Tbe First F fry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,ustrytCbronologl
Chapter 1: The Dream of LP-Gas Becomes Reality
Ihis industry history was prepared by. the National I_pGas Council as part of the l,P-Gas industrv's celebratiop during 1962 of its 50th anniversary. Starting with
Chapter l in this issue, I,PGA t'lMlls
will print this
history in monthly installments during 1962.
Although the fifty-year period starts historically with
the cylinder installation at the home of John Gahring
near Waterford, Pa., on May 17, 1912, a great deal of
development work with LP-Gas was going on in the
carlier years of this century. For this reason Chapter I
recites events which occurred before the historic initlat
Installation was made,
'l'his
complete history is an exclrrsive 'l IMFIS feature.
this so-callcd"'uvet"gas. The lirm was nanred the Rivers i d e O i l C o . a n d f r o m i t s p l a n t a t S i s t e r s v i l l eW
, . Va.,
came much of the raw material fronr which the llrst LPG a s . c a l l e c lG a s o l ,w a s l a t e r o b t a i n e d .
Riversidew
, ithin a ycar of its formationin 1909,had
b u i l t n i n c p l a n t s i n t h e S i s t e r s v i l l ea r e a . s o u t h w e s to f
P i t t s b u r g h .T w e l v e n t o r e w e r e b u i l t i n 1 9 1 0 , i n c l u d i n g
the first blending station where naphth:r was nrixed with
the "casinghead" or "wild natural gasoline" condensed
f r o m n a t u r a l g a s .T h e b l e n d i n gw a s d o n c i n a n a t t e m p t
to keep certain of the r.rsefr-rl
l'uel gascssuspendedin thc
lirluidgasoline.
O f t h e n a n e s c l l ' t h er n e n a s s o c i a t ew
c li t h t h e e a r l y d e -
. . . rwo NEwBrrsofknowre<rge
wcre
adcrecr
ronran-]',il:ll"j}JJ,t8.tJ:*':T"'"T"1ifrTlt5']"JJl;*'j;
kind's store in the years that closed the nineteenthcentury and opened the twenticth. One was the d.iscovery
that a liquid fuel called oil nnd a vilpor fuel calle-dnatu r a l g a s w e r e p l e n t i f u l l ya v a i l a b l cb e n e a t ht h e s u r f a c eo f
the earth. Thc other was the news from Eurooe that
"btrrning
gas" extracted front oil coulcl be tiquilied 1nd
containedin steelbottles.
The years 1909. l9l0 and l9l I are red lctter ycars
in the history of LP-Gas that led up to the comrrrercial
ntarketingol'the 20th ccntury fuel. In 1909. LP-Gas still
I t d r e a m ,t h e p r o d u c t i o no f g a s o l i n ew a s a p r a c t i c a la n c l
profitable venture as more and nrclre "horselcss car|iages," as they called the early autos. appeareclon the
streets'
Discovery of new natural gas wells in the western
Pennsylvaniaand west virginia border region prompted
the formation of a conrpany to locate profitable drilling
sites and build processingplants, largely for the extract i o n o f n a t u r a l g a s o l i n et h a t c o u l d b e c o n c l e n s e fcrlo n r
C.,."ofof i., pa.. were respectively presi<ientancl sec_
r.et1ryi11sis.urer.
The vice piesi{ent w1s ChesterL. Kerr.
a fiitrt,urgn attorney, and the generirl superinten<Jent
r v a sA r t h u r N . K e r r . h i s c o u s i n .
Sconly Knowledge lo go on
Knowledge of thc nature and behavior of thc ilases
i r n d l i q u i d s t h e s c m e n w e r e p r o c c s s i n gf o r m a r k e i w a s
scant in the early days. But it was evident to all that thc
gascsthat rcfusedto .staydisolved in the glsgline were of
p o t e n t i a lv a l u e . I n 1 9 0 - 9a n d 1 9 1 0 . h o w e v e r .R i v e r s i c l e
haclto pipe this raw material of the futurc LP-Gas a safc
distance awav ancl set it afire. The llares. burning night
a n d d a y f r o m t h e n o z z l e ss e t i n t o t h c p i p e , I i g h t e dt h e
countryside at ir then unavoiclirblebut greirt ei.penseto
the new industry.
Perhapsthe news that a young
-had Gernrrrnof the city of
Augsburg. Herntun Blau.
invenred ir nrethod for.
n r a k i n g f u e l g a s e sf r c l n ro i l 1 n d c q n t i r i n i n gt h e n t u n d e r
Copyrighl 1961 by N.liional IP G;,s Courr:jl
fhe Coming of tiguefed
Gos
'Ihc
1887
first known printed refercncc
to the manufacture of liquefieclpetroleum gas was conducted in .'A prac'freatise
tical
on Petroleum" by Benjamin T. (lrew, published by Hcnry
Carcy, Baird & Co., I-onclon.
1890 Pintsch gas was introduced into thc
United States from Europe. It was a
compressed-not liquelied- gas made by
cracking oil and was a mixture of
methane ancl heavier hydrocarbon gases.
It was known as bottled petroleum gas
and among its uses was railwav car
lighting.
1903 What is believedto have been thc
first apparatus for extracting gasoline
from natural gas was built by Wiiliam
Fasenmeyer.He was joined by Sutton
l6
Bros. and l]rlmonds in commcrcial distribution of natural gas gasoline protlucerl at Sisterville. W. Va.
1903-t904 Blaugas, called the first bottled liquicl gas (as opposed lo compressed gas), was tlevelopecl by Hcrnran
Blau of Augsburg, C)ermany. It was a
mixture of permanent gases, liquid gas
and light fractions of gasoline-all produced by modification in the manufactule of illuminating gas from oil. Thc
light fractions of gasoline were rentoved
by means of a clcvice called "Anrylene"
coltrmn.
Manufacturing costs were an expensive lOc a pound plus the fact that the
consumer hacl lo pay freight on 7 lb. of
steel cylinder for every pound of gas.
Blatrgas was conlilinc(l rrnder pr.essures
of 7-50 to I.-s(X) psi. It had ro be
v a p o r i z e c l b y a g ; r s - f i r e db u r n e r a n d t h e n
conductecl through a series of liquid an<t
vapor regulators and reclucing tanks
tuntil the pressure fell to tl oz. Installation of the equipmenr cost 9200. so the
gas wirs used largely by lhe wealthy
bcyond the city gas mains. T'he first
Blaugas plant in the United States
slarted operalions in l90li.
Nine companies werc organizerJ to
rranufaclure and market the product in
the United States. two of the most
prominenl being Northwestern Blaugas
Co. of St. Paul, Minn., and Blaugas Co.
of Omaha. Nebr- Both companies survive
to the present time. although they have
long since been converted to Lp-Gas.
LPGA Times-Jonuory, |962
Pioneersin LP-GasDevelopment
Walter O. Snellino
Frank P. Peterson
great pressurein steelcylinderswas known to the nren at
S i s t e r s v i l l eA. n A m e r i c a n B l a u g a sp l a n t w a s a h ' e a d yi n
o p e r a t i o ni n 1 9 0 8 b e f o r e t h e h r s t k n o w n e x p e r i m c n t s
with LP-Gas were reported.
I n W a s h i n g t o n ,D . C . , a y o u n g n t a n t o b e c o m e a
founder of the LP-Gas industry was fascinateclby quitc
anotherchallenge.Walter O. Snelling,a doctor of chenristry who had receiveddegreesfrom Harvard, Yale and
George Washington universitieswas trying, on his own
v o l i t i o n i n h i s U S G e o l o g i c a lS u r v e yj o b , t o d c v e l o p a n
underwater cletonator for explosives. ln 1907 he obtained thc use of laboratory spaceat George Washington
U n i v e r s i t y .I n a w a t e r - l l l l e dp i p e o u t s i d et h i s l a b o r a t o r y
window Snelling tested the detonators he nrade for underwater blastingnecessaryin constructionof the Panam a C a n a l . T h e d e v i c e h e p r o d u c e dw a s c r e d i t e d w i t h
s a v i n gt h e g o v e r n m e n th a l f a m i l l i o n d o l l a r s i . ry e l r i n
carving the "Big Ditch" frclnrthe Atlantic tcl the Pacific.
The following year Snelling and others on the stafl
moved to Pittsburgh to set up the office that later bec a m et h e U . S . B u r e a u o l ' M i n e s . F r o m t h i s g o v e r n m e l l t
project cAme severalother men who would play promin e n t p a r t s i n t h e L P - C a s s t o r y . S n e l l i n go b t a i n e d e m ployment in the Bureau of Mines for a young college
g r a d u a t en a n t e dG e o r g eA . B u r r e l l w h o w a s l a t e r t o b e come a leading authority on natural gas and allied subj e c t s . B u r r e l l l a t e r b r o u g h t i n t o t h e d e p a r t m e n tG e o r g e
Also in 1904 natural gasoline was obt : L i n e d i n c o m m e r s i a l q r . r a n t i t i e sb y W i l 'fitusville,
liam Fasenmeyer near
Pa..
from the collection of condensation in
the natural gas mains. A year later, recovery was increased by chilling gas
pipe lines rvith cold water.
Edward I. Hanlon, later to become
prominent in the natural gasoline industry, joincd the firm of Heneghan and
Daly as bookkeeper. On the death of
Daly. the firm became Heneghan and
Hanlon. Hanlon bought a $300 compressor and shipped natural gasoline in
drums down the Ohio River to Parkersburg, W. Va., where it was mixed with
motor fuel.
1905 By
now
the foundations of
LPGA Times-)onuory, 1962
the
Arfhur N. Kerr
C h e s i e rL . K e r r
G . O b e r l e l l . w h o a l s o c o n t r i b u t e dg r c a t l y t o t h c l i q u i c l
i l n d g a s e o r i sp e t r o l e u n lf u c l s i n d u s t r y . A n d t h e p e t r o l e u n r d e p a r t m e n th e a d , I r v i n g ( ' . A l l e n . l l t e r p o o l e d c f l ' o r t sw i t h B u r r e l l t o p u b l i s h i n l 9 l 2 t h e l i r s t c x t e n s i v L '
g o v e r n m e n rt e p o r t o n t h e v a r i o u sf u e l g a s e st h e n k n o w n .
Into Dr. Snellin-uo
' sl l ' i c ei n l 9 l 0 w a l k e d a P i t t s b u r g h
n l o t o r c a r o w n c r w h o c o n r p l a i n e dt h a t t h e g a s o l i n eh c
purchasedwas evaporatingat a rapid and expc'nsiveratL-.
H e t h o u g h t t h e g o v e r n m e n ts h o u l d l o o k i n t o t h e n a t u r e
o f t h o s e d i s a p p e a r i n gf u m e s . T h e y o u n g c h c r l i s t s o o n
r e a l i z e dt h a t g a s e sw c r e c s c a p i n gf r o m t h e l i q u i d g a s o line becausethc stopper was repeatedlyblown I'ronr the
m o u t h o f t h e b o t t l e . E x p e r i r n e n t i n gw i t h t h e f u e l a n c l
c h e c k i n gt h e n a t u r e o f i t s c o m p o n c n t s ,D r . S n e l l i n gr c alized he hacJbutanc. pl'opane und other hyclrocarbons
to deal with.
S i n c et h e r e w e r e n o l ' a c i l i t i e sf o r p r e p a r i n gt h c v a r i o u s
l ' r a c t i o n so f h i s s a m p l e f u c l , D r . S n e l l i n g ,h a v i n g r n c c h a n i c a la s w e l l a s c h e m i c a ls k i l l s , s c t a b o u t b u i l d i n g a
d i s t i l l i n g a p p a r a t u s .U s i n g c o i l s f r o n t a n o l d h o t w a t c r
h e a t e r a n d p i e c e so f l a b o r a t o r y e q u i p n . r e n th. c b u i l t a
s t i l l t h a t c o u l d s e p a r n t eo r f r a c t i o n a t et h e " w i l d g a s o l i n e " i n t o i t s l i q u i d a n d g a s e o u sc o n t p o n c n t s H
. is work
b e c a m et h e b a s i s o f o n e o f t h e t w o m a j o r p a t c n t c di n v e n t i o n st h a t c o n t r i b u t e dg r e a t l y t o t h e c a r l y d e v e l o p ment of LP-Gas.
D r . S n e l l i n g ' sf i r s t g a s n r a y h a v e b e e n t r u l y t h e l i r s t
natural gasoline industry hacl been laid
by the experiments of William Fasenmeyer, of
Tompsett
Brothers near
-f
idioutc, Pa., and of Sutton Bros. at
Sistersv.illeW
, . Va.
1908 Natural gasoline development had
been extended by work of William
Mayburg who, in 1905, had purchased
a gas engine from Bessemer Cas Engine Co. to compress gas to obtain jts
gasoline content. Thereafter the Bessemer firm was active in helping the
young industry to progress.
Other important work was being done
by Hollingshead at Bradford, Pa.; McCarty at Bolivar, N.Y., and Gray at
Kinzua, Pa.
In 1908. the Reno Oil Co. built in
West Virginiu thc first srrccessfulcontpression plant l'or natural gasolinc prod u c ti o n .
l9l0
Researchcs of Peterson antl the
Bessenrer company at (lrove Ci1y. I,a.,
transformed the natural gasoline indrrstry from an cxpcrinrental to :r colllntercial basis.
1911 The first association o1' producers
was formed to promote the natural gasoline industry, brrt it was active for only
a few years.
At about this point development began to center around the capture and use
of the butane and propane gases for
which the pioneers of LP-Gas saw
commercial possibilities.
t7
LP-Gas in the industry's formative period. On one occasion a landlady would have no nonsense about LP-Gas
experiments being conducted in her house and banished
the mysteriously fueled gas lamp and hot plate experiments to an unused chicken coop. In these first years,
the Kerrs also learned of the great heat and extreme cold
that could be generated by the new liquefied gas properties that were the forerunners of today's automatic
home hetrting and cooling appliantrs and of even more
spectacular benefits to humanity coming into use on
earth and in outer sPace.
Frank Petersonhad worked with George Burrell of
the Bureau of Mines on his gas compression experiments
before Dr. Snelling first heard of his work from Irving
C. Allen and sought him out. Allen also said that Chester L. Kerr was the one other man who knew most about
n a t u r a l g a s g a s o l i n e ,a n d D r . S n e l l i n gc a l l e d o n h i m a
few days later.
N o t l o n g a f t e r , o n J u n e 6 . 1 9 1 1 , D r . S n e l l i n gg a v e
Allen of the Bureau Mines a full report on his work to
date. On June 12. he put in written form the necessary
information about his LP-Gas tenrperature-pressure
P h o t o : l m P € r i a lG a s C o .
method of distillation that would be rcquired for a patV
a
.
F
r
o
s
f
W
.
p
l
a
n
t
i
n
S
i
s
t
e
r
s
v
i
l
l
e
'
g
a
s
o
l
i
n
e
ent. By July -5,Peterson'sapplication for a patent on his
a
n
a
i
u
r
a
l
A l9l2 view o{
gas compressioninvention had been subrnitted(granted
ing on ihe pipe and drum came from vaporizing bulane.
"bottled gas" bccausethe only container hc had in his J u l y 2 , l 9 l 2 ) .
The intriguing idea of liquefying was not entirely conlaboratory wils il wire-ennleshed glass soda welter
"squirt" bottlc. Later he obtained a German-madesteel fined to the men credited with founding the LP-Gas industry as a comntercial enterprise. Gcldfrey L. Cabot'
cylinder that enabledhinr to transport the new fuel easily
who had invented a method of producing carbon black
1or denronstrationpurposessuch as lighting gas lamps,
befclre the turn of the century, had experimentally liqfueling hot plates for cooking and perfornling a variety
uefied natural gas (mostly methanc) by using liquid air.
of nretalworking jobs.
In 1912, with carbon black plants in several PennsylThe other early ntajor patent was that of Frank P.
and West Virginitt towns, Cabot asked Dr. Snelling
vania
P e t e r s o nw h o h a d d e v e l o p e db y l 9 l l a m e t h o d o f l i c l u e to establishan LP-Gas plant at Cabot, Pa., where he
fying thc uscl'ulfucl gases.An employeeof the Bessemer
had an excesssupply of gas. Nothing further, however,
E n g i n e C o . s i n c e 1 9 0 8 , P e t e r s o nh a d e x p e r i m e n t e dw i t h
c
l r n t eo f t h i s p r o p o s l l .
gas powered enginesof his own designas carly as 1904.
