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Gasometer Going Up: 1913
... have to include that fine shiny loco. I think this gasometer qualifies for inclusion in that museum, too, when you consider the ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2024 - 12:45pm -

May 9, 1913. "Detroit City Gas Company, north end of gas holder." (Some assembly required.) 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Uhhh ...Not gonna ask anything about the uses of Car No. 9. MiscalculationEr, we're gonna need a bigger crane. Human ingenuityI once sent in a comment about a beautiful steam locomotive saying that if there were a museum of the ten most ingenious examples of human design and accomplishment, then they’d have to include that fine shiny loco. I think this gasometer qualifies for inclusion in that museum, too, when you consider the design, the fabrication of all the components, the delivery, and then the assembly. Not a trifling accomplishment, and one of which humankind ought to be justifiably proud. Sometimes we are very clever monkeys. Yup, I rememberThere were three or four of these back in the '60s when I grew up; I remember the one near Detroit City Airport that had a red and white checkered top and a neon sign on top that said "GAS IS BEST" and it blinked. Dad used to take us to the airport to sit and watch the planes land and take off. I never got on a plane until 1999. [By the 1960s, "city gas" (aka coal gas or illuminating gas), as well as gasometers or gas holders, were long gone from most places (except Sylvia Plath's oven in the UK). "Gas Is Best" almost certainly meant natural gas. - Dave] Past gasHere's a discussion with Detroit old-timers. They recall that some Detroit gasometers (or gas holders) survived into the late 1960s. Natural gas pipelines came into Detroit in the late 1930s, making coal gas production obsolete. The gasometers were still used, though: In the second half of the 20th century, the rise of natural gas distribution via gas pipelines supplanted that system [coal gas production] and the existing gas holders were used (in a less crucial capacity) for managing the pressure of the natural gas pipelines, until the holders reached the end of their useful lifespan. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Industry & Public Works, Railroads)
Huge: 1943
... View full size. Plus our old friend the gasometer As seen previously on Shorpy - Gasometers Standing Guard ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/19/2024 - 12:37pm -

April 1943. "Detroit, Michigan. A huge pipe section loaded on a flatcar." 4x5 inch acetate negative by Arthur Siegel for the Office of War Information. View full size. Plus our old friend the gasometerAs seen previously on Shorpy - Gasometers Standing GuardThe soldier seems fascinated by the man doing something to the rails. I wonder what branch of the Army the soldier is? And why is he standing guard? Don't try anything funny with that torch!Under the watchful eye of the soldier on the left. This scene is at the 'RIP' track (Repair In Place) so perhaps some of the blocking or load tie downs needed attention on the precious cargo on the flat car. Since the load is longer than the car it is mounted to an 'idler' car is needed at the far end which also provided added space for additional lading. Flatcar loadPipe, schmipe, I want to know what the load on the following flatcar is. Looks like the backbone of a giant monster- perhaps a new secret weapon that explains the soldier and his rifle off to the left. It's a column, not a pipeIt looks like a distillation column. The flared section at the near end of the flatcar is the skirt that will support the column when vertically installed on its pad. You can see a series of flanged necks on the sides of the straight sections that either correspond to internal plates in the column when components of the feed mixture are removed or where feedstocks are added for refining. Saturn V section?And the state of the art 1940s refrigeration. The ice car's right behind the booster ... "Pipe, Schmipe", IndeedI concur "hugely" with OVBuckeye that we see a brand-new distillation column on its way to who-knows-where -- any of a number of Great Lakes region petroleum refineries would be my guess. I've worked in the fine chemical industry for decades and I know a distillation column when I see one. In fact, I think there are some smaller diameter columns on the next car beyond. (The Gallery, Arthur Siegel, Detroit Photos, Railroads)
Station A: 1912
... holder, Station A, Detroit City Gas Company." Yet another gasometer abuilding. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My gasometer was different North Attleborough, Mass., had a classy brick "gas ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/13/2024 - 8:03pm -

