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Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 17, 2013 10:54AM
What coal plants, if any, are being closed down?
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: November 17, 2013 11:56AM
nordsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What coal plants, if any, are being closed down?
You mean power plants?
Crawford and Fisk have been shut down.
Midwest Gen's other plants have been bought up by an outside investor.
Most of them are dual fuel and will probably keep going, but Will County in Romeoville (which is all coal) and Waukeegan (which is small) are probably not going to stay.
Ameren Corp is trying to unload it's five all coal plants, but those are all downstate.
-------------------------------------------------------
> What coal plants, if any, are being closed down?
You mean power plants?
Crawford and Fisk have been shut down.
Midwest Gen's other plants have been bought up by an outside investor.
Most of them are dual fuel and will probably keep going, but Will County in Romeoville (which is all coal) and Waukeegan (which is small) are probably not going to stay.
Ameren Corp is trying to unload it's five all coal plants, but those are all downstate.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 17, 2013 02:10PM
PKDickman,
Thank you much for the information. I have also, been curious to know, whether there was a coal gasification plant, on or near Goose Island, in the early 1900s?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2013 02:11PM by nordsider.
Thank you much for the information. I have also, been curious to know, whether there was a coal gasification plant, on or near Goose Island, in the early 1900s?
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2013 02:11PM by nordsider.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: November 17, 2013 03:01PM
Before natural gas became readily available, the gas used for lighting was coal gas. It was a byproduct of coking coal and is why the company used to be called "Peoples Gas, Light and Coke".
I thought it had come up here before, but I was wrong but it was a post I put on another forum.
The 1700 block of Marcey St. was a big producing center. The former Smith and Hawken
Store is the last existing building.
Technically, that is not on Goose Island, but it is pretty darn close.
There may have been another on the island, but I am not sure.
I thought it had come up here before, but I was wrong but it was a post I put on another forum.
The 1700 block of Marcey St. was a big producing center. The former Smith and Hawken
Store is the last existing building.
Technically, that is not on Goose Island, but it is pretty darn close.
There may have been another on the island, but I am not sure.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: November 17, 2013 03:51PM
I took a further look on the 1910 Fire maps for the island and there were no gassification plants.
Plenty of wool pullers and tanneries and turpentine distilleries and horse hair plaster manufacturers though.
You can look here,
[url=http://imagesearchnew.library.illinois.edu/cdm/search/collection/sanborn/searchterm/Insurance%20maps%20of%20Chicago/order/nosort]Sanborn maps[/url]
Goose island is in 1910 vol 2 pages 125-136.
Other research turned up an Ill Geol Survey project to map the Coal Gas plants (for poss coal tar contamination), but they are still working on that.
Plenty of wool pullers and tanneries and turpentine distilleries and horse hair plaster manufacturers though.
You can look here,
[url=http://imagesearchnew.library.illinois.edu/cdm/search/collection/sanborn/searchterm/Insurance%20maps%20of%20Chicago/order/nosort]Sanborn maps[/url]
Goose island is in 1910 vol 2 pages 125-136.
Other research turned up an Ill Geol Survey project to map the Coal Gas plants (for poss coal tar contamination), but they are still working on that.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: November 17, 2013 04:08PM
The Peoples Gas facility at Elston and Division was once a producer gas plant.
If you look at the picture of it in the thread about gas holders, you'll see the old buildings and the original open-frame holders.
There were probably others where there were the old style tanks.
If you look at the picture of it in the thread about gas holders, you'll see the old buildings and the original open-frame holders.
There were probably others where there were the old style tanks.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: November 17, 2013 04:29PM
Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Peoples Gas facility at Elston and Division
> was once a producer gas plant.
>
> If you look at the picture of it in the thread
> about gas holders, you'll see the old buildings
> and the original open-frame holders.
>
> There were probably others where there were the
> old style tanks.
That makes sense.
That way they had producers on both sides of the river and didn't need to run a pipeline across.
The firemaps show it.
1914 vol 5 pgs 120,121
-------------------------------------------------------
> The Peoples Gas facility at Elston and Division
> was once a producer gas plant.
>
> If you look at the picture of it in the thread
> about gas holders, you'll see the old buildings
> and the original open-frame holders.
>
> There were probably others where there were the
> old style tanks.
That makes sense.
That way they had producers on both sides of the river and didn't need to run a pipeline across.
The firemaps show it.