I n l 9 l l , B l a u g a se n g i n e e r sa. n d p o s s i b l yP i n t s c hg a s
He used gas that he had made fronl anthracitecoal.
also, investigatedthe possibility of preparing
engineers
Pcterson lirst encountered natural gas gasoline in
a liquified gas from natural gas, but concluded it could
1909 at a plant where one of his company'scompressors
not be produced in uniforn-rcomposition.
was used. About that tinre he also purchased for thc
thatin thissamet""t .lj:,,t t".tt::tj.X
It is believed
lJessenrerfirnr the rights to John L. Gray's piitent for
making gasoline by the conlpression nlethod. But his
-"
curiosity went furthcr. He succeededin condensingliq',""r..'nt
iA
:
l^,lhr
ur.-,
gas
uid fronl the gas by packing tons of ice around the
nlains and later used a heat exchangertype of refrigerati n g d e v i c e . L a t e r D r . S n e l l i n ge n c o u r a g e da n d u n d e r wrote the costsof having Peterson'sinvention patented.
l n l a t e l 9 l 0 a n d e a r l y l 9 l I w h e n D r . S n e l l i n gw a s
d e m o n s t r a t i n gL P - G a s t o h i s c o l l e i l g u e sa t t h e B u r e a u
of Mines. his path had not yet crossedthat ol' Peterson
Earua,,la
or the Kerr cousins. While Peterson was busy experi!!F:'
m e n t i n ga t a n a t u r a l g a s o l i n ep l a n t h e h a d b u i l t i n l 9 1 l
-1#ffi$esi€
at Follansbee.W. Va., Arthur Kerr had been working
t'rt
-!arf^9-a..
for severalnronthswith gasesand gasolineat Sistersville.
'.,AJt.Jt,*
D u r i n g D e c e m b e r1 9 1 0 ,A r t h u r K e r r r e p o r t e dt h a t h e
i!'t-tr'oS"
hardobtained 200 gal. of a condensatethat he described
later in a letter of May 9, 1928, to his cousin, Chester,
"predoninately and preeminentlya butane cut." Since
as
5ro."1.-Io"l;
there were no known suitable containersfor LP-Gases
at Sistersvilleat that time. it is possiblethis production
Sketch:ImperialGasCo
was used to blend with the gasoline produced at the
A r t h u r N . K e r r s k e t c h e dt h i s p r o c e s sf o r u s i n g l i g h i h y d r o c a r b o n sf o
Riverside plant.
The Kerrs told in later years of their struggles with c o o l g a s e s i n n a t u r a l g a s o l i n e p r o c e s s i n g '
l8
LPGA Times-)onuory, 1962
Industryhistory
was named president; O. D. Robinson, president of Riverside, vice president, and E. D. Robinson, secretary and
treasurer of Riverside, as secretary and treasurer. The
directors, in addition to Kerr and the Robinsons,were
Frank Petersonand Walter Snelling.
Dr. Snelling, as a governnrent enrployee,could not
serve as an olTicerof the new company and had agreed
four days earlier that his stock would be held for the
time being in the name of Frtrnk E. McLean.
The founders of the industry started on not much
nrore than a very thin shoestringplus unbounded faith.
They had the Snelling and Petersonpatents, Dr. Snelling's little Pittsburghshop at 15 43rd St. and its LP-Gas
demonstration apparatus. a source of supply at Riverside, and a young oflice and errand boy, Clarence R.
Kerr, a nephew of the Kerrs.
O n N o v . 2 2 . 1 9| l , A r t h u r K e r r w r o t e t o h i s c o u s i n
that he had produceda liquid that he believedwas liquid
b u t a n ea n d l i q u i d t r i t a n e .H e s a i d " t h e r e i s n o q u e s t i o n
t h a t t h i s p r o d u c tt h a t I h a v e m a d e w i l l b e v e r y v a l u a b l e
for some uses ."
Although nothing had yet bcen published about the
pererson,
new company or its product, word sonrehowspread,for
c. L.Kerr
"::' 11"ffiil'il;I'il''-1T.'1,
l9l I lo organize the firsi LP-Gas producing and marc r nJ a n . l l . l 9 1 2 , t h e l i t t l e s h o p o n 4 3 r d S t . w a s v i s i t e d
keting firm, American Gasol Co.
b y C a p t . A n t h o n y F . L u c a s , t h e n r a n w h o i n 1 9 0I h a d
discoveredthe Spindletopoil lield near Beaurnont,TexS c h e n c ko f t h e S c h e n c kn r e a tp a c k e r I ' a r r i l yo f W h e e l i n g , as. He said he was interestedin linancing the company.
W. V:r., had either produced son.reLP-Gas or some- but the corporate partnersfelt unable to nreet his ternrs.
r.vhereobtained a supply. In any event. working with J. Chapter 2 of this chronology will tell how the first LP-Gas
'|'IMF)S'
C. Whitelield of the packing lirm, Schenckconverted a installation was sold. Look for it in the I'ebruary
t r u c k t o L P - G a s o p e r a t i o na n d d e m o n s t r a t e di t i n l 9 l 2
Major sources for this chaptcr are lhe Antcrican (ias Assn.
b e l o r c i n t e r e s t e dc r o w d s i n N e w Y o r k C i t y . W h i t f i e l d , l i b r a r y , a n d t h e f i l e s o f D r . W a l t c r O . S n e l l i n g a n c l I m p c r i a l ( i a s
l a t c r t o j o i n t h e C o n s o l i d a t e cLl i q u i d G a s C o . o f N e w C o . T h i s c h r o n o l o g y w a s p r e p a r c d b y J o h n s t o n S n i p c s o f t h e
Y o r k a n d t o g o o n t o t h e S t a n d a r dO i l C o . o f N e w J e r - N a t i o n a l L P - G a s C o u n c i l s t a f f .
s e y . w a s t h e l i r s t a p p l i a n c ea n d a p p a r a t u se x p e r t i n t h e
ncw gas licld.
A n i n d u s t r y h a s i t s r e a l . p r a c t i c a lb e g i n n i n gt h e d a y
i t g o c s i n t o o p e r a t i o ns u p p l y i n gt h e n e e d so f i t s c u s t o m e r s . B u t t h c p r e l i m i n a r i e sa r e a l s o s i g n i f i c a n t o i t s h i s tory.
I n O c l o b e r l 9 l I . t h e d r e a n to f a n L P - G a s b u s i n e s s
b e g a nt o s o l i d i f y i n t o r e a l i t y . S n e l l i n go n O c t . l 0 g a v e
('. L. Kerr a full report on all of his work up to that
t i n t e i r n d a s k e dh i m , i n h i s r o l e o f a t t o r n e y ,t o d r a w u p
the necessarypapers to incorporatethe world's first LPGas company. Snelling offered to underwrite all the expensesol' the new venture during its formative period.
O n N o v . l l , l 9 l l , A m e r i c a nG a s o l C o . w a s i n c o r porated under the laws of West Virginia. Of the 2,000
s h a r e so f s t c l c k ,2 6 1 s h a r e se a c h w e r e g i v e n t o C . L .
F I F T YY E A R S L A T E R .M i c h i g a n G o v e r n o rJ o h n B . S w a i n s o n( s e a t e d )
K e r r . F r a n k P e t e r s o na n d W a l t e r O . S n e l l i n g ,t h e b a l "Michigan
s i g n so f f i c i a l p r o c l a m a l i o nm a r k i n gl h e w e e l o f J a n . 2 8 a s
l n c e b e i n gh e l d b y t h e c o r p o r a t i o n .
L P - G a s 5 0 i h A n n i v e r s a r yW e e l . " P r e s e n l a l l h e c e r e m o n y w e r e i n f h e f o l l o w i n gd a y t h e t h r e e s h a r e h o l d e rm
s e t a t S t e u - d u s t r y l e a d e r s{ r o m i h e M i c h i g a n L P G A : ( s t a n d i n g l . f o r . ) D i c k
b e n v i l l e .O . , i n a n a l l - d a y n t e e t i n gc o n c e r n e dw i t h o r - L o w e , J . O . G o w e r , R o b e r l H a b e r m e h l ,L o u M a r s h a l l ,E d Y o r k a n d
ganizationof the con.rpanyand its activities.C. L. Kerr K e n E i s i n g e r .
Continued from p. 18
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U n i o nT e x a s - A l l i e d
C h e m i c aM
l e r g e rP l a nT o l d
The merger of Union Texas Natural Gas Corp. into Allied Chemical Corp. has been announced by
28
rfri
! h,
a.
l.
rh.
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!hd
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Kerby H. Fisk, Allied's board chairman, and J. Howard Marshall,
Union Texas president.
P l a n s o f t h e t w o c o m p a n i e st o
build a joint petrochemical complex
near Baton Rouge, La. were made
known Nov. 12. Further discussions
by officers of both companies resulted in the proposed merger on
the basis of 7 rB of a shareof Allied
stock for each share of Union. The
merger is subject to the aPProval
of the directors and stockholdersol'
both companies.
LPGA Times-Jonuory, 1962
TbeFirst Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,uarl Cbronology
Chapter 2: Pioneer Installations Are Made
. . . PROGRESS seemedto be at snail's pace those first page article in thc Brooklyn (N. Y.) Dail-vEagie of Sunfew nronths of 1912. Potential customerswere hard to clay, May 12, five days before the first set actually was
find . . . and in the country they were hard to convince in operaticln.
'fhe
a r t i c l e a l s o a p p e a r e di n t h e I n d i a n a p o l i sS r r n d a y
that they could have a gas supply just like city folks on
ol
thc sante clate and was widely copied by magathe natural gas pipe lines.But finally a Iirm order was ob- S/al
aud trade and scientificbooks ircross
newspapers,
o
f
t
h
e
zincs,
T
o
d
d
,
m
a
n
a
g
e
r
h
a
d
F
.
T
.
t a i n e da n d D r . S n e l l i n g
LawrencevilleMachine Co. build the lirst dontesticLP- tlrc country. Thc May issueof Nutiottal ItetroleurrtNev's
Gas outlit l'or the lirst customer-John W. Gahring of carrieclan article by Dr. Snelling on his nrcthod of septhe no longer existing little railroad stop of Le Boeuf aration ot gasolineby critical tenrperatures.
near Waterford, Pa., a few miles southeastof Erie.
Firsf uses - 6eefting and lighling
The lirst outfit was completed on May tt and shipped
M a y 1 1 , 1 9 1 2 , i s t l r e d a y t h e L P - G a s i n d u s t r yu r a r k s
the following day to Union City where A. F. Young
Hardware and Plumbing Co. undertook the job of in- as its birth. On that day liquefied petroleunr gas began
s t a l l a t i o n .I t t o o k a l l o f 2 8 h o u r s t o g e t t h e s c t i n s t a l l e d lighting the larnps and cooking the meals in the farm
and working, for which the cornpanychargcd Dr. Snell- h o m c o f J o h n G a h r i n g . N o t h i n g t o c l a y r e m a i n so f t h a t
hor.neor the gas installation,but just up the road stands
i n g $ I 1 . 2 0 ,a m u n i f i c e n t4 0 1 a n h o u r .
, . E . W h e e l e r .O n t h e
To record the fact that even in that day there were t h e h o n r eo f t h e s e c o n dc u s t o n t e r E
g o v e r n m e n tp u b l i c r e l a t i o n sn l e n , a w r i t e r n a m e d W i l - back porch is thc first steel cabinet that replaced the
Iiam Altdorfer was helping publicizethe Bureau of Mines w o o d e n b o x u s e d t o s h e l t c rt h e t a n k s a n d e q u i p n r e n to f
under the direction of its director, Dr. Hcllrrres.Dr. t h e C a h r i n g s c t . T h e o r i g i n a l c e i l i n g f i x t u r e s t h a t s u p Holnres was interestedin Snelling'swork and strggested p l i e d g a s l i g h t s a r e s t i l l i n p l a c e .T h e s a n r ef a n r i l y o w n s
t h e p o s s i b i l i t yo f a n e w s p a p e rs t o r y . A l t d o r f e r f e l t h e t h e h o m e .
Other carly custonlersin Pennsylvaniain those first
couldn't wait for the Gahring systemto be installed,so
m
o
nthswere the St. Paul Luthcran Church at Penryn,
hc hircd a dray, loadcd a Casol outfit then in the shop,
Henry S. Dombach honte at East Petersburg,and the
the
looking
likely
until
he
found
ir
the
street
ancldrove down
h o u s cf o r a p h o t o g r a p h .H e s c t u p t h e c a b i n e ta n d t a n k s home <ll' Dr. George W. Gcrwig, ftlr nrany yeitrs seca n d t o o k h i s p i c t u r c , w h i c h a p p c a r e di n n e a r l y a f u l l retary of the Pittsburghschools.
C o p y r i g h1t 9 6 l b y N a t i o n a lL P - G a sC o u n c i l
W h e n A . F . Y o u n g d i d h i s i n s i a l l a l i o nw o r k 4 0 c
b o u q h t a n h o u r ' sl a b o r . T h i s b i l l c o v e r si h e G a h r i n g
and Wheeleriobs.
4IJounq
)
rr. s/6'
ort.
"r'
r'!/.'.1
,o
,!/^'
r r/6,
1. "
' _'
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.
n
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re
nt..I
h.'ra3.6o
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rft..rdJ
'
.r.
tttSJ o h n W . G a h r i n g ( i n s e i ) i n s p e c t st h e f i r s t L P - G a s
i n s i a l l a t i o nm a d e a t h i s f a r m h o m e ( a b o v e ) . P h o i o
takenMay 11, 1912.
Dr. Snelling on June 18 believed that the company i : ,
w
was on a footing sufficiently sound to enable him to
resign from government service. Although he submitted
his resignation that day, he did not completely sever his
connection with the Bureau of Mines until that fall.
By September, Snelling felt that he could no longer
carry the full financial load of the new company. After
consultation by the partners it was decided to seek
from M. L. Benedum and J. C. Trees
financialassistance
of Pittsburgh who had been financing the Riverside Oil
Co. Benedum and Trees agreed to put up $10,000 in
return for 200 sharcs of stock each and the American
Gasol Cg. was given another chance to prove it had a
salablcproduct.
B y t h e e n d o f t h a t y e a r o f 1 9 1 2 ,A m e r i c a n G a s o l w a s
widely known throughout the petroleum industry and
by the public at large through articles by Snelling and
Peterson in Scientific Arnerican, a full page Sunday
supplenrentstory in the Pittshurgh l:'ost, and many other
newspaper items.
The E. E. Wheeler home, still standing,was lhe second SnellinginOften the ntagazincand newspapereditors gave prom- s i a l l a t i o n .
This home was close lo Gahring's which is no longer
inent display to a Gasol denronstrationkit built by Frank
standing. Piclure taken al lime of gas insfallalion.
Peterson. It was a snrall suitcase containing LP-Gas
cylinders not nruch larger than those used 50 years
interested investor he would give the three partners just
later for hand soldering torches, paint rernovers and
30 minutes to accept his offer to buy the company.
camp stoves.To the gas set was connecteda small gas
Snelling, Peterson and C. L. Kerr hastily conferred.
lanrp on a pedestal, rcsembling an old-fashioned gas
Peterson was general manager of the Riverside Western
street light.
Oil Co. which had been set up by Benedum and Trees
to
handle Riverside's gasoline plant operations in Okla" Mirdcies" seen by firsl wrilers
homa, but he said his share of the $50,000 would be
One writer, thinking he was foretelling the miracles more than he ever expected to make in his life. Kerr
oi tonrorrow, fell far short of cnvisioning the many also voted to accept, as $50,000 was a great sum of
serviccsthat LP-Gas performs today. He predicted that money indeed in 1913. Snelling, having equal stock
the woman of the future would carry a suitcase gas voting rights, reluctantly agreed to sell the contpany in
which he had placed so much hope and work.
lamp to light her way in the dark.
The bright, prosperousfuture for LP-Gas seemeddim
i n d e e db y t h e t i m e t h e s u n t m e ro f 1 9 1 3 r o l l e d a r o u n d . Chapter 3, to be found in the March TIMBS, carriesthe hisThere had been no rush of customersdespitebrochures tory through World War 1 and the early 1920swhen some of
and catalogsissuedby American Gasol and newspaper today's marketing companies were being organized.
advertisements.
An impressiveappcaring building housing the com- Major sources for Chapter 2 are the files of Dr. Walter 0.
Snelling, the Wheeler family and Imperial Gas Co.
pany's laboratory, showrooms and warehousehad been
Pittsburgh
.
.
.
but
rented ^t 7440-7460 Finance St. in
Correction: The captions in Chapter I under the Kerr photos
all was not as it seemedin the company catalog.Pictures should be reversed; C. L, Kert's name should appear under the
and descriptions of the Gasol set, the available gas photo originally shown as Arthur N. Kerr, and vice versa.
chandeliers,and the Century Co. range and hot plate
were more factual than the building. The warehouse
building had been rented to Dr. Snelling by the Robinsons becauseit was along the railroad tracks and little
boys kept the windows in a constant tinkle of breaking
glass.No one else wanted it. American Gasol occupied
one room on the secondfioor where Dr. Snellinghad his
office and additional space was used by his six employees.But the greaterpart of the building was unused.
The day of Aug. 25, 1913, dawned with no ominous
threat that sunsetwould see the end of the first American
or yet any promise that the inLP-Gas Company
dustry would survive to circle the earth with its product
and services.But during that day American Gasol's
office door swung open to admit a visitor-E. W. De
Bower, the man who put the LaSalle Extension Course
on the map. A man of few words under the circumEarly Gasol promostances of his visit, he placed on the table a certified
iion {ealured blowcheck for $50.000 and announced that on beha'lf of an
torch applicalions.
