Now! Then! Darlington’s mayor opens the Gasworks Committee’s exhibition of appliances, aiming by increasing consumption to reduce the municipal debt and household energy costs

10 March 1884: Darlington’s mayor opens the Gasworks Committee’s exhibition of appliances, aiming by increasing consumption to reduce the municipal debt and household energy costs

Northern Echo. 1884/03/11. Exhibition of Gas Cooking Stoves. Darlington. Get it:

Excerpt

Vivid impressions of the pronounced odours which emanated from the old-fashioned stoves still linger so strongly in the minds of many people that only a visit to such an exhibition will convince such persons that the nauseating fumes have been charmed away by the modern inventor. The Drill Shed has been pleasingly decorated with flags and bunting by Mr Varey, Post House Wynd. Stalls have been ranged round the sides and down the centre of the hall. John Wright & Co., Birmingham and London, are at No. 3 with a large show of stoves. A leg of mutton, a piece of beef, and 1¼lb. of sausages were cooked in 1 hour and 51 minutes, the cost of gas being ¾d. At No. 4 are Davis & Co., London and Manchester. Their chief speciality is their Metropolitan ventilated stove. They are double-lined, and between the lining have silicate cotton or slag wool packing, which retains the heat. Mr Fletcher, Warrington, has a large assortment, not the least interesting of which is an instantaneous water heater for baths. Hancock, of Dudley, show a variety of utensils. They are machines for washing instead of peeling potatoes, crushing and grinding sugar, bread, washing salt and rancid butter. The company adjourned to an adjacent tent in which Mrs J.B. Thwaites, professor and teacher of cookery, Liverpool, delivered a practical and interesting lecture. In the evening, the Drill Shed presented a brilliant appearance with the variegated lamps lit. Numbers of people visited the exhibition, and the proceedings took somewhat of the character of a conversazione. Mr G. Newby Watson provided musical attractions with his splendid amateur string band.

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Original

EXHIBITION OF GAS COOKING STOVES.
A most interesting exhibition of gas cooking stoves and appliances was opened yesterday in the Drill Shed, Darlington, and will remain open for the remainder of the week. The exhibition has been promoted by the Gasworks Committee. Powers having been granted to the Corporation to let on hire gas cooking stoves, the primary object of the exhibition is, as explained in the prospectus, “to give the public an opportunity of seeing the latest improvements in appliances for lighting, cooking, heating, ventilating, and obtaining motive power by the use of gas,” and to create an increased consumption of gas. Vivid impressions of the pronounced ordours which emanated from the old-fashioned stoves still lingers so strongly in the minds of many people that only a visit to such an exhibition as the one now open in Darlington will convince such persons that the nauseating fumes have been charmed away by the modern inventor. The Drill Shed has been pleasingly decorated with flags and bunting by Mr Varey, Post House-wynd. Stalls have been ranged round the sides and down the centre of the hall, on which the various exhibitors, who come from far and near, display their various novelties. In all there are twelve stands and exhibitors. No. 1 Stand is occupied by Messrs W. & B. Cowan, of London, Manchester, and Edinburgh, whose specialities are gas meters, pressure gauges, and governors, the latter regulating the pressure of gas on its entrance to the mains. The show of gauges is a very fine one. Stand 2 is occupied by the well-known firm of Messrs Sugg & Co., London, Paris, and other places. They show a most elaborate assortment of burners, lights, chandeliers, lamps, &c. Their patent improved sun burner, “The Colchester,” which obtained the silver medal at Stockport, and which has been recently fitted in the House of Lords, is a fine illustration of the strides made in hall illuminations. By the vertical instead of the old horizontal sunlight burner arrangement, 3½ candle power instead of one is obtained. One hundred candle power is obtained with 25 feet of gas, whereas it formerly took 90 feet to get the same illumination. The Victoria and Lambeth lamps may be seen at this stand, which are the same ordered by the Middlesbrough Corporation recently. Messrs Jno. Wright & Co., Birmingham and London, are at No. 3 Stand with a large show of cooking stoves. An official test on one of their gas cookers will show the results. A leg of mutton, a piece of beef, and 1¼lb. of sausages, weighing in all 13lbs., were cooked in 1 hour and 51 minutes, the cost of gas, at 3s 6d per 1,000, being ¾d. At No. 4 Stand are Messrs Davis & Co., London and Manchester. Their chief speciality is their Metropolitan ventilated kitchen stove. They are double-lined, and between the lining have silicate cotton or slag wool packing, which acts as a non-conductor, and thereby retains the heat in the stove. Mr Fletcher, Warrington, has a large assortment of stoves and gas heating appliances, not the least interesting of the latter being an instantaneous water heater for baths. It heats the water instantaneously as it passes through an upright cylinder, and delivers it at 90 degrees Fahrenheit at the rate of three gallons per minute. Mr Fletcher’s gas cooking range, with patent perfect grill, is one of the most attractive, powerful, and yet simple appliances conceivable; and the same may be said of his small grill, which will cook half a dozen chops simultaneously in as many minutes. Messrs Wilson & Son, Leeds, are at Stand 6, their speciality being stoves constructed of cast instead of wrought iron, durability being the object attained. Messrs Hancock, of Dudley, show a variety of culinary utensils, which are of exceptional interest, but space precludes us from more than mentioning them. They are machines for washing instead of peeling potatoes, crushing and grinding sugar, bread, &c., washing salt and rancid butter. Messrs Bray, Leeds, the widely-known gas engineers, have a brilliant show of lamps, burners, and improved globes. The General Gas Heating Company, London, show a similar instantaneous water-heater to Mr Fletcher’s, but their chief article of interest is their stove, which they will guarantee from rust and corrosion for ten years. Blackleading, the housemaid’s bane, is rendered unnecessary on these stoves. Messrs Waddell & Main, Glasgow (Stand 10), show stoves which burn pure gas, and not, as in the majority of cases, mixed gas and air. The lights also by radiation give four times the heat of the Bunsen lights. The remaining stands are occupied by Mr James, Northgate, Darlington, whose gas governor is of interest, as economising the consumption of gas in households; Mr Smith, 22, Skinnergate, who has a large and varied assortment of gas fittings and appliances.