May 10, 1912. "Gas holder, Station A, Detroit City Gas Company." Yet another gasometer abuilding. 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. My gasometer was differentNorth Attleborough, Mass., had a classy brick "gas house." From what I see online, brick structures protected the iron gasometers inside and extended their lives. North Attleborough's gas house survives and has been re-purposed as a home for several small businesses. Coal Gas vs. Natural GasWhen I grew up in the 1950s we lived in cities that used coal gas. When you light a natural gas burner on your stove, it ignites fairly quietly. With coal gas there was a pronounced "POP" when lit. Natural gas has no odour so there is an additive (Mercaptan) to tell if there is a gas leak. Coal gas did not need an additive - it smelled like mothballs. Unburned coal gas was deadly, and some people committed suicide by inhaling it. Your nose told you when you were near a gasworks in your city. Several cities on the South Island of New Zealand still had coal gas generated as late as the 1980s. LocationThis appears to be near the corner of West Jefferson and West Grand Boulevard. Today, just a vacant lot. In all the old familiar placesThis beauty loomed over the heart of Fisherman's Wharf until around 1963. The site is now (what else) a motel. Everything you know is ...This is obviously a primitive astronomical device created by Druids in the late Iron Age. You can see the two sets of 24 counting markers around the periphery, which were used to predict lunar eclipses. Two small four-legged devices (one seen just above the post at the bottom of the picture, the other having long disappeared) are the indicators moved from one marker to the next each year. At the end of 18 years the marker is moved each moonrise along the next 6 markers to account for the fact that the lunar cycle is 18.6 and not 18 years. When the 25th marker is reached a new cycle begins. Also to be seen are the two triangular devices that mark summer and winter solstices, and the central gnomon, which shows the length of each day and the specific time. The site is unique in that it includes a pile of tubes which were obviously intended to be used to create a true henge, left unfinished when the civilization mysteriously disappeared. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Industry & Public Works)
Gaslight: 1917
... they were. Telescoping Tanks Yes, the once-common "gasometer" telescopes up and down as the quantity of gas varies. You can see ... intersection of Virginia and New Hampshire avenues (the Gasometer labeled 3 on the map). The gas works was located in this part of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/12/2011 - 2:16pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1917. "Washington Gas Light holders at 26th and G streets N.W." These relics of the gaslight era ("two of Washington's biggest stinkers") were scrapped around 1947. Just about every city of any size in the latter half of the 19th century had its "gashouse district" -- a rough neighborhood dominated by smelly holding tanks for the municipal gas plant, where coal was gasified to make "city gas" (generally either "coal gas" or "water gas," depending on the process) for illumination. Harris & Ewing Collection glass negative. View full size. Washington postsNote the electric streetlamps in the process of being installed. Any day now, those incandescents will be lit up and the gasometers will be supplying several fewer gaslamps. Up and DownDo the tanks go up and down? I have a picture of some tanks that were always at different heights--they are in the background of some of my dad's family pictures taken in Maryland around 1949. He said they would rise and fall depending on how full they were. Telescoping TanksYes, the once-common "gasometer" telescopes up and down as the quantity of gas varies. You can see the inner and outer sections in the picture, as well as the guide wheels that roll up and down the support pillars. The gap between was filled with water. Nowadays much smaller pressure tanks fill the need. As the 1911 Encyclopaedia Britannica delicately advised, "A gasworks should be located with care as it does not improve the neighborhood." Boston BlackieThe old TV series "Boston Blackie" often had Blackie climbing one of these monsters. GasometersYes, they do go up and down. The Gas House Gang..... was the nickname given to the 1934 St. Louis Cardinals, one of the great teams of all time. The East Coast press, who for decades before and since felt that the league and Series titles were their birthright, characterized the Cards as being made up of hicks (Pepper Martin), thugs (Joe Medwick) and loudmouths (Dizzy Dean). That characterization was not totally incorrect, but as Diz said "If ya can do it, it ain't braggin"... and they did it. There is a great cartoon which some Shorpyite (not behind a net nanny filter at work like me) can probably find and post, showing a group of Neanderthal types in baseball uniforms, walking through a gas tank field with clubs over their shoulders. The caption is simply "The Gas House Gang". 26th & G St. NW is now......the Watergate complex. Gasworks built 1852Based on the Baist real estate map, the tank pictured closest in the photo was located just west of the intersection of Virginia and New Hampshire avenues (the Gasometer labeled 3 on the map). The gas works was located in this part of town to allow for economical delivery of coal (the primary fuel source) to the wharf on the Potomac. (Click map to enlarge) Big Gas Tanks Here Headed for Junkyard Two of Washington's biggest stinkers - both landmarks of the gas light era - are headed for the junkyard, completely deodorized. They are the Washington Gas Light Company's huge holders -- or tanks as the public regards them -- at 26th and G sts. nw., and New Hampshire and Virginia aves. nw. The holders, one of which was five years old when the Civil War started, are falling a victim to the gas company's conversion to natural gas. One of them held 591,000 cubic feet and the other 682,000 cubic feet and both held enough gas to last Washington 15 minutes in a rush period, officials said. Never regarded as a storage unit, but rather as a part of the gas manufacturing equipment, the holders lost their usefulness when the company halted manufacture of gas at the Northwest plant. Only gas made now is at the 12th and N st. ne. plant. The huge holders, of thin steel, will be dismantled by a junk dealer and the 30-foot deep holes filled in with earth, the company said. "People don't notice any changes around here," one official observed a little mournfully, "They just notice it smells bad." Washington Post, Aug 1, 1947 Foggy Bottom Jarred to Heels Groundbreaking activities for a 8-story cooperative apartment unit of the Potomac Plaza Corporation's Foggy Bottom renewal project started out last week with ground shaking activity. Morauer & Hartzell, Inc., the Washington excavation firm on the job, have seldom encountered ground packed so hard as the 12-inch concrete base of an old Washington Gas Light Co. tank. A portion of the company's old West Station, the tank became obsolete with the changeover to natural gas. Its base has faithfully resisted deterioration since it was laid in 1852. ... Washington Post, Apr 16, 1956 Top of the World, Ma!In "White Heat," there's a gasworks scene with Jimmy Cagney delivering the famous line, "Top of the world, Ma!" ForeshadowingIsn't 26th and G NW roughly where the Watergate is now? Gashouse GablesIn the 1927 movie "It," Clara Bow's character lives in a neighborhood called Gashouse Gables. I wondered what the term referred to, now it can be told. Bugs Bunny played 'em!In the 1946 Looney Tune "Baseball Bugs," Bugs Bunny plays single-handed against a rough-looking team called the Gashouse Gorillas. Vienna gasometerIn Europe (I don't know about the U.S.A.) you may even see gas holders covered by a brick building, like this one in Wien-Simmering: Snuffed out.I have actually seen several accounts in 19th Century newspapers of country rubes arriving in the city and staying at a hotel, seeing gas lighting for the first time in their lives and proceeding to blow out the flame at bedtime without turning off the gas jet, despite signs warning not to do so. The poor devils snuffed themselves out. Gas PoisoningCoal gas, around 25 percent carbon monoxide by volume, was the cause of frequent accidental poisonings, with lots of articles in the newspapers about people found dead in their beds because someone turned on a gas jet by accident without lighting it. Or maybe not so accidentally -- "taking the gas pipe" was a common method of suicide. (The Gallery, D.C., Harris + Ewing, Industry & Public Works)
Thanks Sherman?
... looks post civil war era. Kaboom Looks to me like a gasometer exploded, judging by the twisted pieces of steel lying about, and the ... It looks like a picture of an accident involving a gasometer - a storage structure for gas, where the cylindrical structure ... 
 