LPGA Times-Februqry, 1962
23
Tbe Fira FifU Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,usnyCbronologl
Chapter 3: The Years of Slow Growth
I
I
I
May 28: Wallace R. Lane of Parkinson &
I9l4
. . . THIS ERA OPENS after the initial group of inLane, noted Chicago patent attorneys, said that
stallationshad been made by Dr. Walter O. Snelling in
the four Snelling and Peterson patents would
1 9 1 2 a n d c l o s e si n 1 9 2 5 w h e n I m p e r i a l G a s C o . - s t i l l
give "
the Consolidated Liquid Cas Clomactive - openedits first California plant. In those years
protection
on the only known
pany
full
.
.
its
A
.
LP-Gas was largely in the hands of
developers.
commerciallv practicablemethods or processesof
few "new" nilmes appear as do severalcompanieswhich
producing their liquid natural gas product irs well
have for the most part passedout of the industry's hisas the product itself, however obtained." The
tory, plus two or three firms which have since beconte
firm had not discoveredany earlicr work in this
orominent.
Iield to nullify the patents.
Many of the recorded events center around patent
Godfrey Cabot built an LP-Gas plant at New
management
and stock transactions.Apart from these
Elizabeth, W. Va. He contemplated barging the
transactionsa few pioneers were exploring sales angles
gas in large quantities,but the venture was a fiin this new industry: home installations, plumbers'
nancial failure.
torches and metal cutting were a few early outlets. InAug. 30-3 l: Representativesof Consolidated
1915
novationsin handling and transportationwere recorded.
Liquid
Gas Co. and American Gasol Co. met at
Blaugas was still popular in those years before and
Hotel
Wolcott in New York City to discuss
the
point
it
selling
for
shortly after World War I. The big
reorganizirtion.Present were C. L. Kerr. Walter
and for LP-Gas was that they kept city-bred cooks
O . S n e l l i n g ,D r . J . D e n n i s O ' H a g a n a n d h i s a t contentwith their suburbanjobs.
Patrick Lyons and his attorney, irnd John
torney,
From this point on LP-Gas history will be told in a
They attempted to reorganizeby sellM.
Ewen.
chronology of events drawn from countless sources.
Liquid Gas and forming Indusing
Consolidated
l9l2
Arthur Kerr built a large plant at Sistervillc
trial Liquid Gas Co. with $ l.-500,000 in stock.
for Riversidc Oil Co. This plant later supplied
1
O'Hagan, Lyons and McCarthy, and Gasol interLP-Gas to ConsolidatedLiquid Gas Co. of New
estsirgreedto put up $10,200 in cash to pay pressYork, successorto the American Gasol Co., thc
ing obligations (the company was in debt for a
pioneer producing and marketing firm. At this
s u m o f m o r e t h a n $ 1 7 2 , 0 0 0 ) .S n e l l i n ga n d P e t e r time, there were 250 compressionplants extracting
son
are known to have paid their cash assessment
narturalgasolinefrom natural gas.
but nothing further is known of this reorganization
Frank Y. Locke, president of Northwestern
effort. Consolidated,at that tirne, wirs selling gas
Blaugas Co. of Minneapolis, built the lirst sucoutfits and gas around New York City for some
cessful Blaugas plant. Manufacture of this gas
domesticuse, but largely for nretal cutting.
continued until l92U when LP-Cas was adopted
A. N. Kerr was elected president of the Cirsby the firm.
i n g h e a dG a s o l i n eA s s n .
1913
The purchasersof American Gasol Co. created
Early air-butane nrixes were called "greased
a new lirm under the name of Consolidated Liquid
air."
Gas Co. of New York with American Gasol re- t 9 l 6
Dr. J. B. Garner of Hope Natural Gas Co. beceiving stock in the new company. It obtained
gan work with LP-Gas in cutting steel in the PittsLP-Gas from Riverside Oil and from a special
burgh area.
plant built by Sloan & Zook at Bradford, Pa. For
J a n . 3 l : J . F . M c C a r t h y , t h r c l u g hT h o m a s A .
many years this Bradford unit was the only operSheehan as receiver, purchased the Gasol-Conating plant in the East.
solidatedGas patentsof Snelling and Petersonat
General American Tank Car Co. of Chicago
a receiverssale of Consolidatedin Chicago.
built the first insulated tank car for the natural
Feb. 3: American Light & Heat Co. wirs ingasoline industry.
corporated under laws of Delaware with authorFrank Petersonwent to Tulsa, Oklar., as genized capital of $ 1.500,000 as successorto Coneral manager of Riverside Western Co., later to
solidated Liquid Cns Co.
be merged with Riverside Earsterninto the TransFeb. 3-9: In a series of American Light and
continental Oil Co.
Heat board of directors meetings,J. F. McCarthy
In May, early customersJohn Gahring, E. E.
ollered to sell to the new company the Snelling
Wheeler and Henry Dombach wrote American
and Petersonpatents he had purchased.Thomas
,
Gasol expressingtheir perfect satisfaction with the
J. Ryan offered to purchase a substantialamount
LP-Gas outfits installed a year earlier.
of stock.
C o p y r i g h 1t 9 6 1 b y N a t i o n a lL P - G a sC o u n c i l
L P G AT i m e s - M o r c h , 1 9 6 2
21
Gas
tor TheFarm
LlQuloGASlN B0llltl
@
loR C0UTIIRY
tl0tts
Out6tswrll be rca.lvfor distriLutiorr
aLout
Januarv'lsl.1913.
AtvlIflIIAI{
[ASOL
COillPAIIY
PITTSO
PtIJ. R G ,
The earliest printed LP-Gassalesmaler
ihus far seen is Gasol's l9 l3 boollet.
One o{ the early paienls for processes
fringing on LP-Gaswas this l92l docum e n t c o v e r i n g a r e c o n d e n s i n gP r o c e s t .
The late George A. Burrelllaler headed
Atlaniic Stales Gas Co., marleting
chiefly in New Yorl and Pennsylvania.
Feb. 3: The board of directors of American
Walter O. Snelling moved to Allentown, Pa., 1919
Light
& Heat discovered that a supposed 49,970
where he became research director for the Trojan Powder Co.
shares of stock had never been issued, so the
"October 20,
board authorized issuance as of
Riverside Eastern and Riverside Western com1916." Shares previously supposedly divided as
panies were merged into Transcontinental Oil Co.
follows: A. N. Kerr - 5, C. L. Kerr - 10, Gasol
and the two Kerrs decided to set up their own
interests- 9,298, J. Dennis O'Hagan - 15,223'
LP-Gas business. They called their company the
P. J. Lyon and J. F. McCarthy - 6,298. At this
and
continof
Pittsburgh
Rockgas Products Co.
meeting C. L. Kerr, A. N. Kerr, and I. N. Mcued to use the old name of Gasol for the prodNay elected respectively as president, secretaty-4
uct. Later they built a plant on Neville Island
treasurer and vice president, and all three as dinear Pittsburgh. The plant was supplied by three
rectors. (This election declared void on Feb. 28,
9,000 gal. high pressure tank barges which
1921, because none was a stockholder as of the
W.
Va.,
gas
Charleston,
liquid
from
brought up
date of election.)
300 miles away. Most of the gas was sold for
During World War I, George A. Burrell served
metal cutting. The vice president was I. N. Mcas a Colonel in the Chemical Warfare branch of
Nay who later engagedin the LP-Gas businessfor
the U.S. Army in charge of research and develophimself, first in Connecticut and later in Ephrata,
ment of gas warfare. He played an important part
Pa.
in the development of activated carbon as an abAt this time Roy Eichleay was spending much
sorbent for war gases. After the war he collabotime and money pushing LP-Gas in New York
rated with G. G. Oberfell, who had worked with
City, Long Island and the suburbs. Eichleay later
him both at the Bureau of Mines and in Chemipatents.
bought Blaugas tanks and
cal
Warfare, in the development of the activated
New
York
eastern
Rockgas obtained agents in
1918
method of extracting natural gas liquids from
state to sell its gas outfits for $150 each and the
natural gas. Gas chromotography, a modern
gas at 259 a pound but all agents went broke bemethod for analyzing gases quickly, is an outcause they didn't understand the important servgrowth of this work.
icing end of the business.
Walter O. Snelling married Marjorie Gahring,
meeting
board
of
directors
Apr. 4: At a special
daughter of John Gahring who was American
of American Light & Heat Co., C. L. Kerr proGasol's first customer.
posed an agreement under which Rockgas ProdJ. B. Anderson, Liquefied Gas Appliance Co.
ucts Co. would be licensed under the Snellingof
Sharpsburg, Pa., worked with C. H. Allen,
Peterson patents owned by American Light &
General Engineering and Model Works of PittsHeat.
burgh, in developing a pumpless blowtorch. AnApr. 5: Special meeting of directors of Ameri"April
derson also developed a pencil arc burner, a
can Light & Heat approved agreement of
plumbers furnace and a soldering iron for produc24" giving Kerr license rights. (This agreement
line work.
tion
F:.
later declared void by the directors.)
*1920
The
Association of Natural Gasoline ManuHope Natural Gas Co., under J. B. Garner,
facturers was founded in Tulsa, Okla. The present
introduced Butane as trade name for product. It
name is Natural Gasoline ProcessorsAssn.
was used largely as a cutting gas.
l9l7
22
LPGA Times-Morch, 1962
7h, FVEL
of the
American Light & Heai Co. prinled an
elaborale brochure in l92l lo promole
the Fuelite brand. The front cover is
reproduced at left. The list of uses
shownon one inside page (righi) would
siill stand as a calalog of maior applicalions.
dab.d^dLEF€dh
Pil6. 'n rkldld'qtu'#'_
t..6
td.nF
Ud
tu
di
k
lftt(.
9'..
&t1.
Arld
ld
hd
Dbd
6
d
hrltrni
r. G@r^e
'nd Ra'
The Follnning Are lrchded, Anwg the Many
Ptactical C.rrr"tnrcial U*s of Fuelite
FOR UOHTINC PURIOSES
l|ff
od Cdnq
$hL^
Dr|'nF
F.m bUE.d
rd $bL
Runl Gurb
lo&
r^d hEE
$r.hd
bJdlq
F-bic.d
Uu@-&hfte
od hn&
tuF
O.F.db&lM
w'Titffailillr"r
UGIIT.HFAT.FJ\\tR
R EI ' NI C ] I ] R A I ' ] O N
About this time Tappan Co. employed D. O.
Meese to study gases in a tour of Europe. This
led to formation of Superfuels Co. in a joint effort with Phillips Petroleum Co.
J. M. Kelley, at Rochester, N.Y., built a catch
basin burner at suggestionof the Kerrs of Rockgas Products who got the patent. This was the
father of the LP-Gas burner. Kelly started the
term "bottled gas."
I. N. McNay, who was vice president of the
Rockgas Products Co., was in business with a
Mr. Small of the Nugas Co. and installed a good
many sets at Greenwich, Conn. Rockgas Products
supplied Nugas in Connecticut.
McNay started his own company at Coraopolis,
Pa., and sold McNay Gas (wet), but later switched
to propane and dry gas. He was one of the first
to sell wet gas.
Other firms in the field included Fuelite Natural
Gas Co. of Belmont, Mass., Rockgas, Hope Natural Gas, and Pittsburgh Thermoline Co.
Carbide and Carbon Chemical Corp. (later
Union Carbide), manufacturer of Presto-lite, built
a plant at Clendennin, W. Va., with Pyrogen for
metal cutting and Pyrofax for domestic use. Whitfield helped the firm originate the 1001b. container which the company made at Indianapolis.
The first modern distribution ooint was at
Greenwich, Conn., and was supplied by Rockgas
Products. The gas was sold largely to millionaires
who wanted the convenience for their estatesand
to hold their city-bred domestic help in the coun-
tuqbtnthM'
-
&.kll[{hh'nt
;-J;;
fol' HFJ\NNCAND As A FUEL
btd
m.dRod|EE
tun
'n uh#.8d
elh.
'n dlo
*bbt
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[lLq
Light & Heat Company (successorto Consolidated Liquid Gas Co. and American Gasol Co.)
ofiering to buy control of the firm for $137,295.
However,he requiredthat RockgasProductscancel the patentslicenseof Apr. 24, 1918, (the one
that directorsof AmericanLight & Heat had declared void). This offer of Mandevillewas never
enteredin the company minutes book and sale
was never consumated.
Feb. 28: J. F. McDonald was electedpresident
of American Light & Heat Company.The directors refusedto approvethe minutesof the special
directorsmeetingof Feb. 3, 1919, in so far as
they attemptedto elect C. L. Kerr, president;I.
N. McNay, vice president,and A. N. Kerr secretary-treasurer;and all three as directors,for the
reasonthat none of them was at that time a stockholder. The board also declaredforfeit the contractdatedApr.24,1918, with RockgasProducts,
becauseit had been enteredinto without the authority of American Light & Heat.
try.
1922 Feb. 6: AmericanLight & Heat directorselectRockgas Products was making an LP-Gas
ed N. O. Hendricks,president;W. H. McDonald,
blend and regular gasoline and aviation gasoline
vice president;John F. Robinson,treasurerand
at its Neville Island plant.
C. E. Drake, secretary.This was the last notation
Frank Petersonbecamevaluation engineerfor
in the minutesbook until Walter O. Snellingon
Kansas& Gulf Co. wherehe servedfor one year.
Feb. 4, 1927, reinstatedthe company'scharter
l92l
Union Carbidedevelopedthe first column still
that had been forfeited by the state of Delaware
which it called a stabilizer.It reducedcosts of
on Mar. 18, 7925,for non-paymentof taxes.
production. James A. Rafferty and Harold E. 1924 Frank Petersonbecame production engineer
Thompsondevelopedthe stabilizer,which profor Mid-Continent Petroleum Corp. at Tulsa,
ducedthe first sharppropanecut. This permitted
\Okla., where he remaineduntil his retirementin
largevolume productionof LP-Gas.
1942.
Feb. 11: H. L. Mandeville,a New York brok- 1925 Mar. 18: Delawareforfeited charter of Amerier, wrote J. F. McCarthy, presidentof American
Condnued on p. 5l
LPGATimes-Morch,1962
23
I-History
SPACE.RAY REDHEAT
Continued from P. 23
can Light & Heat Co. for non-paymentof taxes'
an unrisual method of terminating a company's
activities.
RockgasProductsCo. set up lmperial Gas Co'
in California and Arthur N' Kerr went West to
ooen the new area for LP-Gas. Imperial developed the first successfultank-vapor domestic system, using a single tank and one regulator' The
companyharketed a dry gas, a 70-lb' sharp cut'
low lressure Rockgits. This first gas wirs purchasedfrom Santa Fe plant No' 3 of the.Pacific
GasolineClo. The following year girswas obtnlneo
from Standard Oil Co. of California' For many
years Imperial sold through distributors' shipping
i C C c y t i n a e r sb y r a i l t h r o u g h o u tC a l i f o r n i a ,N e vada. t)reson, Arizona and New Mexico'
Thestartofwide-sca|cmarketingandthecomingofthe
ttbig name" companies are recounted in ncxt monthts
chapter of the LP-Gas industry's history'
Walter O'
Malor contributors to Chapter 3 -include
Butane'Propane
Co",
G19
Imperial
of
files
Sneiting, the
Processors
News, I-PGA TIMES and the Natural Gas
Assn.