1914 vol 5 pgs 120,121
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 17, 2013 06:05PM
Thanks for that,
I have had a long standing theory, that both of my grandparents, who lived close to the eastern edge of Goose Island in the early 1900s, had their lives prematurely shortened by having to breathe-in the downwind polluted atmosphere.
I have had a long standing theory, that both of my grandparents, who lived close to the eastern edge of Goose Island in the early 1900s, had their lives prematurely shortened by having to breathe-in the downwind polluted atmosphere.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
PKDickman
()
Date: November 17, 2013 07:15PM
nordsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for that,
>
> I have had a long standing theory, that both of my
> grandparents, who lived close to the eastern edge
> of Goose Island in the early 1900s, had their
> lives prematurely shortened by having to
> breathe-in the downwind polluted atmosphere.
While it is pretty likely, the gassification plants were probably the least offenders.
The whole process was one of turning all the byproducts of coking into a profit center.
The gasses that came off were collected and filtered to produce lighting gas, the filtering process produced other useful chemicals, and the coal tar was a valuable resource, used for oil and pitch and creosote and dyes.
The secondary industries on the island that fed off these products were probably worse.
Tarpaper manufacturers and lumber yards treating wood with creosote were just some.
If you add in the foundries and tanneries, Goose Island must have just been a hell hole.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for that,
>
> I have had a long standing theory, that both of my
> grandparents, who lived close to the eastern edge
> of Goose Island in the early 1900s, had their
> lives prematurely shortened by having to
> breathe-in the downwind polluted atmosphere.
While it is pretty likely, the gassification plants were probably the least offenders.
The whole process was one of turning all the byproducts of coking into a profit center.
The gasses that came off were collected and filtered to produce lighting gas, the filtering process produced other useful chemicals, and the coal tar was a valuable resource, used for oil and pitch and creosote and dyes.
The secondary industries on the island that fed off these products were probably worse.
Tarpaper manufacturers and lumber yards treating wood with creosote were just some.
If you add in the foundries and tanneries, Goose Island must have just been a hell hole.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: November 17, 2013 07:34PM
PKDickman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> That makes sense.
> That way they had producers on both sides of the
> river and didn't need to run a pipeline across.
>
> The firemaps show it.
> 1914 vol 5 pgs 120,121
Probably every location on an old aerial photograph showing gas holders was a producer gas plant.
Nasty stuff, it was mostly carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. And then there was the coal tar: you not only had wells and tanks for it, but probably the water pit in every gas holder had quantities of tar at the bottom.
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> That makes sense.
> That way they had producers on both sides of the
> river and didn't need to run a pipeline across.
>
> The firemaps show it.
> 1914 vol 5 pgs 120,121
Probably every location on an old aerial photograph showing gas holders was a producer gas plant.
Nasty stuff, it was mostly carbon monoxide, hydrogen, and methane. And then there was the coal tar: you not only had wells and tanks for it, but probably the water pit in every gas holder had quantities of tar at the bottom.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 17, 2013 07:47PM
Thanks for the informative replies.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2013 08:53PM by nordsider.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/17/2013 08:53PM by nordsider.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 18, 2013 04:15PM
I have just read, that the People's Gas Light and Coke Company opened a large "gas house" -- a few years after the Civil War -- where furnaces extracted flammable gas from baked coal, located just to the east of Goose Island. They piped "gas light" across Chicago to illuminate buildings and streets. And, the company's fires at night, were the original source of the name "Little Hell."
On an 1886 map; in an area just east of Goose Island, between Hawthorn (now Kingsbury 400W)) and Crosby (920N-1190N); and from Hobbie (1100N from 660W 666W) to Haines (was 800W-860W) ; two gas storage tanks and adjacent buildings are shown. This may be the location of the "gas house."
A Google Street/Satellite View:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=kingsburry+%26+hobbie,+chicago&hl=en&ll=41.901806,-87.646394&spn=0.003498,0.006512&sll=39.739318,-89.266507&sspn=7.398724,13.337402&t=h&hnear=N+Kingsbury+St+%26+W+Hobbie+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&z=17
And a question: Were the first household kitchen gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2013 11:08AM by nordsider.
On an 1886 map; in an area just east of Goose Island, between Hawthorn (now Kingsbury 400W)) and Crosby (920N-1190N); and from Hobbie (1100N from 660W 666W) to Haines (was 800W-860W) ; two gas storage tanks and adjacent buildings are shown. This may be the location of the "gas house."
