached 
68,214, while 90 per cent. of the supply was water-gas, and 24 
deaths occurred. In 1897 the consumers numbered 79,893, the 
gas contained 93 per cent. of water-gas, and there were 45 deaths. 
After discussing the cases of other towns, the Report goes on to 
say :—‘‘ After making every other due allowance, we feel that the 
state of affairs disclosed in Boston, New York, San Francisco, and 
other towns is decidedly serious. As regards Boston this is the 
opinion of the Gas and Electric Light Commissioners also.” Dr. 
Haldane points out that the number of accidents by the use of mixed 
gas increased approximately as the cube of the gain in percentage 
of carbon monoxide. Thus, if the percentage of monoxide he 
increased from 6 to 12, the chances of poisoning were not merely 
doubled, but were 8 times greater. Similarly, if the percentage 
rose to 18 per cent. the number of accidents was 27 times greater 
than at 6 per cent. ‘This rule,” he adds, “‘ would seem to be 
borne out in the case of Toronto’, and, so far as it is possible 
to judge from the very partial information available in the case 
of towns in the United Kingdom distributing any water-gas, 
experience in this country also points in the same direction.” 
1« The total death-rate for poisoning of every kind in this country, whether acci- 
dental or suicidal, and whether by solids, liquids, or gases, is only about half the 
average death-rate from water-gas poisoning alone in Boston, New York, San 
Francisco, and Washington”’ (Digest, page 73). It is, however, desirable to point 
out that there are high percentages of water-gas in these towns; thus, following the 
above order, they are 90, 80, 70, and 100 per cents. 
2 Where 50 per cent. of water-gas is used, 7.¢. equal volumes of the two gases. It 
is well to point out that the Dublin gas analysed on March 9th contained nearly as 
much water-gas, and that on April 24th nearly 40 per cent. It is right to add that on 
two other occasions only, when analyses were made, did the Dublin gas contain more 
than 20 per cent. of added water-gas. 