To Mark FirstLP Site
Pennsylvania
.t-
l
Inlra-reil...tlrcnrostcllicierrtcolrrftlrthcatpossilrlclilr.higlt
cvcr ollcrcd! Spaccwill be
c c i l i n g b u i l d i n g s . . . l . r o wa t t h c l o w c s t c o s t
The site of the f'rrst LP-Gas installation
no\\'bcitrg nratlc itt
the
r
r
c
on
installed
Ray gas Infra-Red hcating installations
memorializedin a roadsidemarker to be
p
c
r s c 1 'f t ' ( o f h c n t c d
f
o
r
2
5
c
buildings ol'avcrage construction
y l t e ' M r r y 1 1' 1 9 6 2 '
5 0 t h a n n i v e r s i t rd
""A;*tS
hisstate
the
urging
LpGR
i
n
s t a l l a t i c t t tcsv c l l l l l
,fon e"nn.ytvania
l l o o r a r c a ) . ' . a n d l e s s . ' l - h i sc ( ) s tc o v c r s
t o r i c a l z r n d n r u s e u m c c l m m i s s i o n a g r e e d t o p r o v i d e t h ec o l d c r s c c t i o n s .
the association's
marker, according to John Paulding'
lays tlirectly dtlwn
commissionalsc'r
Space-Rayoverhead hcatcrs beanr infra-rcd
The
chairmnn'
committee
5Oth birthday
to stir ttp tltrst'
at the nai n a w i d c . c i r c u l a r p a t t e r n . N o f i r r r so r b l o u e r s
oereed to have the sign availablc to display
blankct tlrc workitrg
Multiple hcatcrs, htrng synlmetrically,
tional conventton.
a
stage
to
l
l
o
ors' nlctl' nlitchirrcty
tentatively
h
e
a
t
b
c
s
t
plans
l
o
r
a
y
s
,
Paulding's
area with infra-red
-ot committee
Gahring home
John
former
surlaccs lnd obiccts
the
of
o
n
l
y
h
e
i
i
t
site
r
a
y
s
ttt"
..r"-ony
and tools. Thesc tlraft-free
17'
MaY
on
u
p
p
c
r
c
ciling arca rclatively
Waterford
t
h
c
near
thcy touch, not the air. " leave
committee's
The marker is one phase of the 20 man
o
p
c
r
lltl(rll'
o
f
r u n h c a l c d ,w h i c h n r c i t t t sa l o w c r c o s t
a speakers' bureau to
pr.,gronl. Other projects include
.local
buildings' u'ritc lbr
organizationsin the
lf you havc problenrs hcating indtrstrial
iell the anniversary story to
of a stateinfra-rcil heat lhat can bc
information on Spacc-Ray " ' thc
r,",., u public relitions kit and exploration
ft' in most normal btrildings
w i d e T V s e r i e sn e x t S e P t e m b e r '
installed for less than 25c per sq'
a
bearing
plaque'
The mirrker will be a rectangular
with average heat loss'
on a standard
nototion on the lirst installation,mounted
I I I I I I I I I T
implanted in the roadside'
' 6 1 :P u r c h a s eMsa d e
P a r g a sN e t u P i n
purA 30.5% increasein net income last year and
were
Virginia
West
and
chase of operationsin Ontario
C' J'
announced in January by Pargas, Inc' president
McAllister.
of
Last year's net amountedto $396,666 on revenues
1960's'
over
$3,434,488.Revenuesshowed an8'3o/orise
A 7.5c dividend was declared,also in January'
Gas
- The Maryland-basedoperation bought Chaudane
Sturgeon
and
Sudbury
Bay'
North
in
units
Co. Ltd., with
Va'
Falls, Ont., and Newkirk Bottled Gas, Keyser, W'
has
common
McAllister also announced that Pargas
quotation'
counter
qualified for published over-the
Uses
Naturol or
Proponegos
coRPoRottooll,.,
I: st_r9r-^L1Y
P.o, Box 3485
I
a
t
C h o r l o t l e3 , N . C .
lligh lrr'
i l " o , " s e n d i n f o r m o l i o no n S p o c e ' R o v
t e n s i t yI n f r o - R e dG o s H e o l e r s '
APPROVED SY
I
Nome -
I
AMTRICAN I
GAS
I
AssoclATloN I
TbeFirst Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,ustryCbronology
1/.
Chapter 4: "Big Names" Rally To LP-Gas
The tirst National Fire Protection Assn. pamphlet No. 58, for "Compressed gas systems (including LP-Gas) other than acetylene,for lighting
and heating" was issued.
Tappan Co. developed an insulated gas range
to utilize the fuel more economically.
Ford of Charleston, W.Va., developed a tworegulator vaporizing system in which heavy LPCas cuts were vaporized in a coil set in water.
Walter Snelling obtained reinstatementof the
Delawarecharter of American Light and Heat Co.
through payment of all past taxes and fees. The
minutes book was then found in a Minneapolis
trust vault. LP-Gas was being produced by Snelling-Petersonmethods during the precedingyears.
The Associationof Natural Gasoline Manufacturers becameNatural GasolineAssn. of America.
Frank E. Pilling, Sr., later presidentof Century
Gas Equipment Co. (now owned by MarvelSchebler Products Division of Borg-Warner
Colp.), obtained his lirst gas carburetor patent.
He worked with George Holzapfel of Richfield
Oil Co. at Long Beach, Calif. Holzapfel started
the Algas systems,the Eclipse butane carburetors
and the Roadmastersystems.Holzapfel and Barton Brown are believed to have been the first to
b u i l d p r o d u c t i o nu n i t s .
Skelly Oil Co. entered the field with Skelgas
ancl was among the lirst to recover LP-Gas exp e r i n r e n t a l l yf r o m t h e c r a c k i n g s t i l l s u s e d i n
Brand narnes commence appearing with the support
of professional promotion in the 1926-33 period of LPGas histgry. The curiosity stage was parssedas major
producers arrived on the scene. With domestic sales
patterns rapidly being refined, both gas suppliers and
equipment makers stepped up their probing of the industrial, carburetion and utility markets. By 1933 the
industry had organizedits trade association,later named
LPGA. and discovered that LP-Gas seemed to be
depression-proof.
1926
1'
'\r'
'u
As the leading natural gasoline producer, Phillips Petroleum Co. became interested in LP-Gas
and turned its extensiveresearchfacilities to the
problen.rsinvolved. G. G. Oberfell and R. W.
Thomas played prominent roles in this work.
At this time. Union Carbide sued Phillips for
allegedinfringementof its patent on the stabilizer
d c v c l o p e di n l 9 2 l . T h i s s u i t w a s s e e n l a t e r a s a
nrajor turning point becauseit shifted Oberfell's
interestfrom natural gasoline to LP-Gas and led
to the creationof the company'sextensiveLP-Gas
researchprogram. He worked with Thomas, Paul
Endacott and others in surveying the possibilities
of nrarketingLP-Gas on a large volume basis.
1927
Phillips Petroleum "turned cln the gas" for a
momentousforward leap for the LP-Gas industry.
It designedand obtained approval for specialtank
cars (a plea made eirrlier by Rockgas Co.), gained
a realistic railway freight classificationand rate,
set up bulk plants to receive tank car shipments.
arrangedfor tank truck delivery to customersand
provided a "one drunt" system for receiving
trucked delivery at the customer site.
The first tank car of butane was shipped May
3 | for city gas enrichment tests and the first tank
car fuel contract was signed in October. A bulk
plant at Hudson, Ohio, started operations Dec. -5
when tank car shipments of propane were received.
I n J u l y , t h e S h e l l O i l C o . i n t r o d u c e dS h e l l a n e ,
ir mixture of propane and propylene produced at
the Martinez and Wilmington (Calif.), refineries.
Shellanewas handled, for the most part, through
company-owned depots.
Day & Night Manufacturing Co. of Monrovia,
Calif., made the lirst concave-headbutane cylinders on the West coast.
PressedSteel Tank Co. developed a cylinder
weighing only 1.25 times the weight of the gas
contents.(Today the weight is only .7 of a pound
per pound of proPane.)
ti'-Gas po*"rbd the first train, from Lep,
Okla., to Moline, Illinois.
C o p y r i q h1t 9 5 1 b y N a t i o n a lL P - G a sC o u n c i l
LPGA Times-April. 1962
Philtips'early sales maker, issued about
because it appeared
that
1932, had a lechnical slant
in Sweei's Architecfural
may not be {amiliar lo
Calalogues.
Key letlers
newcomers are E, flexible hose, and F,
mercury seal Iow pressure sa{eiy relief.
17
Slandard Oil
fornia,
of
Cali-
Readygas mar-
keter, puls lhe date
of
this display rvindow at
Yuma,
Ariz.,
1929.
Motion
piciure
lie-in
promo-
ihealre
as
early
lions were popular ihen.
R e m F y nb e r ?
New York Blaugasand SouthernBlelugasCompanies went out of business.
LP-Gas was the fuel uscd on the epoch ntaking
world voyage of the Graf ZePPelin.
Reported production of 4,522,899 gal. was
Year
Gallons
more than was marketed in all previous years.
1922
222,641
1923
1929
Standardizationof fittings for cylinders began
276,836
to show benefits to industry.
1924
376,488
Standard of California pionecred Calol cutting
1925
403,674
gas for steel cutting irnd pre-heating.
1926
46-5,08-5
Phillips and Suburban Gas Co. (predecessorof
1927
1,091,00_5
Suburban Propane Gas Corp.) were the first to
r 928
4.522,899
introducc leaseduser storageequiprnent. Prior to
Bastian-BlcssingCo. produccd an carly autothis time uscr storelgewas sold. This was an
matic cylinder chirrging system and issued the
important developmentbecauseuntil that tinte the
first book on the industry, "Notes On Liquefied
principal marketer. Pyrofax, sold a two-cylinder
P c t r o l c u m G a s . " C h a p l i n - F u l t c l nM a n u f a c t u r i n g
manual systenr for $ 125 to $ l -50, and sold the
Co. was lirst to produce special propane rcgugasfor l6d a pound. The Phillips and Suburban
l a t o r s w h i c h a r e b a s i c a l l yt h c s a m c a s t h o s e u s e d
l e a s es y s t e m sr e d u c e dt h e i n i t i a l i n s t a l l a t i o np r i c e
today.
to $29.50 or $36.50,and gas to l0 to l2'l a
Stanclardutility gas mcters were aclapted for
pound. This put the systen.r
within thc pricc langc
L P - G a s s e r v i c cw i t h s p e c i a li n d e x e sb y t h e A n r e r i of the general consumer.
can Meter Co.
R e r n a r k a b l ei n c r e a s ei n t h e u s e o f L P - C a s b y
Reliancc Regulator Co. was taken over by
the gas industry for gas enrichment,recarburetion
American Meter Ct).
a n d d i r e c t m a n u f a c t u r eA
. t t h e b e g i n n i n go f 1 9 2 9
The start of Suburban Propane Gas C'orp. ol'
only one gas plant produced a butane-air carWhippany, N. J.
bureted gas. At the end of the year tlrere were
P h i l l i p s i n s t a l l e dt h e l i r s t b u t a n e - a i r p l a n t a t
sevensuch plants in operlticln;two under conL i n t o n , I n d . L a t e r . w o r k i n g i n d c p e n d e n t l yA. r t h u r
N. Kerr installedir comparableplant at E,l Centro.
Calif. Other plants of this type were erectcclcluring the next two years.
Union Carbide built the Iirst cylinder-filling
plant in New York.
T h i s s c a l el o a d i n g m a n ifold blueprinl cdme
Servel Co. in June introduced the lirst LP-Gas
from a Bastian-Blessing
refrigerator.
nole book issued in
Phillips, at Pontiac, Mich., mirde the first sim1 9 2 8 ,p r o b a b l y f h e e a r plified vaporizing set for dry gas used for appliliest handbookon LPances.
G a s . T h e m a n i { o l d ,l e s s
Pyrofax advertising in Saturday Evening Post
scales, tip and vent,
and Rockgas radio advertising in California did
sold for $42.50 each if
much to popularizeLP-Gas.
you boughtonly one of
StandardOil Co. of California began test marf h e 2 - c y l i n d e rm o d e l s .
keting of Readygas in the Imperial Valley area.
Shell Oil Co. started manufacturing and
distributins on the West Coast.
gasolineproduction. Pure Oil Co. was also working successfullyon this technique.
1928
The first Bureau of Mines report on LP-Gas
production gave thc following figures:
l8
LPGA Times-April, 1962
$z
t/
troleum Gas Assn.) that began its work officially
the followingyear. They were Mark Anton. then
p r e s i d e n to f S u b u r b a nG a s C o . t G e o r g eG . O b e r fell and H. Emerson Thomas. both of Phillips
P c t r o l e u r nC o . T h e f o u r t h n t a n a t t h e l u n c h e o n .
R i c h a r d H u d s o n . d i d n o t b e c o m ea f a c t o r i n t h e
association.
F i i s t p l a n t s e ; ' v i n gu n d i l u t e d u t i x t u r e p r o p a n e b ' r t a n ei n s t r l l e da t M o o r p a r k , C a l i f . , b y S o u t h e r n
C o : r n t i e sG a s C o . , L o s A n g e l c s .T h e f i r s t m o t o r
t r . l n s p o ; tt i ' a i l e rf o r L P - G a s .d c s i g n c da n d b u i l t b y
G e n c r a l P e t r o l c u n rC o r p . . w a s p l a c e d i n s e r v i c e
b y S o u t h c r n ( ' o t r n t i e st t t s t r p p l y t h c M o o r p a r k '
nlant.
A n r o n g l i r s t c l e a l c r - o p e r a t ebdo t t l i n g p l a n t sw a s
o n c o r v n e db y M a r k A n t o n . H i s t s e l v i d e r e( N . J . )
This grand{aiher of LP-Gas water pumps {or ranches was operaling
p l a n t w a s t h e I i r s t c o n t b i n a t i o nb o t t l i n g a n d p i p c d
in 1932, according fo Al9as. The gas lank can be seen at right, on
a wheeled trailer.
g a s p l i r n t .t h e l a t t e r u s i n g t h e l i r s t c o p p e r t t t r t i n s .
I n F c b r u a r y t h e l i r s t p L r b l i cs h o w i n g i n t h e
ol' a Flan.ro installation was nradc at
Northwest
s t r u c t i o n a n d l i v e n r o r e b e i n g d e s i g n c d .l - i n t o n .
t h c E u g c n c ( O r e . ) a u t t l n r o b i l es h o w . I t c c l n s i s t e d
l n d . , t h e l i r s t . h a d b c e n i n c o n t i n u o u so p c n t t i o n
o f a c a b i n e t , t w o 9 l - l b . c y l i n d e r s ,a R e g O N o '
f o r o v e r l 9 n r o n t h s .I n d u s t r i a lc l p e r a t i o nisn c l u d e d
l l 4 9 r e g u l a t o r a n d W e d g e w o o dr a n g c .
glass nrelting, nrotor block testing, diecnsting,
First tank-car ntovcntent of butane-propanc
and forging.
n
r
i
x ( ( ' a l o l I n d u s t r i a lG a s N o . l ) f r o m t h c R i c h in
selling
Flanto
Standardof California started
n r o n c lr c l i n e r y o f ' S t a n d a r d o f C a l i f o r n i a t o t h c
4 l - l b . a n d 9 l - l b . c y l i n c l e r sw
, ith lirst installation
l i r s t b u t r r n c - r r pi rl l r n t s .
n r l r d ci n A u g u s t .
The buscsof the [-tts Angcles Transit ('tl. werc
Bastian-Blessing's hanclbook of data ancl
f u e l c c lw i t h b u t i t n e .
equipment started a trend toward uniform pracDelctt introclucecla new, sinrtllilieclfornr of l-Ptices and improved safety procedures.
G
a
s ruachinc.
American Gas Assn. undertook a progranr of
M
a r k e t c d p r o d u c t i o nf o r t h c y c a r : 1 8 . 0 1 7 . 3 4 7
testingappliancesand equipmentand developrnent
gill.
of satisfactoryburners and conversion equiprnent
N G A A i n t r o c l u c c di t s f i r s t L P - G a s s p c c i l i c a 1 9 3I
to change from natural and manufactured gas to
i
o
ns.
t
LP-Gas.
N
a t i o n i r l B o t t l e d G a s A s s n . . ; l r e d e c e s s o or f
Lone Star Gas Co., Dallas, a utility, comPctrolcurtrCas Assn.' was lilrrled with
t-iquclied
menced selling LP-Gas under the Stargasbrand.
. c w a s r e - c l e c t c dt h r c c
M a r k A n t o n i r sp r e s i d c n t H
The Bureau of Mines estintateda total of 55,t
i
r
l
e
s
.
000 domestic LP-Gas custontersin the US. and
A lotill of 123 tJS citics wcre served by
reported that distribution had been extended tit
l ains.
b
u
t i r n e - a i rn t i x t u r e st h r o u g h u n d c r g r t l u n cm
all states.
a
c
i
rcular
i
s
s
u
e
d
o
f
S
t
i
r
n
d
a
r
c
l
s
The US Bureau
The first undiluted LP-Gas plant using lt vaport
r
tilizaa
n
c
l
p
r
o
p
c
l
t
i
e
s
n
r
i
t
n
u
f
a
c
t
u
r
e
.
t
h
e
o
u
t
l
i
n
i
n
g
izer system went into ttperation at Moorpark'
f o r p r e s s u r er e l i e f v a l v e s
N
e
e
d
L
P
G
a
s
.
o
f
t
i
o
n
Calif.
i n c o n t a i n e r sn o t e c l .
Marketed production for the year: 9.92-5,698
T h e L I S N a v y c l i r i g i b l cA k r o n w a s c q u i p p c d
gal.
Continucdon P. 36
1930
Fully automatic gas ranges itnnounced.
"Degree Day Heating Book" published by National Trade Journals. Inc.
The {irst liquid propane cut from refinery tops.
Spring-loadedpressure relief valve adapted to
LP-Gas.
Natural Gas Properties,Inc., was organizedby
Standardof California to supply butane-air mixtures through piped town plants in Pacific Coast
communities.Most of I7-5 plants projected were
never built, but the publicity helped many bottled
gas dealersto expand their operation. About 45
such plants were in operation by the end of the
year.
The idea for an LP-Gas trade associationwas
born in a luncheon conversation at the American
Gas Assn. convention in Atlantic City, N. J. Three A l g a s g o i a d v e r t i s i n g v a l u e a r o u n d 1 9 3 2 f r o m t h e b u l a n e l a n k t h a t
'33 lrains and
of the four men at the table founded the National w a s t o o b i g i o i n s t a l l i n s i d e i h e a u t o b o d y a n y w a y . B y
Bottled Gas Assn. (later renamed Liquefied Pe- c o n s i r u c t i o nv e h i c l e sw e r e L P - p o w e r e d .
LPGA Times-April, 1962
2l
LP-Gashistory
Continuedfrom p. 21
with LP-Gas for cooking and water heating;range
by Tappan.
CompressedCas Manufacturers Assn. formulated suggested regulations for the storage and
handling of LP-Cas.