A Google Street/Satellite View:
https://maps.google.com/maps?q=kingsburry+%26+hobbie,+chicago&hl=en&ll=41.901806,-87.646394&spn=0.003498,0.006512&sll=39.739318,-89.266507&sspn=7.398724,13.337402&t=h&hnear=N+Kingsbury+St+%26+W+Hobbie+St,+Chicago,+Cook,+Illinois&z=17
And a question: Were the first household kitchen gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
Edited 4 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/2013 11:08AM by nordsider.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: November 19, 2013 04:51PM
nordsider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> And a question: Were the first household kitchen
> gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
I think the first readily commercially available gas ranges were for sale in the 20's. The building I grew up in was built in 1906 and there were flues for the ranges. The building I live in now, but in the mid/late 20's, had a vent for the gas ranges (ovens primarily) to get rid of the heat (which also had the benefit of ventilating the kitchens, keeping them cooler, refreshing air in the rest of the unit and keeping cooking odors at bay.
Gas heat, however, didn't become common until the 60's. My current building was originally oil and converted to gas sometime in the 60's I think (we still use the original boiler, it's going strong), while my old building switched from coal to gas in the mid-60's and reading the minutes of the building, boy did they think it was great to have automatic heat with no stoking first thing in the morning to get heat.
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> And a question: Were the first household kitchen
> gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
I think the first readily commercially available gas ranges were for sale in the 20's. The building I grew up in was built in 1906 and there were flues for the ranges. The building I live in now, but in the mid/late 20's, had a vent for the gas ranges (ovens primarily) to get rid of the heat (which also had the benefit of ventilating the kitchens, keeping them cooler, refreshing air in the rest of the unit and keeping cooking odors at bay.
Gas heat, however, didn't become common until the 60's. My current building was originally oil and converted to gas sometime in the 60's I think (we still use the original boiler, it's going strong), while my old building switched from coal to gas in the mid-60's and reading the minutes of the building, boy did they think it was great to have automatic heat with no stoking first thing in the morning to get heat.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 19, 2013 10:29PM
I have also read, that in 1852, a new dance hall opened, called the Melodeon Hall -- somewhere in old Chicago -- that featured gas light from three chandeliers.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2015 09:48AM by nordsider.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2015 09:48AM by nordsider.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: November 20, 2013 12:58AM
davey7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> nordsider Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > And a question: Were the first household
> kitchen
> > gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
>
>
> I think the first readily commercially available
> gas ranges were for sale in the 20's. The building
> I grew up in was built in 1906 and there were
> flues for the ranges. The building I live in now,
> but in the mid/late 20's, had a vent for the gas
> ranges (ovens primarily) to get rid of the heat
> (which also had the benefit of ventilating the
> kitchens, keeping them cooler, refreshing air in
> the rest of the unit and keeping cooking odors at
> bay.
>
> Gas heat, however, didn't become common until the
> 60's. My current building was originally oil and
> converted to gas sometime in the 60's I think (we
> still use the original boiler, it's going strong),
> while my old building switched from coal to gas in
> the mid-60's and reading the minutes of the
> building, boy did they think it was great to have
> automatic heat with no stoking first thing in the
> morning to get heat.
My grandparents' old apartment, located on the SW corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired heating stove in the dining room, and a gas-fired water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also had a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and stove oil on the other. All three appliances had flue connections. The apartment also had many old gas jets for lighting, which I suspect were still connected, but rendered unusable by layers of paint.
The building is still there, but they moved out in the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those "features", including the gas meter in the bathroom, are still there.
-------------------------------------------------------
> nordsider Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > And a question: Were the first household
> kitchen
> > gas stoves, in Chicago, in use by the 1920s?
>
>
> I think the first readily commercially available
> gas ranges were for sale in the 20's. The building
> I grew up in was built in 1906 and there were
> flues for the ranges. The building I live in now,
> but in the mid/late 20's, had a vent for the gas
> ranges (ovens primarily) to get rid of the heat
> (which also had the benefit of ventilating the
> kitchens, keeping them cooler, refreshing air in
> the rest of the unit and keeping cooking odors at
> bay.
>
> Gas heat, however, didn't become common until the
> 60's. My current building was originally oil and
> converted to gas sometime in the 60's I think (we
> still use the original boiler, it's going strong),
> while my old building switched from coal to gas in
> the mid-60's and reading the minutes of the
> building, boy did they think it was great to have
> automatic heat with no stoking first thing in the
> morning to get heat.
My grandparents' old apartment, located on the SW corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired heating stove in the dining room, and a gas-fired water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also had a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and stove oil on the other. All three appliances had flue connections. The apartment also had many old gas jets for lighting, which I suspect were still connected, but rendered unusable by layers of paint.
