MODERN - GASWORKS PRACTICE ALWYNE MEADE, Assoc.M.Is.c.E. II 1.ECTURER IN GAS ENGINEERING AND ALLIED SUBJECTS TO THE LONDON COUNTY COUNCIL AND AT THE REGENT STREET POLYTECHNIC AIANAGER OF THE WAPPIXC WORKS OF THE COMllERClAL GAS COMPANY MII.LER PRlZEIlAN OF THE INSTITUTION OF CIVIL EhGINEERS, 1910-11, ETC., ETC WITII AN INTRODUCTORY NOTE ENGINEEK AND GENERAI. llANAGEK OP THE COIlDlERClAL GAS COMPANY. -- lNTRODUCTORY NOTE -- THE Author has paid me the compliment of asking me to write an introductory note to his book MODERN GASWORKS PRACTICE, and it affords me peculiar pleasure to do so, for I have known him throughout his professional career. He has thrown himself into his subject with characteristic thoroughness, dealing with the works side of gas engineering from alpha to omega, and his treatise will be, I venture to think, a most Gseful addition to the bookshelves of present-day gas engineers. The Authors literary work is a fitting sequel to his technical ability and skill as known to and appreciated by one who has had the fullest opportunity of judging- px tlvJpu Jeitet. COIERCAL GASWORKS, STEPNEY, E. November, 1916. STANLEY H. JONES. . - - PREFACE - - THE gas industry in this country, in spite of its magnitude, is particularly ill fur- nished with anything in the nature of a general work of reference dealing with really modern practice. The-deficiency, however, can be readily understood when con- sideration is given to the immensity of the task with which the intending author is faced, the sacrifice of time involved, and, above all, the difficulty of keeping pace with principles and ideas which are in a perpetual state of development. Such pros- pects, in fact, may well be calculated to damp the enthusiasm of the most deter- mined aspirant. I The author entered with a light heart upon the task of kndeavouring to remedy the deficiency, but after twelve months of continuous work, with no prospect of the end in view, a change came oer the spirit of my dream, for the enormity of the subject was such that there seemed little hope of ever winning through. How- ever a plunge into the struggle for another few months brought matters to a con- clusion, and the present volume, whatever its merits or shortcomings, is put for- ward in the hope that it may prove of some assistance and, perhaps, enjoyment to. the highly trained gas engineer of to-day. It must be realized at the outset that so far as the principles and practice of modern gasmaking are concerned no single individual can lay claim to omniscience, and on no account would the author pre- sume to be especially fitted for the task he has undertaken. No pains have, how- ever, been spared to develop the book essentially on the ideas of the practical man, whilst every precaution has been taken to avoid inaccuracies. In the latter connec- tion the author has taken advantage perhaps, at so busy a time, too much advan- tage of the help of his many friends in the industry, with the result that nearly every chapter has been submitted for suggestions to an expert in the particular branch with which it deals. This assistance, involving as it has in many cases some . considerable labour, has been most generously given, and acknowledgment to the full is due to the following gentlemen for their services - Mr. G. F. Handel Beard, Mr. F. J. Bradfield, Mr. A. P. Browne, Mr. F. J. Bywater, Professor J. W. Cobb Dr. H. G. Colman, Mr. E. V. Evans, Mr. G. M. Gill, Mr. Thos. Glover, Mr. W. R. Herring, Blr. Charles Hunt, Mr. Frank H. Jones, Dr. R. Lessing, the late Professor Lewes, Rlr. R. J. fililbourne, Mr. Jas. Stelfox, Mr. J. W. Scott, Mr. B. B. Waller, Mr. P. E. Williams, and Mr. Henry Woodall. In addition, my thanks are due to Mr. Geo. Evetts, Assoc.3l.Inst.C.E., who has read through a large portion of my manuscript, and from whom I have received many valuable suggestions. Blr. TV. F... --This text refers to the Paperback edition.