Phillips' products pipe Iine from Borger, Texas,
to East St. Louis, Mo., started operations in
March. Many engines on the original line used
butane.
N a t i o n a l E l e c t r i cL i c h t A s s n . w a r n e d i t s m e m '
b"r, against the rising competition from LP-Gas,
"the
bcst fuel obtainablefor cooking, water heating, and refrigeration."
More than l3 million families beyond gas
m a i n s s t i l l u s i n g c o a l , w o o d , g a s o l i n e ,a n d k e r o sene for cooking and water heating.
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n :2 8 , 5 0 2 , 8 1 9g a l .
All cooking and water heating performed with
1932
propane at Olympic Village, housing for athletes
p a r t i c i p a t i n gi n t h e l O t h O l y m p i a da t L o s A n g e l e s .
D c t r o i t L a k e s G a s C o . ( n o w C o n s u m e r sG a s
C o . ) , D e t r o i t L a k e s . M i n n . , s e r v e dc i t y c o n s u m e r s
t h r o u g h p i p e l i n e s a n d r u r a l c o n s u m e r st h r o u g h
i n d i v i d u a lb u l k s t o r a g et a n k s a n d i n s t a l l e dn e t e r s
for rural custonrers,thus nraking service uniform
f o r b o t h c l a s s e so f u s e r s .
University of Californiir E,xtensionDivision an"Utilization of Liquid Gas".
nounced il coursc in
First two-piece propane cylinder introduced.
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o nf o r t h e y e a r : 3 3 , 6 3 0 , 2 3 6
gal.
1933
National Bottled Gas Assn. and Compressed
Gas ManufacturersAssn. affiliated for joint work
on common problems.Franklin R. Fetherstonwas
made secretaryof both groups.
SouthernPacilic Railway operatedtwo-car train
on butane between [-os Angeles and Santa Barbara, with Parkhill-Wade equipment. Servingsof
49 per mile over oil were claimed.
Sun Oil C-'o.equipped three refineriesto manufacture propanc and marketed the product under
"Solgas."
the name of
Bureau of Mines and Mellon Institutedeveloped
a satisfactoryodorant for LP-Gas in cooperation
w i t h P h i l l i p s f o l l o w i n g a n i n v e s t i g a t i o ni n i t i a t e d
IN EFFECTDECEMBER
sTH 1927,
NATURAL GAS IN TANKS
ON RANCHESAND COUNTRYHOMES
l'irst Tank,Complete
With Gas............929.00
Extla Tank,Complete
With Gas.....-......
24.00
Exchange
Emptyfor Full Tank ............7.00
('harse tor tnstallation
ol rank6 and adjtrstment ol aDDltances witl b€ hade on
a tihc
and nraterial basis.
TaDks may be exchanKed et El Centro or. by hardware
deoler8. In oth.r citles ln the Valley.
This is Natrrral Crs and may be used tor th6
same purpose as GaB in the clty mains,
INLAND EMPIREGASCOMPANY
'16 NORTH SIXTH STREET
"Gas
E L C E N T R O ,C A L I F .
'27.
PHONE 825
unily" was a {acior in
Inland Empire seems to have been
pushingihe natural gas iie-in, rather than explain what LP-Gas was
all about.
36
By 1932 exporls by lmperial Gas Co. (California)
were under way.
These cylinders were bound
{or Hawaii. Ten years laler Gls who
saw similar cylinders on olher islands were to wonder about "secrel
w e aD o n s " .
in 1926 by the Bureauand AGA.
Construction canlps lclr Los Angeles Metropolitan Aqueduct and Nevada's Boulder Dam
transmission line were equipped with propane
utility facilities designedand supplied by ParkhillWade Co. Mine locorlotives on the aqueduct
tunnel job wcre converted to butane, with noticeable reductic'rnin noxious exhaust odors and carbon monoxide content.
Lone Star Gas Co. equipped a Texas & Pacific
I{lt dining car with propane for cooking and
watcr heuting.
Standard Oil of California started bulk sale of
butane on a direct basis,principally for stationaly
purrping engines, farm tractors, orchard heaters
l r n d c o n s l r u c t i o nc q u i p n r c n t .
Parkhill-Wade installed a patented over-thefence, water displacementnreteredservicestation.
LP-Cas provided emergencyfuel for the natural gas utility in Long Beach. Calif., following
an earthquake.
Imperial Gas Co. exportcd the lirst cylinder of
LP-Gas to France.
LP-Gas was mnrketed in l-5 foreign countries
in 1933.
The LP-Gas industry code, adopted under the
NRA program, recognized the prinrirry import i r n c ec l f m a r k e t i n g .
LP-Gas kitchen installed 7-50 ft. underground,
at CarlsbadCavern, N.M.
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n w a s 3 8 , 9 3l . 0 0 U g a l . .
with largest increasein industry use.
t
' tt
f
't
t
['
it
,$,
Next month's TIMES will report the post-depression
progress of this depression'proof industry which was well
on the road to widespread consumer acceptance when
World War II contributed both setbacks and progress.
Substantial contributors to this chapter were, in addition
to those credited in previous chapters, American Liquid
Gas Co., Parkhiil-Wade Co., Phillips Petroleum Co. and
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Assn.
LPGA Times-April, 1962
!t
d$! !
'{*
Tbe First Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,ustryCbronologl
Chapter 5: The Years of Pre-war Growth
Whilc thc rcst ol thc nation was making a skrw ccon o n r i c r e c o v e r y t h c c l e p r e s s i o n - p r o ol -l P - G a s b u s i n c s s
c h i r r t e c !n c w h i g h s i n s a l e s a n c l o p c n e c ln e w n r a r k e t s .
M a n y a n g l c s o l ' t h c c n g i n e f u c l b u s i n e s sw c r e b c i n g
p r o b c c lb c t w c c n 1 9 3 4 a n d 1 9 3 9 . N o w - f i l n l o u sn a r r r e si n
rnarkcting wcrc t'eclingtheir wuy towarcl greatncss.
l - P a ; A c n l i r r g c cul p o n i t s h o t t l e c lg a s b e g i n n i n g st o b c "E,asy
c o l l l c l n i n c l u s t r y - w i c l cn,a t i o n - w i c l ea s s o c i a t i o n .
p a y u r c n t p l a n s " a n c l c a s h - a n d - c i t r r yc o n t a i n c r sh e l p e d
t h c i n c l u s t r yn r o v c o u t o f i t s e s t a t eo r b i t i n t o n r a s sn t c r " w < l n c l c irn c l u s t r y "a i r h u n g o v e r L P - G a s
c h a n c l i s i n gA.
r v h i c h i r t t r i r c t c cul n c w g r o u p o l l o n g - v i s i o n c cbl u s i n c s : ;
llrcn.
1934
1935
.12
'f
h c A P I - A S M E i s s u e dp r c s s u r ev c s s e lc o c l ef o r
t h c L P - G a s i n d u s t r y .a p p e a r e da s a r c s u l t o f j o i n t
c o r n r n i t t c ca c t i o n s t a r t c di n 1 9 3I b y t h c A n r e r i c a n
P c t r o l e u ml n s t i t u t e i r n c lt h c A n r c r i c a n S o c i e t yo f
M c e l l r n i e r r lE n - q i n c c r s .
PacilicGls ('onrpany, S.A., began marketing
p r o p a n cl r n c lb t i t a n ci n L - i n t a .P e r u . a n c lt h e C ' a n i r l
1,one.
P u r k h i l l - W l c i ec l e v c l o p e cul s c r v i c cs t a t i o n c l i s pcnsing l)r.lnlp,sll'cty hosc nozz.leancl "internal
o r - l t a gtca n k " v c h i c l ct a n k .
W r i g h t l n d M L r c l l e ro p e n e d l i r s t n r a r i n e L P ( i i r s s e r v i c es t i r t i o ni n S l n D i e g o , C a l i l ' .
H o n o l u l L rG a s C o . . L t c l . , b u i l t a d e n r o n s t n r t i o n
k i t c h c n o n a t r u c k t o c l e v e l o pR o c k g a sb u s i n e s s
1936
i n t h c l l a w a i i a n l s l i r n c l sa n c lt h e O r i c n t .
Rcfrigeratecltrucks I'clrperishableswcre clevclopecl, using l propanc rcfrigcrating systerl. Exp a n c l c rvl a p o r s u p p l i e ctlh e t r u c k e n g i n ew i t h f u e l .
Inclustry changeclover to spring loaded safety
v i r l v e su r f u s i b l cp l u g s i n s t c a do l ' t h i n c o p p e r c l i s c s
thirt 'uvould
r u p t u r e u n d e r e x c e s sp r e s s u r e .
P h i l l i p s P c t r ' o l c u mC o . i n a u g u r a t c ct lh e c k r n r c s l i c s c l t - s c r v i c ec a s l r - u n d - c a r rtyy p e s y s t c n t .
M u t L r l l L i q u i c l C a s u n c l E q u i p n t e n tC ' o . w a s
lirunclcclancl bcgan nraking plumbers' furnlces
lncl torches.
The lirst "[]aso" therr.nclcouple
operateclset'vicc virlvc in the lielcl,was made by Ilaltintclre
A u t o n r a t i cS h u t - O l I C ' o . .s o o n t o b e a p r o d u c t o f
M i l w a u k c e G a s S p e c i a l t yC < 1 .
M a r k e t c cpl r o d u c t i o n :4 8 . 1 7 3 , 0 0 0g a l .
H. E,ntcrsonThontiis of Phillips was clcctcd
s e c o n d p r e s i d e n to f N a t i o n a l B o t t l e d G a s A s s n .
T h e I r t t c r s t a t eC o r r m e r c e C o m m i s s i o n i s s u e d
r u l e s s o v e r n i n gt h e t r a n s p o r t a t i o no f L P - G a s b y
r a i l . h i g h w a ya n d w a t e r .
-I'oronto
Inrperial Oil's
r e f i n e r y s t a r t e c ll i r s t
( ' a n a d i a n p r o c l u c t i o no f L P - G a s .
I n s t u l l a t i o nc h a r g e sf o r L P - G a s d r o p p e d f r o m
$ 3 - 5 t o l c s s t h a n t i 1 0 . [ - o n g - t c r t t lc i t s y l l a y t t t c n t
p l i r n s i n t r o c l u c c df t r r i r p p l i a n c c s .
( ' o l . f i . A . B u r l c l l . p r e s i d e n to l ' A t l a n t i c S t a t e s
( i a s ( ' o . . i r r v u r c l c cLlu t n n r c M c c l l l b y O h i t l S t a t c
I J n i v e r s i t yl i r r - h u v i n g c l i s c o v e r c ci rl n c l c l e v e l t l p e c l
'l
c r a s h c l i u n r s u p p l y l n c l i n i t i i r t i n gt l t c u o v c r n -l-hc
A r - r r r yh i r c l a l r c l c l y
n l c n t ' s h c l i r r n rp r o s r i l n r .
g i v c n h i n r t h c l ) i s t i n g u i s h c cSl e r v i c cM c c l l r li o r t h c
sirnrcuccortrplishnrcnt.
A n c w l c i t s c l t l a n t o r b o t t l e s y s t c l l r s i. t c l o p t c c l
l r y I l o c k v M o u n t i t i t t c l c i r l c r s .a c l c l c c l1 5 . 0 0 0 t o
2 0 . ( X X )n c $ ' c r . l s t o r t t e r isn s i x t t t o n t l . t s .
Nltionitl llottlccl (lls Assn. lppointecl conln t i t t c c h e i t c l c cl lr y M c r c c l ' C i . I - a r r a r o l P y r o l a x .
t o r v o r k r v i t h A C i A o n i t t t l t r o v c l t t c not l g l s a p p l i anccellicicncy.
P a r k h i l l - W l c l eb u i l t r t n c lo w n c c lt r p t i b l i c s e r v i c c
s t i t t i o n i n L o s A n g c l e s w h i c h h a n d l e c lL P - G a s '
g a s o l i n el n i l c l i c s e l .I t w l s p o s s i b l yt h c f i r s t p r i v i t t e l yo w n c c la n c lc o n t r a c t c cLl P - G t r sI ' u c ls t a t i o n .
( l c n c r l l P e t r o l c u r t t( ' o r p . a c l r t p t c c2l 0 o i l l i c l c l
p u n r p c n g i n e st o o p e n t t eo n b t t t a n c .
C i l i l li t h ( ' o . s u v c c l a n e s t i r r t i r t e d$ - 5 0 . 0 0 0b y
r u s i n g[ r u t u n ci n t r L r c k sc l t r l i n gc o n s t r u c t i t t no f C a jalco Danr. wcstcnt tcnttinal ol thc Los Angeles
Mctropolitan Aclrecluct. l'arkltill-Wacle rllaclethc
L P - G a s s u p p l l "i n s t a l l u t i o n .
: 6 . t 3 - 5 - 5 . 0g
0a
0l .
M l r k c t c c l p r o c l u c t i o n7
( ' h i c l g o & N o r t h w c s t c r nI l a i l w a y a i r - c o n d i t i o n c c l
2 l J P u l l n r i r nc a r s . u s i n g W l u k c s h l t p r o p i t n e - o p e r l u t c c lc n g i n c s . w i t h l u l l u t i t o n t a t i c t h c r n t o s t l t i c
c o n t r o l f r o n r i n s i c l ct l r c c a r s .
'l'hotlus
rc-clcctccl ltlcsiclcnt of
H. Enrcrson
Nutionalllottled Gas Assn.
l r t t p c r i i r lG a s ( ' o . c l e v c l o p c cal n c x c h a n g eL P G i r s s c r v i c el ' o r t r - a i l c l sa l l a c r o s st h c n a t i t t n .
Thc first nrcters specilically clcsigncclfor LP( i u s u s c r v e r ep r r l c l u c c cbl y A n r c r i c a n M e t e r C o . ;
P h o t o :L o n eS t a r G a sC o .
Early nrarkeler used
"modern
merchandising," such as this gas-
equipped bus parked in a Texasfown squdre.
C o p y r i g h1t 9 6 1 , N a t i o n a L
l P - G a sC o u n c i l
L P G AT i m e s - M o y , 1 9 6 2
New Standardof California and lnrperial plants
at Huntington Beach, Calif., were equipped with
air-operatedautomirtic shut-oft valves on cylinder
charging scales.Output per man increasedgreatly.
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n : 1 0 6 . 6 - 5 2 . 0 0g0a l .
LPGA's first formal
publishing venture came
"Vol.
in 1939 with ihis
l,
No.
l"
of
sued by lhe
City
Jet, is-
New York
headquarters.
Fronf page stories were
signed by presidenf J.
Woodward
(rop)
and
Martin
ihe
lale
Walter Verkamp, a pasl
president
llotr!r
xrrrito{l
D
.
A
rf, t P.c.r
Franklin R.
then
LPGA
was lhe Jet's
(below).
Fetherslon,
secrelary,
"staff'.
1937
W a l t e r :V e r k a n r p , V e r k a m p C o r p . , C ' i n c i n n a t i ,
e l e c t e dp r e s i d e n to f N t t i o n a l B o t t l e d C a s A s s n .
C . G . O b e r f e l l , v i c e p r e s i d e n to f P h i l l i p s P e troleunr, pointed out tlrat the LP-Gas inclustryexp a n d e d l 0 O O % d u r i n g t h e d e p r e s s i o ny e a r s b e c a u s e" w e d i d n ' t k n o w w h a t c o u l c ln o t b c d o n e . "
( - r c e k n r o r eD r i l l i n g C o m p a n y w a s l i r s t M i d C ' o n t i n e n ot p e r a t o rt o u s e L P - C a s f o r d r i l l i n g o i l
'Iravelers
wells - Amerada Petroleum Corp.
No.
I w e l l , C ' o a lC o u n t y , O k l a .
Hamilton Manulacturing Co. introduccd the
l - P - G a sc l o t h e sd r y e r .
C'anadianPacilic Railway equipped l rel'r'igerator car with propane-opcratedtentperatut'ccontrol ecluipmcnt,to maintain refrigerirtingtc-rnpcr'ature in sumnter and prevcnt freezingin winter.
N a t i o n a l B o t t l e d G a s A s s n . i s s u c cal l i s t o f a p pliances approved for LP-Gas by Anterican Gus
Assn.
"Philgas"
introduceclrlnges, refriscratols. and
w a t c r h e a t e r sb e a r i n gc o n r p a n yt r a d c n t a r k .
S p o k a n eU n i t e d R a i l w a y sc o n v e r t c dr e n r a i n d e r
o l ' i t s b u s l l e e t t o a b u t a n e - ; l r o p a nner i x t u r e .
In an cllort to brcladenits field. the National
Bottled Gas Assn. started action to changc its
n a n r e t o t h e L i q u e f i e d P c t r o l c u n rG a s A s s n . i n
t937.
F-ordMotor Conrpany installed a butane standb y s y s t e ma t i t s R i v e r R o u g e ( M i c h . ) p l a n t .
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n : 1 . 1I , 2 1 0 0 , 0 0 0g a l .