Posted by Loneliness - 09/09/2011 - 10:18pm -

Found this glass plate in a shop in Savannah. No clue about the subject, though. Maybe from the War of Northern Aggression? One of the ads on the left is for Pope Mfg. Company, 817 Pine Street. View full size. 1890sThis is the aftermath of a gasworks explosion. Clothing and ads (and the fact this is a dryplate glass neg) put this around 1890. Not ShermanSavannah was never ravaged by Sherman. It must be something else. Clothing looks post civil war era. KaboomLooks to me like a gasometer exploded, judging by the twisted pieces of steel lying about, and the piece stuck in the roof near that group of boys. Post WarThis looks to be the aftermath of an explosion of a manufactured gas plant. Pope Mfg. Co. used that name from 1876 to 1915, and American Cereal Company (now Quaker Oats) started using that poster for their Scotch Oats (steel-cut) brand in 1899. Between 1899 and 1915 there were at least a dozen gas plant explosions in cities east of the Mississippi. Do you have a higher res scan? PostbellumIt's extremely unlikely this picture has anything to do with the late unpleasantness between the States. If nothing else, the poster selling bicycles shows the picture is much later - probably 1880's or later. It looks like a picture of an accident involving a gasometer - a storage structure for gas, where the cylindrical structure telescopes up and down within the poles you can see in the picture to maintain pressure as the gas is pumped in and out. You can see a complete gasometer, in the collapsed state, in the background, with the toppled poles from another gasometer in the foreground (and one pole leaning on the gasometer structure in back). As with the bicycle in the poster, gasometers weren't widely used until decades after the Civil War. Blowed UpMaybe a gasworks explosion? I think the duds and posters are somewhat postwar. Also, I'll have a breakfast scotch. A defunct gasometer for sure.This defunct gasometer for sure but it doesn't seem to have 'exploded' (caught fire) as the fence that supports the ads is still there (and the ads and fence are years old too). Reckon it dates from 1890s too. The telegraph/power pole on LHS is of this type not common in Civil War photos (where wires were few and usually supported on the main pole by a couple of insulators, here we've cross supports). Almost certainly a dryplate (edges are a dead giveaway), that dates it to near century's end. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
What Goes Around: 1912
... identified this as the beginnings of a gas holder, or gasometer -- a storage reservoir for what used to be called "city gas," or coal ... Building a water treatment plant. The Detroit Gasometer This looks like the foundation for a new gasometer, maybe this ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/09/2012 - 10:50pm -

The year is 1912 and the place is Detroit. What's going on here? View full size. UPDATE: Many people correctly identified this as the beginnings of a gas holder, or gasometer -- a storage reservoir for what used to be called "city gas," or coal gas (as opposed to the natural and LP gas that we use now). The original caption: "April 4, 1912. Foundation for gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." Happy ThanksgivingTo Dave and all of the Shorpy friends - Happy Thanksgiving (would they be Shorpyians or Shorpyites?) Mongo Not KnowMongo only pawn in game of life. Gas Storage Tank?Are they building a storage tank for natural or manufactured gas? Gasholder?I think they're constructing a gasholder. What's going on here?Well, first I thought it might be a kiddie ride, but upon further inspection it seems to be some kind of construction site. But for what? a. A storage tank b. A church / synagogue / temple c. A railroad turntable (though no rail lines can be seen) d. A platform stage for Lady Gaga or Madonna? Got Gas?Is it the first step in constructing one of those gas storage tanks that has a diaphragm-like device that raises up and down with the volume of gas in the tank? Round and roundMight this be some sort of tank for holding something. From Mongo?Other than building a landing pad for Flash Gordon's pals, I'd guess it's going to be a big storage tank for something earthly. The constructionof the base of a gas storage tank, probably at Detroit. I dunno, unlessit's some kind of early 20th-Century supercollider. Goes AroundThis looks like a concrete foundation for some sort of round tower, but what do I know, I am just a machinist. My guessLaying foundation for one of those gigantic gas storage tanks you used to see all over up until the 1960s or so. Air Ship Landing.Looks like an Air Ship landing facility to me. Gas Tank?Building a gas tank? My guessBuilding a wastewater treatment facility Building a water or other liquid storage tank?They're building the roof (as it were) and then the sides get built from underneath. On the other hand, that's a heck of a tank. RRMust be a roundhouse turntable I know!Early twentieth century crop circles. My answer isThey are building a natural gas storage tank. Is it...Is that one of the old gasworks under construction? Beginning Foundation for a Building, Water Tower or Gas Tower?One of those 3 things are all I can guess about what is going on here! It's a gas holderLike this: https://www.shorpy.com/node/8422?size=_original SewageSewage disposal plant? Gas tank?It looks like one of those big circular gas storage tanks. It's a crop circle machineIt's a crop circle machine so the aliens know where to land Just a guess, butI think they're building some sort of gas or oil holding tank. ConstructionBuilding a water treatment plant. The Detroit GasometerThis looks like the foundation for a new gasometer, maybe this one. Atom smasherParticle accelerator? A very small one. {OK, probably not.} Maybe the base of a large water tank? It seems to small for an arena or a test track, even at 1912 speeds. Gas holder?My guess - building the bottom of a gas holder for city gas storage. ObviouslyIt's the beginnings of the space station in "2001." Just a wild (pitch) guessCould it be the foundation for Tiger Stadium? There Goes the NeighborhoodWhatever they're building (tank, smoke-stack, merry-go-round?), it's going to destroy whatever property value remains for the the hovel next door. AND THE ANSWER IS ...As many of you correctly guessed, it's a gas holder. See the caption under the picture for the details. Ice skating rink??Happy Thanksgiving all! Gas CityIn Indiana, next to Marion, is the small town of Gas City, so named because natural gas was found there. It was thought to be a bonanza, but that proved wrong, the gas was quickly emptied, the name was never changed. Hurry up, guysWe've got to get the world's largest merry-go-round finished by Thursday! Riveting machinesNote the two large U-shaped riveting machines at left. There has to be a powerful air compressor somewhere around. The plates will be riveted and then the seams will more than likely be caulked to prevent leaks. What's the man doing at the top of the screen?He is standing at the base of something long, with his wife looking on. It took me a minute, but it's a mast! The boat is off to the left. You can see the front (bow), poking out from behind the building. Also, I am guessing the house next to the construction site is now owned by the construction company. The fence has been taken down for easier access. GasometerphileWow. I lived on this site nearly 30 years ago (West Grand Blvd and West Fort Street). Of course by then there were no traces of the gas plant being there at all. Sad because I have a serious fanthing for gasometers. Most of the houses across the road there are gone now. Neat to see that horse drawn wagon in front of one. Love this blog! I'd rather have a coke We still have a coal gassification plant here in Schenectady, NY, although it's been converted to storage for many decades now. The leftover coke was sold as a heating fuel, but the smell around the plant was pretty foul. NYMO was able to supply cooking and lighting gas to the thousands of G.E. employees in the surrounding area up until it switched to natural gas. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
City Gas Co.: 1913
... covers both sides of the overlap steel plating. Gasometer These storage vessels were called gasometers and consisted of ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/18/2014 - 6:49am -

