CHRISTCHURCH GAS COMPANY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2024, 19 August 1880, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH GAS COMPANY.

To meet the largely increased demand for lighting in the city and suburbs, the Christchurch Gas, Coal, and Coke Company have found it necessary to make a considerable addition to their already extensive plant. A _ new gas holder has just been built, presenting certain special features which make it worthy of something more than a mere passing notice. The main object is to secure economy of space whilst obtaining, at the same time, an efficient accommodation for the supply. requisite to meet the circumstances of the company, whose field of operations is continually extending in area. The now gas holder is formed on the telescopic principle, there being two of them in one tank, though one crown or roof serves for both, and this is arranged on a very ingenious plan. The two holders are concentric to one another ; the inner holder which has the crown on it, being furnished at the bottom with a kind of hook, and in rising this hook comes in contact with and catches a similar contrivance on the top of the outer holder, which is thus drawn up to the requisite height as the gas is generated. The tank is 18ft. deep, and the holders are 100 ft. and 102 ft. 6in. in diameter respectively. It should not bo omitted that the tank (being made of wrought iron) serves the same purpose, and is less expensive than the old well system, in the construction of which brick and concrete is used. The new holder is three times larger than one of the, original holders, and six times larger than the other, and is estimated to hold 300,000 feet of gas. It is at present the largest completed gas holder in New Zealand, but it is understood that one in course ot erection at Dunedin is a trifle larger. A trial of the new holder was made on Tuesday, by the aid of a fan worked by steam, and the result was most satisfactory, no leakage being found in any part, which is a remarkable fact when the enormous mass of iron work of which the plant consists is taken into consideration. All the material was imported from Home, and the work was carried on by day labor, under the superintendence of Mr Marr o‘, assistantmanager to the company, to whom the greatest credit is due for the manner in which he has carried out this important work.