2 1 1 " 4 0r r r c t c lh a v i n g i L s o l d e r e cbl r a s sc a s e ,a c a p a c i t y o f 4 0 C ' F H o l ' p r o p a n c , u n d n u m e - r o u isn d e x e s r c u c l i n gi n t h c r n r s ,c l e c i t h e r n r sp,o u n d s a n d
g i rl l o n s .
U t i l i t i c s D i s t l i b u t o l s .I n c . , P e t c l A . A n d e r s o n ,
p l e s i d e n t ,i n s t i r l l c cilt s l i r s t b u l k p l a n t t t P o r t l a n d ,
Mc.
N i r t i o n l l F i r c P r o t c c t i o nA s s n . i s s u c d i t s o a n r p h l c t o n " l { c s u l a t i o n s f ' c l rt h e D e s i g n ,C . l n s t l ' u c t i o n . a n c l C ) p c r a t i o no f A u t o n t o b i l eT a n k T r u c k s
a n d T a n k T r a i l e l s f o r t h c T r a n s p o r t a t i o no f L i c l u c l i c d P e t r c l l c r r rGt ra s . "
A 2 ( X ) - n r i l cl.J - i n .b u t a n c - p r o p r r npci p e l i n e l a i c l
'fexas
I ' r o n rE , a s t
o i l U c l c l st o u B a y t o w n ( T c x . )
rclincry.
P a l o n r a rO b s c r v a t o r yw a s e q u i p p c db y P a r k h i l l Wacle rvith butlnc-propane for domcstic use of
stall anclto heat obscrvatorybuilclingsand of ices.
U s c o t l - P - G a st o l u e l t r a c t o r si n c r e a s e dr a p i d ly in ('llifornia. Trap-wason trailers wcrc dc- 1938
U n d c r t h e i n i t i a t i v e a n d g u i d a n c co f E l l s w o r t h
vclopcd as portirble scrvice stations to care l'or
L. Mills, National llottled Gas Assn. broaclened
t r a c t o rl l c c t s i n t h c l i c l c l .
its scope to include thc entirc inclustry,changcd
Twcnty-pound (propanc caltacity) cylinders ini t s n a n r et o L i q u c l i e c lP c t r o l c u n rG a s A s s n . , a n d
troduccd for rcacly portability. Also introducccl
eflected a nterger with the fornrcr underground
w c r e 1 5 0 t o 4 0 0 l b . c o n t a i n e r sa n d t a n k s o f - 5 0t o
s y s t e m sd i v i s i o no l t h e i n c i u s t r y W
. alter Verkanrp
2,(X)0 gal. caltacity for above or bclow-ground
c o n t i n u e da s p r e s i d e n t .
ruse.Fusion welclecltanks gaincd in popr"rlarity.
Safety codes based on National Boarcl of Fire
F irst autonrirtic changc-over dcvice for "two
U n d e r w r i t e r s P a n r p h l e t 5 8 a d o p t ed b y T c x a s .
clrun.r"systcnts.
M i c h i g a n , K a n s a sa n d L o u i s i a n a .
F l c c t so i t r u c k s a n c le a r t h n r o v i n gc q u i p n r e n ti n
Arnerican Mcter Co. brought out thc lirst harclI n r p c r i a lD u n r u n c l A l l - A n t c r i c a n C a n a l p r o j c c t s ,
case nleter designedspecificallyI'ol LP-Gas.
in the Inrperial Valley of Clalil'orniir,were conP a r k h i l l - W a d ed e s i g n c da n d p u t t o g e t h e r t h e
vertcclto brrtanc.Operators noted the absenceol'
l i r s t a n d o n l y l - P - G a so p e r a t c c sl t r e l m l i n c d t r a i n .
vaprlr lock at 120 cleg.atnrclspherictemperaturc.
Continued on p. {12
C l h u r a c t c r i s t i cosf i d c a l L P - G a s r a n g e b u r n e r s
j
o
i
n
t
w e r e c l e l i n c cbl y
c o n r m i t t e eo f N a t i o n a l B o t tled Gas. ComprcssccG
l a s M a n u i a c t u r e r sa n d
'fhe
A n r c r i c a nG a s A s s n s .
1 0 0 % s a f t e ys h u t - o ( I
was recomnlcnclecl
for all pilots.
[('(] authorizeclUnion Tank Car Co. to build
1 0 0 a d d i t i o n a lf u s i o n w c l d e d t a n k c a r s f o r p r o pane, following acceptanceoi 2-5 cars previously
b u i l t o n e x p e r i m c n t abl a s i s .
US Forest Scrvice fought fire with propane
torches. Small backpack outllts were developed
P h o t o :S u n 0 i l C o
lirr backJiring by Ransonre Co. This company A n e a r l y i n d u s t r i a li n s t a l l a t i o na, l G e n e r a l S l e e l C a s t i n g C o . , E d d y irlso made a collirpsiblefield range for cooking, s i o n e , P a . , w a s s e r v i c e db y a 3 7 5 9 a l . b o b t a i l w h i c h P h i l l i p sl e a s e d
the first of its kincl.
t o S u n O i l C o . T h e g d s c a m e { r o m a M a r c u sH o o k ( P a . ) r e f i n e r y .
L P G AT i m e s - M o y , 1 9 6 2
43
History
('ontinued from p. 4,1
the City of Salina,for the Union Pacific RR. This
operationbetweenSalina, Kans.. and KansasCity,
Mo., was highly satisfactoryfor some nine yelrs
u n t i l a w r e c k d e s t r o y e dt h e t r a i n . P a r k h i l l - W a d c
s u l v i r g e dt h e 6 0 0 h p p l a n t l n d i t i s t o d a y p u n l l l i n g w a t e r a t K e l s o . C ' a l i l ' . .f o r t h e U n i o n P a c i t i c .
C'arnation ('onrpany, Los Angelcs. ctlnvertecl
a 1 9 3 6 F - o r c tl r u c k t o L P - C i a s .P e r f t l r n t a n c ew a s
s o s u p e r i t t ri n f u e l c o s t s a n d r e p a i r c ' x p e n s et h a t
t l r e e n t i r e l l e e t o f 2 1 0 v e h i c l e sw a s c o n v t - r t c c l .
/
[ - l n i v e r s i r lO i l P r o c l u c t s( ' o t t t p i t n v t l e v c l t l p c c l
c a t a l y t i c p o l y n t c r i z a t i o np r o c c s sl t l r t r l a k i n g g l s o l i n e f r o m b u t y l e n e s .p r o p y l e n e sa n d e t h y l e n c .
U n i o n O i l C o . h a d n e w p r o c c s sf o r - s e l e c t i v er c l i n i n g o l l u b r i c a t i o no i l . u s i n g p r o p l t n cs o l v e n tt o
r e n r o v eu n d c s i r a b l ei n g r e d i e n t s .
A t l a n t i c S t a t e sC a s ( ' t l . r e p o r t c di n s t a l l l t i o n o l '
9 ( X ) 9 u r c t e r e dc t l n s u t t r e b
r u l k s y s t e n r si n l i r s t l 5
r n o n t h so f t t p c r a t i o n .
M a r k e t e c lp r o c l u c t i o n :1 6 5 . 2 0I . 0 ( X )g a l .
1939
G e o r g eG . O b e r l c l l , v i c e p r e s i c l c r li tn c h a r g eo f
r e s e a r c hl ' o r P h i l l i p s P e t r t l l c u n t ' g i v e n H a n l o n
A w i t r c l b y N a t u r a l G a s t l l i n cA s s n . c l l 'A r l r e r i c a .
as a ttlonthly'
l)ulttnc-ltrrtpunellew:; establishccl
the tirst LP-Gastrade ntagazine.
S a f e t y c o d c s b i t s e c lo n N F P A P a n r p h l c t - 5 l i
a d o p t e d b y O k l a h t l r r l l r ,K c n t u c k y . A r k a n s i t s l n c l
'l'enncssee.
Pholo: Standard Oil Co. of Cali{.
''Most
saiisfactory fuel" wrote lhe user o{ this lractor converled in
1934 {or a Cali{ornia coniractor. The hundred conversionsmade {or
the firm burned 600,000 9al. in eight months.
P e t r o l a n eB u y sC h e m i c a lF i r m
Move
ln Diversification
PetrolaneGas Service,Inc., Long
Beach, Calif., in a major diversification move, has acquired the three
Coberly & Plumb companies, distributors of agricultural chemical
products in the San Joaquin (Calif.)
Valley. R. J. Munzer, Petrolane
president,announcedthe purchase.
82
,-J
Photo: Sun Oil Co'
propane when
looks like a gasoline ri9 but it held 2000 gal' of
T
r
ailmobile lank
a
n
d
i
r
a
c
t
o
r
W
h
i
t
e
l
i
'
s
a
1
9
3
4
.
i
n
O
i
l
built {or Sun
li
undercarriage.
S t a n c l a r dO i l o f ( ' a l i l o r n i a r c c o r d e d i t s l i r s t
s u l e so l ' b t i l k p r o ; r l n c l t s P r o - G a st h r o u g hd i s t r i b r r tofs.
Vltpor l)ressuredillcrential systenldevclopcclby
[ - . C ' . R o n c y ( ' o . f o r t r a n s f e r r i n gl i q u i d b e t w e e n
ancl storagetanks. First installation
trirnspctrtittitln
l t ( ' i r t e r - H L r n t e rO i l ( ' o . p l a n t . I n r p e r i a l ,C a l i l ' '
S i g n i l i c i r n tn c w u s e s l t l r L P - G a s : C h a m p i o n
Spart Pltrg ('o. usetl propanc lirr liring ccrltnlics
. ropaneuscd
t i i t n i n n t a n t r f l c t t t r i n gc l c c t r o c l e s P
I ' o r p r c l r c a t i n gr a i l c n c l s p r c p a r a t o r yt o b u i l d i n g
t r p b y c l e c t l i c w c l c l i n g .L t l s s e so f g a r l i c c r o p p r e vcntccl by clrying l'rcshly harvcsted bulbs' Fuel
costs cttt onc-third by liring lllcat-curing smoke
houseswith butane. Ricc crop lossesin California
preventcd by artificial drying. Marysville 1M-oa)
J )
Ilt'cord-Jottt-rralmelted linotype mctal with LP( ias.
LPGA Convention at Oklahoma City elected
J. Wo<ldwarclMaltin of Lone Star Gas Co' presi d en t .
A C A ' I ' c s t i n s L a b o r a t o r i c s a p p r c l v e chl e a t i n g
l p p l i a n c e sf o r L P - G a s .
U n i v c r s i t yt l f C l l i f o r n i i t o p c n e dc x t e n s i o nc o u r s e
i n b u t a n cP o w e r .
R t r s s i a ' sl l r s t I - P - ( i a s s c r v i c c s t a t i o n i n s t a l l e d
in Moscow.
l \ 4 a r k e t c cpl r o d u c t i o n :2 2 3 ' - 5 t ' 1 0 , 0 0g0a l .
Substantial contributors to Chapter 5 included Standard
Oil Co. of California, Parkhill'Wade and the early files
of [,PGA.
Chapter 6 takes the LP'Gas story through the war years
when the industry met a dozen new demands whilc
waging its own war for recognition among the material
rationing agencies- in the June TIMES.
The transactittninvcllvesa conlbination ol cash anclPetrtllanestock
t o t a l i n g a p p r o x i n r a t e l y$ l m i l l i o n .
The Coberly & Plumb colllPan i c s . w i t h a n n u a l s a l e sv o l u m e s o f
about $4 nrillion. wilt be operated
r u s w h o l l y o w n e d s u b s i d i l r r i e so f
Petrolane.The presentllranagenlent
will be retained,headeclby Wheeler
Coberly, founder ot' the first conlpany in 1946.
F a r m e r sH y d r a i a n eO P e n s
Farmers Hydratane Gits, Inc.,
Moultrie, Ga., recentlY held its
grand opening. Hill MaYs, Jr. is
president of the firm. In irddition to
handling LP-gas the comPanYwill
also serve as wholesale and retail
dealer for Phillips 66 products.The
firm has employed servicemen to
install and service all types of LPgas carburetion equiPment.
LPGA Times-MoY, 1962
TbeFirst Flfry Yearsof LP-Gas
An fnduary Cbronology
Chapter 5: War Brings Growth and Problems
Copyrighted
1961 by National LP-GasCouncil
LP-Gas shared in the boom of the early European
war phase, then went into a mixed climate of expansion
and re3triction when the US entered the hostilities. Uses
which furthered the war effort expanded; production
controls curbed other markets. By the end of '45 LP-Gas
had received valuable introductions which resulted in
tremendous expansion once wartime curbs were removed
and consumer demand could be translated into sales.
other similar installations followed in other defense industry areas.
George W. Bach of Skelgas elected president
of LPGA. National advertising campaign planned.
Stepstaken to raise $100,000 promotion fund.
Industry employed "Old Stove Round-up" program to collect scrap metal for munitions production.
Allis-Chalmers operated all new engines on
propane for preliminary "break-in" period.
Mexican airplane flew from Mexico City to
Washington, D.C., on butane.
NBFU issued Pamphlet 90, on the use of gas
in air conditioning installations.
Magnetic type constant reading tank gauge
introduced by Rochester Manufacturing Co.
Minneapolis-Moline introduced first tractor to
bc factory equipped for operation on propane.
LPGA set up first Technical and Standards
Committee to carry on earlier work of all officers
and directors.
Marketed production,462,852,000gal.
1940
ICC authorized use of deck-mounted containers
to transport butane to Puerto Rico and the Virgin
Isllnds.
Servel, Inc., produced LP-Gas all-year air conditioner for summer cooling and winter heating
with one fuel and one unit.
Army adopted LP-Gas field kitchens for use
where portability was required.
First year in which LP-Gas customerspassed
the million mark.
About 1,200 railroad tank cars for butane and
prtrpilne in service.
A rash of discriminatory ordinances,promoted
by electrical industry, broke out acrossthe coun1942
Plans for LPGA national convention cancelled
try. LPGA organized to combat the program.
and national advertising and promotion plan deFirst national directory of highway service staferred on account of war.
tions dispensingLP-Gas.
Gerber Products Co., baby food producer, inAfter years of preparation,the US Department
"Liquefied
propane system for cooking.
stalled
of Agriculture published Leaflet 191,
Propane tirnks provided instant and adequate
Gasesin the Household." It cited the faster cookpressurefor operation of air-raid-warning sirens.
ing speed with LP-Gas (88% of the time reTexas dealers and distributors formed statequired for electric cooking) and stated that 100
w
i
d
e association.
lb. of propane equals 635 kw hr of electricity.
LPGA
opened Washington office to keep govBureau of Standards published same Btu ratio.
ernment agenciesand industry in closer harmony.
Production of synthetic rubber from LP-Gas
George W. Bach reelected president of LPGA.
components (principally butane) became imporButane used to pre-heat coke ovens at Kaiser
tant as military needs increased and supply of
steel plant. Fontana, Calif., saving time in coke
natural rubber diminished.
production and producing more uniform quality.
Pacific coast section of LPGA organized the
Louisiana establisheda new regulation body,
Western Liquid Gas Assn.
Liquefied Petroleum Gas Commission.
In February, LP-Gas Magazine was started by
Moore Publishing Co., New York City.
Alabama Butane Gas Dealers Assn. organized
at a meeting in Birmingham. Cecil Gardner of
Sehna elected president.
l94l
The Japaneseattack on Pearl Harbor, Dec.7,
changed industry plans for expansion to plans for
supplying present 1,789,000 customers.
The government banned steel for cylinders.
The industry took on the job of installing standby plants in armament factories.
Newport News Shipbuilding & Drydock Co.
built 1200 homes for workers, with propane for
all cooking and water heating equipment. Many
20
The spheressaved sleel imporlant in l94l-42 when Algas used
lhis uniquelransporl design.
IPGA Times-June, 1962
Frank Peterson retired from Mid-Continent Petroleum Corp.
Franklin R. Fetherston, LPGA
secretarytreasurer, was granted a leave of absence while
on duty in the Army; Major Fetherston was assigned to the Service of Supply in Washington.
Miss Florence Jacob, his assistant,was appointed
acting secretary-treasurer.
Blood plasma for war shipment dried and
sealed by propane heat.
Marketed production, 585,440,000 gal.
L943
1944
A dozen LP-Gas companies supplied essential
industries in Easton, Pa., for 12 days following
the explosion and fire which destroyed Metropolitan Edison Co.
Underground storage, to conserve 25 million
cubic feet of natural gas a day, approved for
Southern California. This was forerunner of underground storage program of LP-Gas.
Louis Abramson, Jr., elected president of
LPGA.
Hanlon Award of NGAA went to Frank P.
Peterson, for outstanding accomplishment in the
early development of the LP-Gas industry.
A large number of trucks in the Minnesota
iron range was converted to propane.
James E. Pew was named assistantdirector and
later director of the natural gas and natural gasoline division of the Petroleum Administration for
War. Paul K. Thompson moved from War Production Board to serve as chief of the LP-Gas
section.
On Dec. 13, LPGA authorized a 935,000 contract for publicity work for the association and
the LP-Gas industry.
WPB authorized construction of 100.000 domestic vegetable dehydrators.
Farm survey showed 20,000 tractors in San
Joaquin Valley, Calif., converted from gasoline to
LP-Gas.