        In the days before the long-distance transmission of natural gas, municipalities had their own plants where coal was heated to make what was called "city gas" or "illuminating gas." March 31, 1913. "Construction of gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. Gas runs in my familyMy great-grandfather worked for one such company in Newark, NJ when, in 1903, it became part of the Public Service (NJ) family of gas, electric and transport utilities at the conglomerate's inception; over 100 companies were merged into the startup in a single transaction. Several coal-blackened faces are seen in the accompanying photo (my forebear in the inset), but at the end of the shift, he'd clean up and change into jacket and tie for the streetcar ride home, as all respectable gents would do. Two more generations of family members -- my great-uncles and aunt -- would find employment there, although none quite so dirty as he. It took me a while- - but I did figure out the odd rivet designs on the tank, triple riveting covers both sides of the overlap steel plating. GasometerThese storage vessels were called gasometers and consisted of multiple sections that rode inside of each other and rose and fell to maintain the service pressure as the the gas was used. The gas went under many names including water gas, illuminating gas and producers gas. It was manufactured by heating coal in a closed retort and passing high pressure steam through the coal bed. The gas it produced was a mixture of methane and carbon monoxide it was far more dangerous than natural gas in the event of a leak. All the sites where this gas was produced are super fund sites as one of the many toxic byproducts of the process was benzene which typically leaked into the ground. Lost CraneI'd sure like to see that circumferential hoist without anything around it! Did they lay a rolled rail at the hoisting end? (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
Filling Station: 1924
... a pump. The pressure is measured on the gauge on the "gasometer" in the background. Dynamometer The device is a chassis ... could be this was a demo of the device. The words on the gasometer seem to be announcing its purpose a bit too loudly for normal garage ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 08/07/2012 - 10:11pm -

Washington, D.C., 1924. "Havoline Oil Company." View full size. National Photo Company Collection glass negative, Library of Congress. Early Chassis Dynamometer? Looks like they lock down the automobile and then the drive wheels power a pump. The pressure is measured on the gauge on the "gasometer" in the background. DynamometerThe device is a chassis dynamometer. The dyno operator has his hand on the brake lever (Prony brake). He's either measuring horsepower and trying to relate it to engine condition or using the dyno to load the motor and collect/measure blowby somehow for the same purpose. I wonder if this was a "special occasion" or if there was some other reason the dyno operator had so many helpers? Mechanic Shade TreeThat's a honey locust in the foreground (note the seed pods). Memories of cleaning the pods off the driveway and yard as a kid. The tree also has huge thorns. Special Occasion?It could be this was a demo of the device. The words on the gasometer seem to be announcing its purpose a bit too loudly for normal garage use. Havoline Oil?The sign says Texaco, not Havoline. [The Havoline sign is at top right. - Dave] HavolineHavoline is Texaco's brand name for its oil and products. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, D.C., Gas Stations, Natl Photo)
City Gas: 1905
... towers. So big and matter of fact and useful! The number 8 gasometer down the road from me in King's Cross, London, is being zhuzhed up as ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/01/2019 - 11:14am -