The building is still there, but they moved out in the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those "features", including the gas meter in the bathroom, are still there.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: November 20, 2013 06:29PM
Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> My grandparents' old apartment, located on the SW
> corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired
> heating stove in the dining room, and a gas-fired
> water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also had
> a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and stove
> oil on the other. All three appliances had flue
> connections. The apartment also had many old gas
> jets for lighting, which I suspect were still
> connected, but rendered unusable by layers of
> paint.
>
> The building is still there, but they moved out in
> the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those
> "features", including the gas meter in the
> bathroom, are still there.
Ha! Roscoe's! They would hate living there now with all the thumping music from downstairs.
I really hate space heaters with a passion. The building I grew up in had gas piping for lights - it was really neatly plumbing in like a tree while the electric (also original) went helter skelter from box to box. The last gas jets were in the back bathrooms and someone used one for science experiments for college (some woman had come by with her kids to show them where she lived in the 40's and told my mom that story). There was also a decorative gas fire in the living room.
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> My grandparents' old apartment, located on the SW
> corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired
> heating stove in the dining room, and a gas-fired
> water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also had
> a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and stove
> oil on the other. All three appliances had flue
> connections. The apartment also had many old gas
> jets for lighting, which I suspect were still
> connected, but rendered unusable by layers of
> paint.
>
> The building is still there, but they moved out in
> the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those
> "features", including the gas meter in the
> bathroom, are still there.
Ha! Roscoe's! They would hate living there now with all the thumping music from downstairs.
I really hate space heaters with a passion. The building I grew up in had gas piping for lights - it was really neatly plumbing in like a tree while the electric (also original) went helter skelter from box to box. The last gas jets were in the back bathrooms and someone used one for science experiments for college (some woman had come by with her kids to show them where she lived in the 40's and told my mom that story). There was also a decorative gas fire in the living room.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: November 20, 2013 10:00PM
davey7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > My grandparents' old apartment, located on the
> SW
> > corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired
> > heating stove in the dining room, and a
> gas-fired
> > water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also
> had
> > a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and
> stove
> > oil on the other. All three appliances had flue
> > connections. The apartment also had many old
> gas
> > jets for lighting, which I suspect were still
> > connected, but rendered unusable by layers of
> > paint.
> >
> > The building is still there, but they moved out
> in
> > the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those
> > "features", including the gas meter in the
> > bathroom, are still there.
>
> Ha! Roscoe's! They would hate living there now
> with all the thumping music from downstairs.
>
> I really hate space heaters with a passion. The
> building I grew up in had gas piping for lights -
> it was really neatly plumbing in like a tree while
> the electric (also original) went helter skelter
> from box to box. The last gas jets were in the
> back bathrooms and someone used one for science
> experiments for college (some woman had come by
> with her kids to show them where she lived in the
> 40's and told my mom that story). There was also a
> decorative gas fire in the living room.
What is Roscoe's now was a grocery back when my grandparents lived there. It was a little strange being back in the neighborhood to survey the intersection when the City modernized the signals (my design, BTW).
A coworker of mine who was with the Bureau of Electricity owns a two-flat that apparently was old enough to have been plumbed for gas lights, and had combination light fixtures. He discovered this when he was working on painting the front room in the other apartment, and unscrewed the cap in the ceiling.
The screw for the cap had been screwed into the gas line!
He rescrewed that in a hurry. I think he may have had the line disconnected after that.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Jeff_Weiner Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > My grandparents' old apartment, located on the
> SW
> > corner of Halsted and Roscoe, had a gas-fired
> > heating stove in the dining room, and a
> gas-fired
> > water heater in the kitchen. The kitchen also
> had
> > a dual-fuel range, with gas on one side, and
> stove
> > oil on the other. All three appliances had flue
> > connections. The apartment also had many old
> gas
> > jets for lighting, which I suspect were still
> > connected, but rendered unusable by layers of
> > paint.
> >
> > The building is still there, but they moved out
> in
> > the early 70's, so I have no idea if all those
> > "features", including the gas meter in the
> > bathroom, are still there.
>
> Ha! Roscoe's! They would hate living there now
> with all the thumping music from downstairs.
>
> I really hate space heaters with a passion. The
> building I grew up in had gas piping for lights -
> it was really neatly plumbing in like a tree while
> the electric (also original) went helter skelter
> from box to box. The last gas jets were in the
> back bathrooms and someone used one for science
> experiments for college (some woman had come by
> with her kids to show them where she lived in the
> 40's and told my mom that story). There was also a
> decorative gas fire in the living room.