Central heating of emergency war housing with
LP-Gas began to assume large importance as it
load builder. Industrial applications were expanding in number, especiallyin outlying plants making war materials.
Marketed production, 675,233,0O0gal.
George R. Benz, Phillips Petroleum Co., warned
that butane is on its way out of the domestic
market. becauseof its usefulnessas chemical raw
material. He advised the industry to make all new
storage tanks suitable for propane, even where
butane was still available.
Shortageof domestic fuel again became critical.
Additional storage of summer surplus recomrnended.
A. N. Kerr predicted the industry would sell
5,260,000,000 gal. in 1950, and showed that
enormous summer storage would be necessaryto
meet winter demand.
Louis Abramson. Jr.. and other 1943 LPGA
officers reelected for 1944.
War Department ordered construction of 400
new high pressuretank cars.
L P G AT i m e s - ) u n e , 1 9 6 2
usually buili in off-mains areas De{ense housing m a r k e l f o r L P - G a sw h i c h w a s e n c o u r a q e di n w a r l i m e .
was a new
Dominion National Gas Co. at Bradford, Ont.,
Canada, constructed 26 emergency propane storage tanks by capping 24-in. seamlesssteel tubes,
each 425 ft. long.
WPB announced that electric ranges fail three
times as frequently as gas ranges.
Disastrous brush lire outside of Santa Monica,
Ceilif., burnt dozens of homes, but left propane
cylinders intact with no explosions or loss of
product.
The Alabama Circuit Court, having reexamined
earlier decisions and the priniciple followed by
courts and commissions in other states, ruled that
Green's Fuel, Inc., was not a public utility.
Limited production of civilian durable goods,
including gas appliances,resumed on spot basis.
The Hanlon Award was presented to Meinhart
H. Kotzebue, president of Gasoline Plant Construction Co. of Houston.
Marketed production, 1,060,156,000 gal.
1945
A
Japan surrendered and all war restrictions were
abolished. Industrial and chemical consumption
dropped and domestic consumption boomed. All
tank car restrictions revoked.
Use of LP-Gas by utilities increased 138%
during the war. Appliance sales were off to a
llying start with new model ranges being 11own
t o k e y d e s t i n a t i o np o i n t s .
Dr. Walter O. Snelling was appointed a member of the Control Commission for Germany, US
Group.
Continuedon p. 37
{ew planls cropped
up, even in produciion
large new markels coniribuling
conirol days, lo serve
to the war efforl.
21
History
Continuedfrom p. 21
Flame cultivation expanded. Earlier tests in
cotton and sugar cane fields showed great reduction of cost of controlling weeds.
National LP-Gas Institute organized in Tulsa.
Okla., to train technical and ."iui.. men for the
industry.
In 194-5,LPGA resumed its national conventions and trade shows interrupted by the war.
Major Fetherstonreturned as executivesecretary.
Ernest Fipnin was electedpresident.
At the fall LPGA meetingit was voted to move
the associationheadquartersfrom New York to
Chicago. Howard D. White was employed as
executive vice president.
National Butane-PropaneAssn. was formed by
a group of LPGA members who were dissatisfied
with some membership and voting provisions as
they then stood in LPCA's constitution.With the
support of John Locke of Minneapolis and others,
the new organization opened headquarters in
Minneapolis with Elwin E. Hadlick as executive
secretaryand J. Richard Verkamp as president.
A program of consumer education, merchandising and promotional functions was projected.
Suburban Propane Gas Corp. was formed to
acquire Mark Anton's Suburban Gas Co. and the
13 eastern retail properties of the Phillips pe-
troleum Co. The formation of this new company
and issue of 590,000 common shares represented
the first Wall Street recognition of the growing
LP-Gas industry.
The Hanlon Award for 1945 was presented
to James E. Pew of Sun Oil Co.
Marketed production, 1,276,766,000 gal.
Major sources for this chapter were the files of
Parkhill-Wade, Suburban Propane Gas Corp. and LPGA.
In Chapter 7 you will read of the days of rapid expansion following the end of World War II when LP-Gas
became the wonder of the business world, showing the
most rapid gains of any industry.
BusCounf Down,LPGA SurveyShows
An LPGA survey covering approximately 85o/o of the
LP-gas-usingbus lleetsshows the vehicle count for 196 I
to be at 2356, down from the last survey total of 2425.
Most of the other items in the operating characteristics
survey are also down, except the miles-per-gallon figure,
which now stands at 3.64, the most economical since
l9-56. Factory equipped units represent 82.4o/oof the
lleet.
The total amount of product used by buses showed up
trt 32.676,147 gal., a slight declinefrom the record 1960
h i r : ho f 3 . 3 m i l l i o ns i l l .
QUALITY
CHECKPtlIl{T
Quality control at Union Texas Petrol e u m i s o u r c o n s t a n tc o n c e r nt h r o u g h out the process of manufacturing,
s t o r a g ea n d d i s t r i b u t i o n. . . f r o m f e e d stock to final delivery
. TEXGAS
d e a l e r s t, h e r e f o r ec, a n b e s u r e t h a t t h e
p r o d u c tt h e y m a r k e tw i l l p r o d u c es a t i s f ied customers, without exception.
Q u a l i t yc o n t r o la t t h e s o u r c eo f s u p p l y
m e a n s p r o fi t a b l e c u s t o m e r s a t y o u r
p o i n t o f s a l e . T E X G A Sh a s a p l a c e i n
y o u r p r o fi t p i c t u r e . A s k y o u r U n i o n
TexasPetroleumrepresentativeto show
\
you how.
Texqas
I
LtN I o N ^TH:5*=.,r.F..T.no LEu n r
ENTERPRISE
For more inlormqtion write 6ll
L P G AT i m e s - ) u n e , 1 9 6 2
BUILDING
TULSA.
OKLAHOMA
on Reply Ccrd
37
TbeFirsr Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An fnd,ustrl Cbronologl
Chapter 7: Sharing in Post'war Progress
C o p y r i g h1t 9 6 1 b y N a t i o n a lL P - G a sC o u n c i l
l n t h i s f i v e - y e a r p e r i o d ( 1 9 4 6 - - 5 0 )L P - G a s r u o v e d
into nequsing fields which a decadelater would provide
substantialloads. At the sanre tinre this period saw the
beginningsof such diverse facets of industry ir.nprovement as underground storage, water hauling, industrywide promotion and systematic training. At the same
time the customerswere unleirshingtheir pent-up buying
power which had been building through the years of
wartime restriction.By l9-50 LP-Gas was truly big busiNCSS.
s e n t e di t s H a n l o n A w a r d t c l W i l l i a n r K . W a r r e n .
presidentof Warren Petroleum Clorp., in recognition of his sponsorship and financing of a tremendousstorageprogram.
Lang Motor Company's Long Beach (Calif.)
bus operertioncompletedten nrillion miles on LPG a s , s a v i n g $ l - 5 0 , 0 0 0i n e n g i n em a i n t e n a n c e .
There were 4130producing plants in 22 states,
with 40 recovery plants under construction or
projected.
T'allent H. Ransoure was elected LPGA president.
Developrrent of tobacco curing equipment
opcnedup big. new rnarketfor LP-Gits.
Use of l-P-Clasby utilities doubled in the year;
nrotor fuel use reached 100,000,000gallons.
Marketed production, 2,209,791,000 gal.
NFPA analysisshowed ten times as many lircs
from electrical causes as from gas and that
included both utilities ancl LP-Gas.
Automatic hone laundry and autornatic dishwashers welcomed as creators of demand for
more hot water.
Socony-Vacuum entered LP-Gas east coast
Kenneth Koach elccted president of LPGA.
marketingwith Mobil-Flanrc scrvicc tcl consumers 1948
Virginia Bcach (Va.) Gas Co., installed an
from Maine to South Carolina.
LP-Cas-utility
system,laying copper mains as inThree out-of-four orders fclr new Hall-Scott
suranceagainstsalt water corrosion.
truck enginesspecifiedLP-Gas carburetionequipKenneth R. D. Wolfe, Fisher Governor Co.,
ment.
headed thc Educational Committee of LPGA,
LP-Gas Rcscarch Conrnrittee of the National
which instituted thc sectionalservice schoolsthat
ClonservationBureau publishedpanrphletson safe
later proved so valuablc to industry men across
o p e r a t i o n si n t h e L P - C a s i n d u s t r y .
the country.
Carter Oil Co. described results of five ycars
Indiana Public Service('ontntission stated that
o f e x p e r i m e n t a lw o r k i n s t o r i n g s c v e r a l m i l l i o n
the LP-Gas dealer businessbeirrs no relation to
gallons of sunrmer surplus LP-Gas underground
a p u b l i c u t i l i t y o p e r i r t i o n .L P G A p a r t i c i p a t e di n
in depletcd oil lields. This was more econontical
the casc.
and safer than above ground tank storage.HowNGAA conceived the idea of acquainting the
ever, the product had to be re-refinedto remove
p u b l i c w i t h o r i g i n sa n d f u n c t i o n so f t h e p r o d u c i n g
other petroleum products rnerging with the LPbranch of thc industry. lirst by nreansof an eduGas.
c a t i o n a l m o t i o n p i c t u r c . S u b s e q u e n t l yi n v e s t i g a ICC regulationsamended to permit use of fut i o n i n d i c a t e da n a t i o n a lp u b l i c i t y p r o g r a m w o u l d
sion welded cylinders with longitudinal seanrs.
have greater nterit becauseeducation and promoThere were now 3.5 million LP-Cas homeri
and 763 million gallonsused domestically.
t i o n o f s a l e sc o u l d b o t h b e a c c o m p l i s h e d .
LPGA opened its new Chicago office with a
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n ,2 , 1 3 6 , 8 O 1 , 0 0 0g a l .
total of 77 paid membershipswith Howard White
After a legal battle of three years' duration,
as executive vice president and F.R. Fetherston 1919
an Arizona court decided that LP-Gas is not subas vice presidentof the technicaldivision. C-'harles
ject
to the state's Corporation Commission conO. Russellwas electedpresident.
t r o l a s a p u b l i cu t i l i t y .
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n , 1 , 7 0 - 5 , 2 8 2 , 0 0g0a l .
Cylinder deliveriesby airplane preventedhard1947
Warren Petroleum Corp. built the SS Natalie
ships in Montana rural homes isolated by the big
A. Warren, first ocean-goingtanker built especialblizzard which closed some mountain roads for
ly for LP-Gas. Design included 80 tanks with a
three months.
t o t a l c a p a c i t yo f 1 , 3 8 6 , 0 0 0g a l .
Frances E. Rice, vice president of Phillips
LP-Gas distributors supplied emergency servCompany. received the Hanlon Award
Petroleum
ice to Rutland, Vt., when flood destroyed the
pioneering
in superfractionationand for esfor
local utility gas plant.
tablishing the first research laboratory devoted
LP-Gas clothes dryers were introduced.
exclusivelyto the study of the properties of natThe Natural Gasoline Assn. of America pre-
1916
LPGA Times-)uly, 1962
l9
trral gast-rline
and LP-Gases.
A course in gas fuel technologywas established
at SouthernTechnical Institute, a unit of Georgia
Institute of Technology under LPGA sponsorship.
S. G. Darling was electedLPGA president.
T h e B u r e a uo f M i n e s p u b l i s h e dt h e f i r s t r e g i o n a l
breakdownof LP-Gas sales.
National LP-Gas Council founded. Through the
joint efforts of LPGA, GAMA and NGAA the
N a t i o n a l C o n r n r i t t e ef o r L P - G a s P r o n r o t i o n l a t e r n a n t e dt h e N a t i o n a l L P - C a s ( - o u n c i l- w a s
o r g a n i z e di n t h e f a l l . T h e t h r e e i n d u s t r y a s s o c i p t i o n s f o r m u l a t e da c o n r b i n e da d v e r t i s i n ga n d e d u c a t i o n a lp r o g r a m .J o h n P a n k o wo f D e t r o i t M i c h igan StoveCo. was electedpresident.Unfortunately Mr. Pankow died shortly before the first full
m e e t i n go f t h e N a t i o n a l C o r n m i t t e es c h e d u l e df o r
November; his post was filled by Lee A. Brancl of'
E m p i r e S t o v eC o . T h e N a t i o n a lC o m m i t t e er a i s e d
$265,882 in lessthan a year through the efl'orts
o l B r a n d , L P G A p r e s i d e n tD a r l i n g a n d m e n r b e r s
a n d s t a f l s o f t h e t h r e e s p o n s o r i n ga s s o c i l t i o n s .
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o nf o r t h c y e a r w l s 2 , [ J 3 6 , - 5 9 9 , 0 0 0g a l .
1950
Clonferenco
e f W e i g h t s a n d M e a s u r e so f l i c i a l s
a d o p t e d u n i f o r n r s t a n d a r d sf o r n r e a s u r e m e not l
L P - G a sb y t h e p o u n d a n d g a l l o no l ' l i q u i d a n d t h c
c u b i c f o o t o f g a s i n c u l m i n a t i o no f L P G A w o r k .
R a i n - m a k i n gm e t h o d u s i n g L P - G u s t o v a p o r i z c
s i l v c r i o d i d ec i r n r ei n t o u s e .
Portable crop dryers offered savingsfor farmers
and summcr volunre for LP-Gas distributors.
Chicago Transit Authority ordered -500LP-Gas
p a s s e n g eb
r u s e s u s i n g P a r k h i l l - W a d ee q u i p n t e n t .
Warren PetroleumCorp. built a barge for transportation of LP-Gas from Gulf C-'oastproduction
p l a n t s t o p o i n t s a l o n g t h e I n t e r c o a s t aC
l anal ancl
lower MississippiI{iver system.
Milwaukee taxicab 1leet of 279 vehicles converted to LP-Gas.
There were an cstinrated 7.500,0(X) LP-Gas
i n s t a l l a t i o n so n f a r m s a n d i n s u b u r b s .A p p r o x i r n a t e l y4 , 0 0 0 b u l k p l a n t sw e r e i n o p e r a t i o n .
Tractor conversionkit salesequalled nrore than
22o/o of the total donresticshipment of wheelecl
farm tractors.
D e c e n t r a l i z a t i oonf m a n u f a c t u r i n gi n d u s t r i e st o
l o c a t i o n sb e y o n d t h c g a s m a i n s b o o s t e di n d u s t r i a l
r r s u u eo f L P - C a s .
Pargas Nef Earnings Rise
The net income of Pargas Inc.,
Waldorf, Md., for the first quartel
1 9 6 2 w a s $ 1 6 6 , 6 3 8 ,l n i n c r e l s c
of 11.5% over the same oeriod in
1 9 6 1 .C u r r e n tt i r s tq u a r t e ie a r n i n g s
were equivalent to 27p per share
o n t h e 6 1 6 , 8 0 0 s h a r e so u t s t a n d i n g ,
a 5oo/oincreaseover '6 l.
S a l e si n t h e q u a r t e rw e r e $ 1 , 2 0 0 . 000, an increarseof 41.1% over
last year's correspondingperiod.
2A
Conlributions 1o the
newlv born
National
Commillee
{or
LP-Gas
Promolion are showered on ihe then chairman. lhe lafe John Panlow, at an early meefing of the Committee.
L P G A a n d K a n s a sS t a t eC ' o l l e g cc o n d u c t e dt h c
l i l s t s e r v i c es c h o o ld e v o t c dc x c l u s i v e l yt c l L P - G a s
a s a n e n g i n el u c l . T h e a s s o c i a t i o na l s o d e v e l o p e d
a nrocJel LP-Gas cclntainer law subsequently
acloptedin severalstrtes.
L e e B r a n d t o l d t h e L P G A c o n v e n t i o nt h a t t h e
PronrcltionC-ommitteewas ready to go into operi r t i o n a n d t h a t t h e l i r s t a d v e r t i s i n gw o u l d a p p e a r
t h a t s u n r n r e ri n s o m c - 5 0c o n s u n r c ra n d i n d u s t r i a l
nrirgirzines.
T h e l i r s t L P G A D i s t i n g u i s h c dS e r v i c c L i f e
M e n r b e r s h i pa w a r d w c n t t o M a r k A n t o n i n r e c o g n i t i o n l o r h i s c a r l y c l l i r r t s i n t h e o r g a n i z a t i o no l '
t h c i n d u s t r y .P e t c rA . A n d e r s o nw a s e l e c t e dp r e s i clent.
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n .3 , 4 u 2 . - 5 6 7 , 0 0 g
0al.
Major sources of events noted here are the files of
I,PGA and the National Council, the industry's trade
magazinesand the firms whoseachievements
are reported.
In Chapter 8 the industry chronology will be carried
well into the 1950swhen the promise of earlier days was
being realized <ln all fronts of marketing and technology.
I t P - G Acso .
N e w - m a r k e t eSrc h o o l s
P l a n n e di n S o u t hC a r o l i n a
Carl R. Dickert, state fire nrarshal in South Carolinerand head of
LP-gas activity there, has planned
classesfor new dealersentering the
industry.
Dickert estimateshe will conduct
four sessionsa year, using state regulations and Panrphlet58 as his
t e x t s . E s t a b l i s h e dd e a l e r sw i l l a l s o
be welcome.