Circa 1905. "Gas holder, Detroit City Gas Company." A familiar sight from the era of "city gas," when municipalities had their own gas plants in the days before long-distance transmission of natural gas. The telescoping sections rose or fell as "illuminating gas," which was made by heating coal, was put into or removed from the holder. 8x10 glass negative. View full size. Gas Holder Fun FactsAs my 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica states, "A gasworks should be sited with some care as it does not improve the neighborhood." Water was kept between the telescoping sections as a seal -- the internal pressure was not that great. Cincinnati, a town which has creatively repurposed its older infrastructure, has a gasworks park with creative "sculptures" made from the old apparatus. Oval GasGasometers are still a feature of some British city skylines, one of the most high-profile being in the background of the Oval cricket ground in South London. WiredI am mesmerized by those wires coming in from the upper right. I suppose they run behind the container and that it's only their shadow that continues perfectly across the front until diverted by the curve - but, as I study them, they play tricks on my brain jumping from foreground to background amongst the geometric shadows. [The wires run across the photo in front of the tank. - Dave] So THAT's what that thing was!There was a framework that looked like this to the west of I-435 in Kansas City on the river bluffs - I wondered for years what it was. Thanks for clearing up that mystery! Ka-BOOMGot a light. West coast gasWhen I was growing up out here in California these things were a familiar sight in just about any city of a goodly size, even suburban San Rafael just to the north of us in Marin County. There was an enormous one in San Francisco up through the mid-1960s, at the east end of the Marina District. Here it is at the right in a section of a slide I took from across the bay near Sausalito in early 1965. Gas Tank ParkNew York had dozens of these structures. Some of the most famous were the Elmhurst tanks. They were knocked down in the 1980s and now the site of Gas Tank Park. Near most of these structures were the gashouses which produced the illuminating gas -- sites often requiring remediation to remove the contaminant plumes of benzene and other aromatic hydrocarbons which dripped into the ground. Got gas?Hi tterrace. That tank is now the site of the upscale Marina Safeway. However, its memory lives on in the name of the sailboat marina right across the street: Gas House Cove. Worried ?Wonder if the people living next door ever worried about an explosion. That being said, I have never heard of one blowing up. Gas lines, yes. The neighbors most likely never had low pressure in their lines, at least. A while back I was looking at some of these in Europe and UK online; some gas holders overseas have been converted to condominiums or apartment buildings! "Gasometers"I live in London, and you will still see these structures all over England and particularly in the large cities. We call them "Gasometers," and they are still part of the national grid for gas distribution. Love em in London!These things seem to inspire the same fond feelings as water towers. So big and matter of fact and useful! The number 8 gasometer down the road from me in King's Cross, London, is being zhuzhed up as part of the regeneration of the area. Hopefully they'll keep it a little bit weird and rusty. http://www.bp-k.com/projects/Gasholder.html An Illuminating Subject.When I was young, not far from our home was a coking plant which had two huge gas holders of the type shown. They would slowly rise as gas was produced and fall as gas consumption exceeded supply. The adjacent gas works would emit an atomic cloud of steam as a coke oven was "pushed" and the glowing coke quenched by water before it was loaded into steel hopper cars. On occasion a wood-sided hopper was used, the coke not completely quenched, and the resulting fire caused by the wind of the train's motion would burn thru the car side and a glowing lava of coke pour out as the train moved down the track. Steel coke cars would sometimes glow in patches at night. I do not know if there are any gas holders of this design left. I would like to ride on top of one and watch it inch up by looking at the framework, and see it pause as the pressure inside had to increase to lift the next section. I tell younger people about them and they do not grasp the idea of the telescoping sections at all, how the pressure inside, although low, was enough to lift the tons of metal the tanks sections were made of. Other gas holders were circular and made with bricks, not rising nor falling. The whole coke plant and the gas holders are long gone, ugly to be sure, being replaced with even UGLIER slumplexes of high-density housing. LandmarksThose Elmurst, NY, Gas Tanks were a staple for many Long Island Expressway Commuters. Traffic reporters would announce, with almost every daily (weekday) morning drive heading to The Queens-Midtown Tunnel, that the major tie-ups would be in the vicinity of the gas tanks. Incidentally, the tanks themselves rose and fell according the volume of gas in them. They could have preserved itby turning it into a park, like we did here in Seattle. Same in St. LouisThere was at least one of these on highway 64/40 in St. Louis that I used to pass daily on my commute. It would rise and fall and I always wondered what it was. I'd heard it was for natural gas but I never really understood, but now I do. Great photo- thanks for posting! http://www.builtstlouis.net/industrial/gasometers.html Roll up the windows! We passed two of these tanks en route to Grand-ma's Brownstone in Brooklyn, NY. But the associated cracking plants and their gas flare towers sent the pervasive stench of rotten eggs drifting over the county for miles around. We all held our noses and made rude noises until shushed by the adults. Wow, popular topic! I just wanted to add that modern tanks act as flow buffers, just like water towers. Instead of just storing locally made gas, they store a 'back-up' quantity of product to handle periods of high demand, but are fed by massive pipelines from distant plants. (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC)
White Flash: 1943
... the hood. Gasoline and Gas Another great view of a gasometer right behind them. Would not want to be there if that thing blew up! ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2013 - 5:59pm -

June 1943. "Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Women garage attendants at the Atlantic Refining Company." The hard part here was figuring out that crazy clamshell hood. Photo by Jack Delano for the Office of War Information. View full size. It looks like aLaSalle. [Not even close. - Dave] I think it's a1942 Dodge. [Correct! -Dave] West Philly GasI would suggest the image is taken from the southwest corner of Chestnut Street at Markoe Street (now called Farragut St)in West Philadelphia, looking towards the large natural gas storage tank at 47th and Chestnut. The gas tank is gone, but a BP station remains where these ladies were checkin' under the hood. Gasoline and GasAnother great view of a gasometer right behind them. Would not want to be there if that thing blew up! Full ServiceI remember full service back in the day when the attendant would check your oil, clean your windshield and maybe even check your tire pressure. But the young lady with the whisk broom? What's she going to do, sweep out the interior? That's really full service. Rethinking West Philly "Gas"The gas stored in containers like these would be of the manufactured variety-- a by-product of a coal carbonization process that yielded a gas that was both toxic and heavier than air at atmospheric densities. In those days, manufactured gas consumers could and did asphyxiate themselves by simply turning on an unlit stove burner in their home. It was the toxic constituents in the gas that did them in. Save for legacy manufacturing sites subject to environmental remediation, manufactured gas has been almost totally supplanted by natural gas as piped to customers through distribution utilities. "Natural gas" as we consumers know it today comes out of the ground, is delivered through interstate pipelines, and is odorless until the mercaptan odorant is added for safety. Dress Shoes?Looks like the ladies are wearing loafers (without socks, too). I guess workplace regulations at that time did not require steel toe work boots. My mechanic says he would never work without them; he's lost track of how many times he's dropped something on his foot.... PantsLove the cargo pants part of the coveralls ... although the cuffs need work. Last Call for CarsThis would be one of only 22,055 Dodge Custom four-door sedans built in that war-shortened year (more may have been made for government use), but I'm sure it had Fluid Drive to absorb some of its 101 horsepower from a slightly enlarged flathead six. There was an even rarer (13,000 built) example of the less expensive DeLuxe sedans with the blacked out trim here in town as late as the 70's and I've always wished I'd bought it! Lost inspirationIf the writers of the "I Love Lucy" show back in the early fifties had seen this photo, there would probably have been a classic episode of Ethel Mertz and Lucy working at an auto service center. Oh well, you can always write your own. Bumper JackIf you enlarge the photo and look just left of the left knee of the lady on the right, you can see the reflection of the photographer, Jack Delano, in the shiny car bumper as he is taking the photo. That CornerHistoricAerials.com still shows those billboards on top of the Buick dealer on the northeast corner of 47th & Chestnut streets in 1950. The gasholder is on the northwest corner. (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, Gas Stations, Jack Delano, Philadelphia)
Detroit Rubber Works: 1908
... smoke stacks. Cookin' With Gas Great view of a gasometer complete with promotional message on it. Story in dBusiness ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 07/29/2012 - 6:16pm -