What is Roscoe's now was a grocery back when my grandparents lived there. It was a little strange being back in the neighborhood to survey the intersection when the City modernized the signals (my design, BTW).
A coworker of mine who was with the Bureau of Electricity owns a two-flat that apparently was old enough to have been plumbed for gas lights, and had combination light fixtures. He discovered this when he was working on painting the front room in the other apartment, and unscrewed the cap in the ceiling.
The screw for the cap had been screwed into the gas line!
He rescrewed that in a hurry. I think he may have had the line disconnected after that.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 21, 2013 12:49AM
I wonder, if the former manufactured gas plant, bordered by the streets of Kingsbury, Hobbie, Crosby, and Haines streets; located just east of Goose Island, and shown on a 1886 map, that I mentioned earlier, still has toxic substances buried beneath it?
The map: Robinson's Atlas of the City of Chicago, 1886, Volume 3, Plate 17.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
The map: Robinson's Atlas of the City of Chicago, 1886, Volume 3, Plate 17.
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/11064.html
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Business7007
()
Date: November 21, 2013 01:15AM
Let me add another location where Peoples Gas Light and Coke Company had a gas manufacturing facility. At the corner of Oakton and McCormick Road on the border between Evanston and Skokie there was a plant that was there well into the 1970's. I would speculate that its primary early purpose was to supply gas for Evanston, since Skokie as a real place did not begin to emerge as a residential site until the late 50's and early 60's. While the facility was there for a long time, I'm sure that the manufacture of gas had long since ceased and the facilities tanks were storing and distributing natural gas.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Business7007
()
Date: November 21, 2013 02:09AM
Here is a link to an EPA website where there is a listing of all of the Peoples Gas gas manufacturing sites that are currently under review for possible cleanup.
http://www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/peoplesgas/#listofsites
The site I mentioned above is not on the list so either it was never a gas manufacturing site, perhaps only a distribution site or it was previously cleaned up when all of its facilities were torn down. I will do some more research and see what I can find out.
http://www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/peoplesgas/#listofsites
The site I mentioned above is not on the list so either it was never a gas manufacturing site, perhaps only a distribution site or it was previously cleaned up when all of its facilities were torn down. I will do some more research and see what I can find out.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
nordsider
()
Date: November 21, 2013 09:07AM
Business7007 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is a link to an EPA website where there is a
> listing of all of the Peoples Gas gas
> manufacturing sites that are currently under
> review for possible cleanup.
>
>
> http://www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/peoplesgas/#lis
> tofsites
>
> The site I mentioned above is not on the list so
> either it was never a gas manufacturing site,
> perhaps only a distribution site or it was
> previously cleaned up when all of its facilities
> were torn down. I will do some more research and
> see what I can find out.
Business7007,
Thank you for the information. The "North Station" EPA report:
http://www.epa.gov/R5Super/npl/sas_sites/ILD982074775.html
This North Station MGP must have been affected by the natural gas pipe lines from the oil fields in Texas and Oklahoma, in 1944 - 1966.
See: History and Chronology of Manufactured Gas
http://www.hatheway.net/01_history.htm
By the way, the same source lists the number of the former manufactured gas plants (FMGP), and other coal-tar sites, in Chicago's past, as follows:
116 --- FMGPs
400 Estimated --- Other Coal-Tar Sites
http://www.hatheway.net/05_fmgp_us.htm
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2013 09:07PM by nordsider.
-------------------------------------------------------
> Here is a link to an EPA website where there is a
> listing of all of the Peoples Gas gas
> manufacturing sites that are currently under
> review for possible cleanup.
>
>
> http://www.epa.gov/region5/cleanup/peoplesgas/#lis
> tofsites
>
> The site I mentioned above is not on the list so
> either it was never a gas manufacturing site,
> perhaps only a distribution site or it was
> previously cleaned up when all of its facilities
> were torn down. I will do some more research and
> see what I can find out.
Business7007,
Thank you for the information. The "North Station" EPA report:
http://www.epa.gov/R5Super/npl/sas_sites/ILD982074775.html
This North Station MGP must have been affected by the natural gas pipe lines from the oil fields in Texas and Oklahoma, in 1944 - 1966.