The exhibition was formally opened in the afternoon by the Mayor of Darlington (Councillor F. T. Steavenson), and amongst those present at the time were Aldermen H. F. Pease, E. L. Pease, G. Shaw, J. Dresser, W. Foggitt; Councillors Sedgwick, Wilkes, Harding, J. A. Pease, Morrell, Elgie, Elwin, Marshall, A. E. Kitching, and Bowman; Messrs T. M. Barron, J. G. Grace, W. C. Parker, G. N Watson, Smith (borough surveyor), Smith (gas manager), and Superintendent Rogers.

The MAYOR said that the object of the exhibition was to induce the people of Darlington to consume gas to a larger extent than at present, with two ends in view, the one being by an increasing consumption of gas to enable the Corporation to pay off a heavy debt more readily; and, secondly, with the view of effecting a saving to the pockets of the people of Darlington, because the modern gas stoves and appliances were a very great saving on the old, antiquated cooking-stoves. They would see, by looking round the exhibition, the variety of uses to which gas was put – that it was utilised not only for cooking, but also for driving purposes. Having been furnished by Mr Robson, chairman of the Gasworks Committee of the Corporation, with a few facts relating to the gasworks and their origin in the town, he would repeat them as being of especial interest at present. Gasworks were originally established in Darlington about 1830, by Mr West, oil having been previously used. The works were carried on by Mr West as a private speculation till 1849, when a company was formed, which carried on the undertaking till 1854, the year of the establishment of the Board of Health. In that year the Board of Health purchased both the gas and water works, which till then were private property. The shareholders in the gasworks for every £100 invested received £200. The works had enabled the Corporation and the Board of Health before it to pay off large sums of money, and had it not have been for them the rates would at times have been heavier than they were. No one in Darlington regretted more than the members of the Corporation that the rates were not smaller than they were, but he could assure them that not a penny was expended without being looked into. The various charges for gas in the town were of interest. In 1854 it was 5s per 1,000 cubic feet, and the next year 5s 6d. In 1861 it was reduced to 1s 8d per 1,000 feet, and since then it had been gradually reduced, till now it stood at 2s 10d per 1,000, which was subject to a further reduction of 6d discount. In 1854 the manufacture was 18,200,000 feet; in 1869 it was 35,765,000, or more than double the quantity manufactured at the time of purchase. At that time it was found that the works were not sufficient to supply the demands of the town. and the manufacture was increased till in 1874 it amounted to 93,674,000. Following upon that, 33 acres of land were purchased, upon which the new works were erected at a cost of £29,218, and a great saving had been effected by the manner in which their able manager, Mr Smith, had conducted the undertaking. (Hear, hear.) The present number of retorts in use was 120, and the works were capable of carbonising 120 tons of coal per day. The make of gas for last year had been 133,304,700 feet, or about 43,000,000 increase since the consumption of 1874. trusted the exhibition would enable the price of gas to be still further reduced, and had pleasure in declaring it open. (Hear, hear.)

Councillor ROBSON having moved a vote of thanks to the Mayor, which was cordially carried, the company adjourned to a tent which had been erected adjacent to the Drill Shed, and in which Mrs J. B. Thwaites, professor and teacher of cookery, Liverpool, delivered a practical and interesting lecture on cookery and the especial advantages of using gas stoves, affording as they do opportunities for regulating alike the temperature of the apartment and the heat applied to the article being cooked.

In the evening, the Drill-shed presented a brilliant appearance with the variegated lamps lit. Numbers of people visited the exhibition, and the proceedings took somewhat of the character of a conversazione, Mrs Thwaite again gave a practical cookery lecture. Mr Stosk, county analyst, gave interesting gas experiments and lecturettes, while Mr G. Newby Watson provided musical attractions with his splendid amateur string band.

1538 words.