Detroit, Michigan, 1908. "Detroit Rubber Works." 8x10 inch dry plate glass negative, Detroit Publishing Company. View full size. What do they manufacture? Vulcanized, galoshes and boots, rubber bands, or condoms? [Hmm. Detroit? Rubber? Morgan & Wright was the world's largest maker of bicycle tires when, in 1906, they moved from Chicago to Detroit to exploit the needs of the growing automobile industry. In 1911 the company was sold to the U.S. Rubber Co., renamed Uniroyal in 1961.] I found the steam whistle!Just to the left of the two "smoking" smoke stacks. Cookin' With GasGreat view of a gasometer complete with promotional message on it. Story in dBusiness Magazine this MonthI just read a story about them/Uniroyal in the Jan/Feb 2012 issue of dBusiness magazine (a Detroit business periodical). Morgan & Wright's Wartime WomenDuring World War I, Morgan & Wright hired many women to fill essential production jobs previously held by men. Here's a photo from the collection of Wayne State University. Amelia Bloomer and Parisian fashion designers usually get the credit for introducing women to wearing trousers, but it's likely that more American women got to experience this for the first time during their temporary wartime jobs. Strange PhotoIt looks like something painted by Edward Hopper. Not even a rubber band can be found there today.[Area immediately southwest of MacArthur Bridge Park.] View Larger Map What did they make?Bet they made some Baby Buggy Bumpers. Uni, Roy & AlUni, Roy & Al say "Cook with Gas". (The Gallery, Detroit Photos, DPC, Factories)
Winter Wonderland: 1941
... and was reinforced one day when we happened to drive by a gasometer and men were sitting on the top. They were probably painting the ... we happened to catch them on a break. Finally! A gasometer in living color! Bleak and bleaker This photo probably looks ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 05/31/2018 - 10:40am -

January 1941. "Industrial area around New Bedford, Massachusetts." 35mm Kodachrome transparency by Jack Delano. View full size. Fill 'er up!My father used to say men would eat beans and sit on top and fill them up. As a young boy, it sounded possible, and was reinforced one day when we happened to drive by a gasometer and men were sitting on the top. They were probably painting the structure or performing maintenance, but we happened to catch them on a break. Finally!A gasometer in living color! Bleak and bleakerThis photo probably looks bleaker in color than it would in black and white. New Bedford Edison Gas & LightThese are the gas holders for the New Bedford Edison Gas & Light power station, today called the Cannon Street Power Station. The gas holders are visible in these photographs: https://whalingmuseumblog.org/2015/06/14/the-mystery-of-the-new-bedford-... https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:8s45qn13k https://www.digitalcommonwealth.org/search/commonwealth:8s45qn07f And especially here, note the dark band near the base: https://www.insulators.info/pictures/?id=346208369 The buildings and smokestacks don't quite line up, however. But note the Fairhaven Bridge over industrialized Fish and Popes Islands in the aerial photographs. There's nothing else like it in New Bedford, and the power plant is between the bridge and the open sea. New Bedford suffered badly in the 1938 hurricane and many factories were damaged. Some were demolished. We may be looking towards what is today the Boa Vista public housing project, across the New York, New Haven & Boston rail yards that became the JFK Memorial Highway. (The Gallery, Kodachromes, Industry & Public Works, Jack Delano)
I at First: 1901
... -- I Street at First Street S.W." Note the gas holder, or gasometer, at right; and black bunting or mourning crepe under the rowhouse ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/01/2021 - 12:51pm -

