310 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 
As to the way in which accidents may occur, it is to be noted 
that the Committee consider that very slight escapes due to 
doubtful fittings, even at night, do not appear to be rendered 
more formidable by the introduction of carburetted water-gas ; 
but, when— 
“These escapes occur owing to various accidents, such as the 
unnoticed turning on again of a tap which has been turned off ; 
the blowing out of the gas-light; the extinguishing of the light 
by stoppage of the pipes or turning off at the meter, and the 
renewed flow of the gas without the taps having been turned off. 
Fatal results have also been traced to breakages or leaks in 
mains or service pipes, whereby gas has percolated—sometimes 
being deodorised—through the earth into a house; and to 
leaks through a wall or through a ceiling or floor from a gas 
pendant in the room below. In these ways accidents have 
been caused in houses and rooms to which gas was not laid on”’ 
(page 7). 
Although the Committee do not consider that “ very slight ” 
escapes from imperfect fittings are likely to do material harm, 
they go on to say (page 9)— 
“Our attention was called by several witnesses to the very 
imperfect and unsatisfactory gas-fittings often used in the poorer 
class of houses in large towns, and the constant leakages which 
exist without any attempt to discover or rectify them; and it 
has been suggested that powers might be given to Local 
Authorities to enable them to enforce a standard of fittings 
when newly put up in such houses (as is done in the case of 
water fittings), and also to inspect such fittings when required. 
We think that such powers might with advantage be given, to be 
used at the discretion of the Local Authority.” 
This is an important opinion in view of the general malaise 
which is known to follow the continued inhalation of air contain- 
ing small proportions even of ordinary coal gas. 
In concluding their Report, the Committee place on record their 
matured opinions in the following words :— 
“To sum up, we have come to the conclusion that, if the 
accidents attributable to water-gas are not yet very numerous in 
Great Britain, the reason is, that the proportion in which this gas 
(carburetted water-gas) has been used has not hitherto, except in 