See: History and Chronology of Manufactured Gas
http://www.hatheway.net/01_history.htm
By the way, the same source lists the number of the former manufactured gas plants (FMGP), and other coal-tar sites, in Chicago's past, as follows:
116 --- FMGPs
400 Estimated --- Other Coal-Tar Sites
http://www.hatheway.net/05_fmgp_us.htm
Edited 6 time(s). Last edit at 11/22/2013 09:07PM by nordsider.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: November 25, 2013 04:24PM
My understanding is that coal gas was prevalent before natural gas was available and that the burners are rather different - which is why heating wasn't done with it before the advent of natural gas (I would assume cost was part of it and not just burners, etc).
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
WayOutWardell
()
Date: November 28, 2013 10:15PM
If you check Historic Aerials in 1973 for the corner of North Ave. and Throop and pan slightly east, there's a gas holder just east of the river on the north side of North Ave. across from what was then the Proctor & Gamble plant (now Home Depot).
I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: November 28, 2013 11:05PM
WayOutWardell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you check Historic Aerials in 1973 for the
> corner of North Ave. and Throop and pan slightly
> east, there's a gas holder just east of the river
> on the north side of North Ave. across from what
> was then the Proctor & Gamble plant (now Home
> Depot).
>
> I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that
> freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around
> Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still
> flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
To accurately answer whether there was a producer gas plant at a location would probably require studying both the aerial photos and the Sanborn maps, which would be quite an undertaking. The location you mention, in some earlier aerials, has two open-frame gas holders, which may or may not indicate there was a gas plant there. Later pictures show only one older tank, plus a big enclosed piston-type gas holder, which was probably erected after Peoples Gas began selling natural gas and phased out producer gas. Eventually, the remaining open-frame tank was removed, and then the enclosed tank, as well. A lot of research would need to be done to answer the question.
As for the possibility that some illumination lines might have added to that accident, well, any explosions and fires would have obscured their existence, although the Fired Department's arson investigators might have noted it in any reports.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2016 05:43AM by Jeff_Weiner.
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you check Historic Aerials in 1973 for the
> corner of North Ave. and Throop and pan slightly
> east, there's a gas holder just east of the river
> on the north side of North Ave. across from what
> was then the Proctor & Gamble plant (now Home
> Depot).
>
> I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that
> freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around
> Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still
> flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
To accurately answer whether there was a producer gas plant at a location would probably require studying both the aerial photos and the Sanborn maps, which would be quite an undertaking. The location you mention, in some earlier aerials, has two open-frame gas holders, which may or may not indicate there was a gas plant there. Later pictures show only one older tank, plus a big enclosed piston-type gas holder, which was probably erected after Peoples Gas began selling natural gas and phased out producer gas. Eventually, the remaining open-frame tank was removed, and then the enclosed tank, as well. A lot of research would need to be done to answer the question.
As for the possibility that some illumination lines might have added to that accident, well, any explosions and fires would have obscured their existence, although the Fired Department's arson investigators might have noted it in any reports.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/02/2016 05:43AM by Jeff_Weiner.
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
davey7
()
Date: December 02, 2013 03:58PM
WayOutWardell Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that
> freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around
> Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still
> flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
And gas fireplace lines too!
-------------------------------------------------------
> I wonder how many of the houses destroyed in that
> freaky gas-pressure accident in the '90s around
> Racine/Milwaukee were brought down by gas still
> flowing to the old light fixture supply lines.
And gas fireplace lines too!
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Kamal
()
Date: May 21, 2015 04:28AM
if you are looking for the coal plants servcies then goyal energy provides the best services for more coal services visit us on www.goyalenergy.in
Re: Coal plants
Posted by:
Jeff_Weiner
()
Date: January 02, 2016 05:46AM
davey7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> My understanding is that coal gas was prevalent
> before natural gas was available and that the
> burners are rather different - which is why
> heating wasn't done with it before the advent of
> natural gas (I would assume cost was part of it
> and not just burners, etc).
Yes, the coal gas had different caloric value, though it might be possible to use it for heating. Most people relied on coal, or coke, for heating, and in the latter case might have bought that coke from Peoples when they produced it from the gasmaking process.
-------------------------------------------------------
> My understanding is that coal gas was prevalent
> before natural gas was available and that the
> burners are rather different - which is why
> heating wasn't done with it before the advent of
> natural gas (I would assume cost was part of it
> and not just burners, etc).
Yes, the coal gas had different caloric value, though it might be possible to use it for heating. Most people relied on coal, or coke, for heating, and in the latter case might have bought that coke from Peoples when they produced it from the gasmaking process.