Washington, D.C., 1901. "Elevated view looking southeast from Randall Elementary School -- I Street at First Street S.W." Note the gas holder, or gasometer, at right; and black bunting or mourning crepe under the rowhouse windows, possibly in the aftermath of President McKinley's assassination. 8x10 glass negative, D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. Tall open structure on far leftAnyone have an idea what that could be? It looks like a 'house on stilts' and is probably relatively modern, as that could be metal rather than wood posts. I see a smokestack as part of the structure (and that makes me wonder what they're using for fuel, possibly natural gas?) [There was no natural gas in D.C. back then. The gas used for fuel at the time was coal gas, a.k.a. illuminating gas or "city gas." - Dave] Whose at Second?Someone was going to say it! [Whose what? - Dave] No! What's at third. Who's at second! OleaginousTo answer the question posed by TheGerman, the Nicolai Brothers are listed in the 1901 city directory under "Oil dealers" alongside Standard Oil. Draw your own conclusions. Privy to Your Secret GardenI recall reading years ago a book titled "Washington Goes To War" written by the very talented newsman David Brinkley. In it, he described D.C. at the start of WWII as a very Southern city with many thousands of outdoor privies still in use. Plenty here in 1901, which must have made that back alley splendiferous on a hot summer day. In the distanceThe church at left in the background is St. Matthew’s Chapel. A check of the 1903 Baist atlas doesn’t provide any clues (to me, anyway) about the nature of the “penthouse on stilts” just north (and east?) of it, also on M Street SE. Three units of inquiryOne: Were the brick tenements built so that each unit had two fireplaces (hence two chimneys apiece), or were there two residential units per long narrow section (a front and a back), with one fireplace apiece? I'm inclined to believe it's the former but I'd like to know what other Shorpy sharp-eyes think. Two: There is something standing in the field about midway down the long line of youngish trees. It looks like a horse with its head down, grazing. Do my eyes deceive me, or is it indeed an equine unit with the munchies? Three: Beneath the far-right upstairs window of the brick tenement to the left of the wooden apartment building is what looks like an air conditioning unit. But since those weren't invented until thirty years later (I looked it up), what could it be? Anyone? Not an AC UnitThat is a window planter box and those are most likely cows grazing in the fields. If you wanted fresh milk in 1901 it was best to have a cow nearby. Looking at these photos always make me feel as if I was living there at that time. It looks so familiar. [That biscuit crate under the window is nature's refrigerator. The animal in the vacant lot at the center of the frame is indeed a horse. If you wanted fresh milk, Washington was well supplied with dairies. - Dave] Re: Three units of inquiryOne: My best guess is that there are two fireplaces, one at ground level and one at the first floor. Note that one of the chimneys is not like all the others, there is one much larger chimney to the left of the gas holder at the left end of the building. I wonder what that is for?? Two: Could be, but my eyesight isn't what it used to be. Three: This might be a wooden(?) crate to store milk bottles or food/liquids that require cooler temperatures rather than an AC unit. We are looking to the southeast so this side of the building doesn't get much sunshine in the winter. What I would like to know is what kind of oils the Nicolai Brothers are selling??? Is that oil used for heating, oil (of various density) to lubricate small and large machines or oil meant for human consumption (cooking oil etc.)?? [Nicolai Bros. supplied the District with naphtha fuel for street lighting. This liquid hydrocarbon was a byproduct of coal gasification. - Dave] Re third questionIf my dad were around, he would tell you that it might be an "ice" box. In college in Virginia (pre-WWII), he had one outside his third story dorm room window. He and his roommate built it to keep their sloe gin, beer, and other necessities nice and cool. Worked well in cooler and winter months, not so well in warmer or summer months. (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey)
Moving Day: 1938
... up! As a young boy, my father and I drove past a gasometer. There were several men sitting on top of the bladder with their legs ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 10/07/2018 - 10:10am -

New York, 1938. "East 62nd Street." Medium format acetate negative by Sheldon Dick for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Right There in ManhattanI spy some great gasometers lurking in the distance. The 2 Round Towers Does anybody know what those two, apparently round, structures are there were being built at the end of E. 63rd down by the water? I've tried finding out online but to no avail. [Those are gas holders, also known as gasometers, and they're not under construction. - Dave] Those trousers!Can anyone share any insight into that pair of pants? Was that a style? Born of necessity? Please advise. There's a lot of fabric in those pantsWas this style popular circa 1938? East 62nd, not 63rdBetween Second and First avenue as this 1930 Plat map of Manhattan shows the Bristol company on 62nd Street. http://www.historicmapworks.com/Map/US/16723/Plate+105/Manhattan+1930+La... Split apronThe mover appears to be wearing a split apron similar to a farrier's apron. It allows you to bear loads on the front of your thighs while protecting your trousers and your skin from punctures and abrasion. Not Pants?I can remember trashmen in Philadelphia in the mid 1950s wearing that kind of heavy cloth leg apron that didn't go above the waist. I think a trashman character in the Snuffy Smith comic strip also wore it. Fill 'er up!As a young boy, my father and I drove past a gasometer. There were several men sitting on top of the bladder with their legs hanging over the side. My father said they were filling it up. It's easy to fool a kid when he adores his father. Rubber NeckersI know there have been other photos showing people watching life go by from their windows, but this is one of the few I remember. I've always thought it odd that more people didn't keep an eye on that stranger in the 'hood with a camera. Wonder WomanI wonder what the woman on top of that building was doing - aside from making me nervous -- 80 years later. [This might be a good opportunity to investigate the difference between "woman" and "women." - Dave] Ahhh... isn't it great when it's never too late to learn singular from plural?! Heavens to BetsyI hope she isn't going to jump! Still there (mostly)Looking at Google Maps Street View, the building that housed The Bristol Co. at 319 E. 62nd Street is still there, as is the building across the street at 316 (although one half of the parapet has strangely disappeared): (The Gallery, Cars, Trucks, Buses, NYC, Sheldon Dick)
Gas Giant: 1937
... ("taking the gas pipe"). The tank-like structure, called a gasometer or gas holder, telescoped up and down depending on how much gas was ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 06/14/2017 - 3:32pm -

        An old-school gasworks (back in the days before the widespread use of natural gas) where coal was heated to produce "city gas" or "illuminating gas," which was so poisonously toxic that people inhaled it to commit suicide ("taking the gas pipe"). The tank-like structure, called a gasometer or gas holder, telescoped up and down depending on how much gas was inside, its weight serving to pressurize the system and push gas through the lines. 1937. "Charlotte Street Gas Works, Charleston, South Carolina." 8x10 inch acetate negative by Frances Benjamin Johnston. View full size. Still Energetic!Building is still there, now an electric substation: No Smoking!I hope the tank was maintained to a higher standard than the adjoining brick building appears to be! Toxic for decadesThese coal gas plants (sometimes called 'manufactured gas' plants) were so noxious that many former locations are still toxic sites decades after being shut down, now needing extensive decontamination. I watched one such site being rehabilitated in Marin County for use as affordable housing. The process took over a year and required the removal of 28,000 cubic yards of contaminated soil. Gas HoldersThe plant I worked in had ten gas holders of varying sizes to store argon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and a few other gases. Several were still in use into the late 1970s. They Don't Tear Anything Down in CharlestonLooks like part of the building is still there. (The Gallery, Charleston, F.B. Johnston, Industry & Public Works)
Use a Vapor Stove: 1901
... the far distance to the left of the flagpole, we see the gasometer at 12th & M SE, which put in a cameo appearance on Shorpy ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 02/02/2021 - 2:30pm -

