Tewkesbury Gas Company.
Tewkesbury Yearly Magazine . 1832. Sept.12.
| Mr.W. Morley Stears, engineer, of Leeds, having, on the 20th.August, contracted with the commissioners of the streets to light the public lamps of the town and precincts with gas, for a period of 21 years at £2.18s per lamp annually, and agreed for the purchase of a piece of ground, at the upper end of the Oldbury Field, for the erection of a suitable gas-works, for the purpose of supplying private as well as public lghts, ---the foundation stone of the gasometer was on this day laid by John Sadds, esq., with proper masonic ceremonies, in the presence of the principal shareholders and a numerous company of highly respectable ladies and gentlemen. The proprietary deed was executed on the 20th October, and recites that the capital required for the erection, completion and carrying on of the gas-works, and for the purchasing of the land, estimated to be £4,000; that the undertaking is to be divided into four hundred shares of £10 each; and the shareholders to be formed into a company, to be denominated "The Tewkesbury Gas-Light Company." |
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Tewkesbury Yearly Magazine. 1833. Jan 21.
| The gas-works having advanced far towards completion, the greater part of the town was, for the first time, brilliantly illuminated, to the gratification of trhe inhabitants at large; who, as well as the committee of management and the proprietors, had much reason to admire the excellent quality of the gas, the elegant forms of the columns and lamps, the beautiful and novel appearance of the bridge for suspending the gasometers, and the very neat and skilful structure of all the buildings and apparatus. -- There are 82 public gas lamps paid for by the commissioners of the streets, and 10 which are lighted at the expense of the trustees of the turnpike-roads. the 82 street lamps cost the town 237l.16s. annually. independently of 5l, 19s. 4d. the amount of interest, at five per cent. on the expense of laying down such of the branch pipesas are upwards from fifty yards from any main pipe. Before the introduction of gas, there were 120 public oil lamps, the average yearly expense of which was somewhat more than 70l. ; but the inhabitants may consider themselves fully compensated for the additional cost, by the superior protection to property afforded by the present brilliant lights; by the improved appearance of the town, and the conveniency experienced by all who have occasion to pass along the streets by night.; as well as in the great accommodation given to individuals who have introduced gas-lights into their shops and dwelling-houses. |
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Tewkesbury Yearly Magazine. 1833. Feb 10.
| The gas-works which had not yet been completed suffered greatly from an accident,, which might have been attended with very disasterous consequences. At two o'clock in the morning, many of the inhabitants of the borough were alarmed out of their sleep by a most tremendous explosion, which shook the houses at the upper part of the town, and in some instances shivered the windows to pieces; the noise was heard for several miles around, and created much consternation and speculation, until it was ascertained to have been caused by yhe bursting of one of the gasometers. The accident is said to have arisen from the negligence of one of the engineer's workmen, who, about 2 o'clock in the preceding afternoon, having occasion to adjust some of the ironwork, applied a red-hot spanner to a nut attached to the gasometer, when the aerial mixtures therein were highly explosive; although from the slow subsidence of the gasometer, the ignition of the contained gasses did not take place till about twelve hours afterwards. All the lamps were of course immediately extinguished; the cast iron Chinese suspension bridge,designed to be an ornamental support for the two gasometers, was blown down, and some of the materials carried into a meadow on the other side of the Carron brook; the three beautiful clustered columns, which supported the bridge, were broken to pieces; and the tank on the south was materially injured by the fall of one of the capitals. The engineer, not having finished his contract, was liable to the principal part of the loss, which would have amounted to several hundred pounds, had the proprietors insisted upon the terms of their contact, according to the estimates of the original plan and design: they however considerately allowed him to erect four irregular brick pillars, capped with free-stone, to support each gasometer; and if these pillars are less ornamental and expensive, they are more simple and effective, than the fiagree suspension bridge which was destroyed. |
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From the Worcester Journal. 1840.
In consequence of the refusal of the Tewkesbury Gas Company to lower the price of gas from 15s per thousand feet to 10s per thousand, a
great number of the consumers have already discontinued their gas lights, and resorted to the use of oil and candles; while the publicans,
drapers, grocers, and other shopkeepers, have determined on wholly discontinuing their lights, unless the Gas Company agree to a
reduction, as requested a few weeks ago, at a general meeting of the consumers. |
From the magazine IRON, 1892 in the contracts for tender column.
Tewkesbury Gas Company .—Supply and erection of a single-lift gasholder,
69 feet diameter by 20 feet deep, also for the construction of
a gasholder tank in brick, 72 feet diameter, stand well, &c. Drawings |