Washington, D.C., circa 1901. "An elevated view from the Randall School's roof looking east to southeast -- Half & South Capitol Streets, and I & K Streets." Our title can be found on the left side of this 8x10 glass plate negative from the D.C. Street Survey Collection. View full size. GlimpsesAt center left, we can see the stone-reinforced east bank of the James Creek Canal. According to a 1977 Interior Department report, "citizens fell into the unfenced waterway at an astounding rate, sometimes resulting in as many as one drowning per month." Eventually, the foul-smelling canal was converted into an underground sewer. In the far distance to the left of the flagpole, we see the gasometer at 12th & M SE, which put in a cameo appearance on Shorpy some years back. Ghosts Do you suppose the exposure was long enough that the person sitting down, and his ghostly friends, are the same people at the end of the street? SmokestacksTil I looked at the Full Size version I assumed the plant (in front of the Stove Store) was running and the stack had an exhaust plume. Then I realized the smoke is a remnant on the negative. [It is not a "remnant" (and the proper term would be "artifact"). - Dave] No, thank you.I'll pass on the vapor stove. I have a hard enough time filling the lawn mower tank. (The Gallery, D.C., D.C. Street Survey, Kids)
Rollersnake: 1922
... delicti The view here is toward the southeast. Note gasometer in the distance (at 12th/M gasworks); intersection of 10th & L SE ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/06/2016 - 2:17pm -

September 26, 1922. Washington, D.C. "Virginia Avenue playgrounds." Equipped with a skate pit. National Photo Company glass negative. View full size. SkatersLooks like all the kids either have skates or wish they had a pair. Slippery steel wheels and all. Only one kid playing on the chin up bar. These type of skates are the reason skate keys, which most of us kids had at least one, were made. Still a parkAccording to the 1916 Annual Report of the District's Department of Playgrounds, the Virginia Avenue Playgrounds were near Virginia Ave. and 9th and 10th Streets SE (just northeast of the Navy Yard). Although it's bounded on the north by I-695 and a CSX line, the site continues to be a neighborhood park, including community gardens and a dog park. Crack the WhipIf I remember correctly, the leader would get his or her "snake" up to speed, then make a sharp turn to try to throw off some of the rear skaters. Fond memories of great fun - thanks Shorpy! Skate OilI remember having a small tin of oil for dirty wheels. Also, we used to play "Crack the Whip" running. I was so proud of the scabs on my knees. Locus delictiThe view here is toward the southeast. Note gasometer in the distance (at 12th/M gasworks); intersection of 10th & L SE is in background at right-center. The two white frame houses visible on 10th St. are still standing. (The Gallery, D.C., Kids, Natl Photo)
N.Y. Linen: 1938
... of New York Linen Supply, seen here earlier , and a gasometer, or gas holder, from the era of "city gas." Acetate negative by ... 
 
Posted by Dave - 09/30/2019 - 5:58pm -

1938. "New York, New York. A scene on East 62nd Street." Showing the vans of New York Linen Supply, seen here earlier, and a gasometer, or gas holder, from the era of "city gas." Acetate negative by Sheldon Dick for the Farm Security Administration. View full size. Scene from The GodfatherAny minute, I expect to see Sonny Corleone jump out of a car and start beating his brother-in-law Carlo with a trash can lid! The end of the streetSo that's what the thing at the street is ... a gas tank? At first I thought it was something under construction because I couldn't tell if that was scaffolding or trussing surrounding it. [It's a telescoping gas holder. - Dave] (The Gallery, NYC, Sheldon Dick)
SF Waterfront, 1957
... By the way, the gas tank is more properly called a 'gasometer' and is used for storage of coal gas/coke gas/natural gas -- not ... 
 
Posted by Rute Boye - 08/10/2012 - 7:59pm -

Another in the San Francisco series taken by my father, this time of the waterfront, not far from Fisherman's Wharf. A few things of interest here: - The Chinese junk in the foreground - Coit Tower in the background - The steel frame for a gas pressure equalization tank on the right - The sailing ship "Balclutha", just behind the junk. View full size. Further interestThere's a nice green 1954 Caddy there, too. By the way, the gas tank is more properly called a 'gasometer' and is used for storage of coal gas/coke gas/natural gas -- not pressure equalization. Its telescoping steel cylinders are raised or lowered by electric motors depending upon how much volume is required to hold the gas inventory. The vantage point from which this photo was made seems to be gone now. Google shows the arched gate without any pier extending out from it. Earlier than 541954 Caddies had the Panoramic windshield I believe. Thinking this one might be a 52 or 53. One of my favorite models of all time. [It's a 1952. In 1953, "Dagmar" bumper guards replaced the round parking lights. The Panoramic windshield first appeared in 1953, but only on the Eldorado. - tterrace] Chinese JunkThe vessel pictured here is the "Free China". It is of the type from Fujian (Fukien) province, and was sailed over from Formosa in 1955 by five Chinese and an American Vice consul who filmed the voyage in 16mm. In the early 70s I lived on a small Chinese Junk in the bay, and I used to visit this boat down in the Hunter's Point area. It was quite derelict by then. It has apparently been loaded on a barge (after spending years behind Bethel Island), and shipped back to Taiwan to be turned into a museum. (ShorpyBlog, Member Gallery)
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