L P G AT i m e s - ) u l y , 1 9 6 2
TbeFira Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,ustryCbronology
Chapter 8: The Upward Pace Quickens
C o p y r i g h1t 9 6 1 b y N a t i o n a lL P - G a sC o u n c
T h e s e l 9 5 l - , 5 5 y e a r s s a w a m e r g e ro f a l l t h e f a c t o r s
that spell successfor an industry and during them LPGas virfually doubled its already multi-billion gallon
volume. Consunrerspendingcontinued high, even without the extra impetus of the Korean action nnd its econonric side-eflects.The motor fuel market attractedsupport from both highway and industry truck makers. Inside the industry underground storage contributed its
solution to the seasonalsalesproblem while increasingly
successlulpromotion added new customersand new gallonage.
1951
T h e N a t i o n a l B u t a n e - P r o p a n eA s s n . d i s c o u n tinued its activitiesand its mernbersbeganjoining
LPGA.
LPCA's Distinguished Service Life Membership went to Mercer C. Farrar for meritorious
service to the industry in developmentof technical sttrndardsand the promotion of safety. Foster
N. Mabee was electedpresident.
A Council consunrer survey showed that the
nunrber of people in LP-Gas markets understand"LP-Gas"
ing the generic term
and what it does
as a fuel had increasedfrom an average3",,10of
lVo Io 42o/r, in two years clf Council operation.
T h e C o u n c i l p r o n r o t c dt h e p u b l i c a t i o no l ' s e v e r a l l a r g e e d i t o r i a l f c a t u r e s e c t i o n si n s t a t e a n d
regionalfirrm papers.
T h e 1 9 5 2 H a n l o n A w a r d w c n t t o T h e o d o r eW .
L e g a t s k io f P h i l l i p sP e t r o l e u r lC o .
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o nl b r t h e y e i t r w a s 4 , 4 ' 7 7 , 379.000gals.
s e r e e s t i m a t e da t 8 . T o t a l L P - G a si n s t a l l a t i o nw
0 0 0 , 0 0 0 a n d b u l k p l a n t s a t 4 , - 5 0 0 .M o r e t h a n l , 000 buseswere operatingon LP-Gas.
The National LP-Gas Council secured and
publicized ir statementfronr Secretaryof Interior
"summer
storagefill-up" by LPChaprnan urging
Gas custonters.
First dealer-ownedundergroundstoragecirvern
cornpletedby General Gas Corp., Baton Rouge,
La.
Several portable crop dehydratrtrsappearedon
First four-wheelframelesstrailer for transporta- 1953
t
h
e
market.
tion of LP-Gas rnade by Superior Tank & ConA
n e s t i n . r a t eldO % o f t o t a l L P - G a s s a l e sw e r e
struction Co.
for
engine
fuel; the ligure was bclieved to be as
the
help
Phillips
Petroleurn
Co.
With the
of
high as 5g /r, in certain sectionsof the South and
Council launcheda progran to promote adequate
Southwest.
consumer storage.The Council also published its
Manufacturers of industrial tractors and lift
fi rst consunrerbooklet.
trucks
became interested in LP-Gas and several
reArthur N. Kerr and George G. Oberfell
factory equippedmodelswere nrarketed.
ceived the LPGA Distinguished Service Life
Railroadsstudiedreports of cost saving in llame
M e m b e r s h i p sW
. . S . L a n d e r w a s e l e c t e da s s o c i a weeding
of right of ways.
tion president.
Fifteen
LP-Gas production plants with a ycarly
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n r o s e t o 4 , 2 2 7 , 2 15 , O O O
capacity of 5-50.000,000gals. were added during
gals.
the year.
A new sea-goingbarge. the lirst designedex1952
Twenty-six producing and distributing companies by this year had planned or completed a
c l u s i v e l yf o r L P - G a s , w a s l a u n c h e dt o b e g i n s e r v ice to Florida and Cuba.
total of 77 underground storage projects with an
As the result of an industry study by LPGA
aggregatecapacityof 246,204,000gals.
which wirs forwarded to the ICC through the
Phillips Petroleum Co. completed LP-Cas pipe
CompressedGas Assn. and the Bureau of Exline fronr its Borger (Tex.) plant to the Chicago
plosives,the requirement for retesting ICC cylinarea.
d e r s w a s e l i m i n a t e d .V i s u a l i n s p e c t i o nw a s s u b International Harvester Co. and Reo Motors,
s t i t u t e df o r r e t e s t i n g .
Inc., brought out the first production ntodel trucks
Howard White, C.J. McAllister, H. Emerson
factory-equippedto burn LP-Gas.
Thomas and Peter A. Anderson met with the FedICC extended lO-year retest period for cyline r a l C i v i l D e f e n s eA d m i n i s t r a t i o n ' sN a t i o n a l A d d e r st o l 2 y e a r s
visory Committee on Emergency Feeding. McLP-Gas accountedfor approximatelyhalf of all
Allister was appointed LPGA representativeon
liquids produced at natural gasolineplants.
the committee. An LP-Gas demonstrationby McSix manufacturers produced factory equipped
Allister convinced federal olTicialsof the value of
LP-Gustractors.
the fuel for emergencvas well as normal houseMarked gains reported in the use of LP-Gas for
hold use.
crop dehydration, tobacco curing and irrigation.
L P G AT i m e s - A u g u s t , 1 9 6 2
25
The
1955 alomic
energy-civil
de{ense lests showed lhal
large and
small LP-Gas conlainers will be available to serve posi-atiack needs.
around
lhe
bulk tan!
is {rasmenls
of
a
sheet-metal fill
ISrj:tt"r
M.L. Trotter was electedLPCA president.
Council advertising appeared regularly in 50
publications to reach the small town, farm and
suburban markets. Total CounciI expendituresin
the lirst three years of operation totalled more
than one million dolltrrs.
Marketed production for the year was 4,932,009,000 gals.
1954
Use of LP-Gas for house heating nroved northward with the installation of larger dealer and
customerstoragefacilities.
Companiesconverting lift trucks to LP-Gas included Lockheed Aircraft, Johns-Manville, Cerber Foods, Ford Motor and many others. Elintination of exhaust fumes was a rnajor factor in
theseconversions.
With LP-Gas servicestationsbecoming a ntore
familiar sight along the highways, the ICC re-
fu.:"ffi",''s.
krcIi
qr
A l i h o u g h e l e c l r i c l i n e s a r e o b v i o u s l yv u l n e r a b l e i o A - e n e r g y L P - G a s
was rerdy to cool the post-blaslmeals. LPGA membersworled on
t h e e q u i p m e n l t e s t a n d m a s s{ e e d i n g p r o l e c l s .
,,,r.|
26
ported that the LP-Gas fuel system was safer than
systemsused with the other two major fuels.
The total LP-Gas water fleet included two
ships, three dual cargo ships, four propane barges
(two of thenr sea-going)and one butane barge.
"Ihe
Hanlon Award went to Geoge P. Bunn of
Phillips PetroleumContpany.
A demonstration by C. J. McAllister at the
Stall College Civil Defense Training Center at
Olney, Md., led to federal certificationof LP-Gas
for civil defense feeding and hospital operations
and for its stockpiling for emergency use. All
areas of the industry were organizedto wclrk with
local and regionaldefenseorganizations.
Rotation of Council presidents among producer, appliance and equipment manufacturers
and marketer segmentsof the industry was intrugurated.
The National LP-Gas Council was incorporated
under its own management under thc laws of
lllinois.in order to:
l. Enable the Council to carry on its functions
entirely through its own resourcesand make it
solely responsiblefor its own acts.
2. Achieve a better organization.
3. Protect from future criticism any one of the
participatinginterestswhich might be askedotherwise to assume any substantialresponsibility of
nranagementas was originally asked of LPGA.
4. Maintain a smooth balance among the somewhat differing viewpoints of distributors, equipnrent and appliancemanufacturersand producers.
It moved to its own quarters, and ended its
previous public relations servicesto LPCA which
had been in exchangefor clerical services.James
E. Pew of Sun Oil Co. was named the first Council
president under the new setup. Lee Brand was
oflicially commendedfor his four years of Council
leadershipas president.
The Council publicized mass feeding tests conducted in Chicago by the Chicago Civil Defense
Corps in which LP-Gas cooking applianceswere
"Dream
used. It also set up and publicized a
Kitchen" at the National Plowing Contest irnd two
all LP-Gas homes at the ResearchVillage project
sponsoredby U.S. Gypsum Co.
The Order of Ancient Gasserswas formed at
a Chicago meeting May 9. The social group of
veteran LP-Gas men was establishedby an organizing committee headed by Charles Russell of
'l-hernrogas
Co., who becamethe Ancient Gassers'
first chief officer. Other organizers were Frank
Carpenter, United Petroleum Gas Co., Ernest
Fannin, then of Fannin's Gtts & Equipment Company; Paul Shannon, Standard Oil Co. of California; Norman A. Evans, Pressed Steel Tank
Co.; K. H. Koach, Green's Fuel, Inc., the late
Walter Verkamp, Verkamp Corp.; Louis Abramson, Jr., then of Petrolane Gas Co., Peter A.
Anderson, Cargo-Guard Co., and K. R. D. Wolfe,
Fisher Governor Co. A minimum of 20 years of
service to the industry was required for membership, to rise to 25 vearsin 1964.
Continuedon p.48
LPGA Times-August, 1962
Industry History
LP-gasquality
Continuedfrom p, 26
Continued from p. l8
W. R. Sidenfaden was elected LPGA president.
Marketed production for the year was 5,125,533,000 gal.
1955
The 17.2o/aannual gain in saleswas the largest
in the industry history to this date and pushed the
total annual marketed production past the six
billion gallon mark.
More than a quarter of a million LP-Gas tractors were reported in use; in some areasthey were
outselling gasoline or diesel units l0 to one.
LP-Gas came into use for uranium refining.
/
LP-Gas containers, equipment and appliances
were exposed to the heat, blast and radiation of
an atomic explosion in the government's Operation Cue at the Nevada proving grounds. lmmediately after the explosion, all the itenrs were in
perfect functioning order and ranges were used
to cook meals for the test personnel.W. D. Cook
of Suburban Propane was chairman of the engineers subcommittee of LPGA's Technical and
StandardsCommittee. C. J. McAllister of Pargas
headed the mass feeding team.
LPGA TIMES published its first issue.
C. J. McAllister elected LPGA president.
Superior Tank & Construction Co. made the
first use of T-1 steel in the manufacture of LpGas transport tanks.
Kenneth R. D. Wolfe, vice president of Fisher
Governor Co., became president of the Council
following the death of James Pew. Robert Borden
resigned as Council secretary and was succeeded
shortly afterwards by George J. Schulte, Jr. as
managing director.
The Council began a "grass roots" public relations program including tailored releasesto Home
Demonstration Agents, more than 5,500 women
radio program directors and radio farm directors,
and an LP-Gas promotion news letter was
launched.
A consumer motivation study conducted by the
Council showed that customers preferring Lp-Gas
ranges over electric cited: l) faster cooking with
the hot blue flame, 2) more economical operation
and 3) no worry of service interruption because
ol power failure.
Marketed production for the year was 6,635,763,000 gal.
Maior sourcesfor this chapter have been LPGA and
National LP-Gas Council files, records of the Ancient
Gassersand publicationsof governmentalagenciesconcernedwith the atomic €{rergyand civil defensetests.
Next month's installment brings the industry chronology up to the 50th aruriversary.It will be the final
chapter of the history prepared by the National LP-Gas
Council and publishedexclusivelyby LPGA TIMES.
History commentaryby J. Woodward Martin, p. 53
48
G
o
=
z
F
o
UILD
SEVEREVERYSEVERE
F i 9 . I A n t i k n o cbke h a v i oor{ L P - 9 afsu e l s .
90.5
PROPTTE}IE
50 Z PROPYLEIIE
Z PROPANE
1006
rf,
PROPANE
t 0 tI
40
60
50
z EurAllE
SUTANE
90.?
F i g , 2 E n g i n e s e v e r i t y r e s i s l a n c ep r o p e r l i e s o { { u e l s ( S O N } .
scale.The significantobservationis that the lines of constant antiknock value have a substantiallysteeperslope
than those shown in Figure 2. All LP-gas will be upgraded somewhat under less severe engine conditions.
The reasonslor the high severity levels of some LPgas engines are not now apparent but there are undoubtedly a number of contributing factors. Such engines,for
the most part, are factory adaptationsof gasolineengines
and this may be the chief reasonsince the peculiar antiknock sensitivity characteristics of LP-gas probably
require features not now present in gasoline engines.
Pending the development of better LP-gas engines,we
are faced with the problem of describing satisfactoryfuels
for those engineswhich are presently in existence.So let's
take a look at the antiknock characteristicsof presently
marketed products as related to their vapor pressures
and see how they compare with the current ASTM D1835 specilication limits. In Figure 4 we present our best
estimate of the boundary curve (outer envelope) which
would include all currently marketed products, irContinued on p. 51
LPGA Times-August,
1962
TbeFirst Fifry Yearsof LP-Gas
An Ind,utry Cbronologl
Chapter 9: Fifty Years Young
C o p y r i q h1t9 6 I b y N a t i o n aLl P - c a sC o u n c i l
As the industry prcpared to celebratethe golden anniversary of Dr. Walter O. Snelling'sinitial installation
the LP-Gas businesswas still demonstratingthe vigor
o f y o u t h . W i t h g a l l o n a g ea t t h e l O - b i l l i o n m a r k i n
1 9 6 1 , p r e d i c t i o n sw e r e h e a r d o f d o u b l e t h a t v o l u m e b y
1980. These predictions did not anraze knowing LPGassers who were seeing the shifts in such economic
factors as transportaticln- more pipelines and larger
road and rail hauling units - and the spurt in promotional work - by rlarketers and suppliers individually
a n d c o l l e c t i v e l yt h r o u g h t h e N a t i o n a l L P - G a s C o u n c i l .
Among the "rrew" uses were those bringing LP-Gas
into the power tield through such developmentsas the
fuel cell and thernroelectricgeneration.A further evid e n c e o f a w e l l e s t a b l i s h e dL P - G a s i n d u s t r y w a s t h e
i n c r e a s i n gi n t e r c s ta n l o n g t h c f i n a n c i a lc o n r n r u n i t y .
B y 1 9 6I D r . S n e l l i n g ' sp o i n c e r h o o k - u p h a d m u s h r o o n r e d i n t o a p p r o x i n t a t e l yI 3 n r i l l i o n i n s t a l l a t i o n si n
t h e U S a l o n e . L P - G a s w u s s t i l l a " w o n d e r " i n d u s t r yb u t t h e w o n d e r w a s n o t c a u s e db y s u c h a s p e c t sa s " b o t t l e d h e a t " b u t b y i t s s e e n r i n g l yl i n r i t l e s sr n a r k e t sa n d t h e
s t e a d yg a i n si n i t s r a n k i n gi n t h e f u e l b u s i n e s s .
-
1956
Severc drouth in thc Southwestincrcascdden r a n d f o r L P - G l s t o b u r n s p i n ef r o m p r i c k l y p e a r
c a c t u st o n r a k ci t e d i b l eb y c a t t l e .
A s p h a l t a g g r c g a t ed r y i n g w i t h L P - G a s o p e n e d
a ncw nrarkct.
Undcrground storage capacity totalled nearly
onc billion gallons and anothcr one-third of a
billion gallons capacity was planned or under
construction.
Industry action started to obtain approval of
a n u n i n s u l a t e dt a n k c a r f o r t r a n s p o r t i n gL P - G a s .
A National LP-Gas Council market pattern
survey among LP-Gas dcalers showed that the
current I-P-Gasmarket was approxin.rately
divided
into 409tc on farms. 40oZ in small towns and
20o/oin suburbs.Dealcrs cxpectcdthe future ratio
would soon be 50% on farms, 35% in small towns
and l5% in suburbs. Publicity activitieswere
extended to rnetropolitan readcrs to reach the
suburban nrarket.
The Hanlon Ar.r,ardwersprcsentedto William
H. Vaughan, Tidewater AssociatedOil Co.
K. H. Dickson was electedLPGA president.
Marketed production for the year was 6,635,763,000gallons.
1957
LP-Gas accountcd for the major portion of
cargo truck refrigerationunit fuel.
LP-Gas for tar and asphalt kettles, plumber's
pots, preheating torches and in oxy-propane metal cutting becams more widespread.
22
Domestic LP-Gas range sales were estimated
to account for 2OVo of all domestic gas range
sales.
LP-Gas came into use for the miscible displacement of crude oil. In this process, LP-Gas is
stored for future usc while it is being usedto bring
oil to the surface.
Charles E. Webber, Sun Oil Co. received the
1957 Hanlon Award.
Warren Petroleum Corp. acquired all gasoline
plants of Gulf Oil Co. and thereafter marketed
all liquid productsfrom them.
According to a five-page report in Electric
Light & Powcr magazine, the more than two
million dollars spent by the Council since its inccption in 1949 had made impressive inroads
into thc electric marrket. One headline read
"How're
Ye Gonna Kcep KW Down On The Farm
After Thcy've seen LP?" The editor's comment
was that LP-Gas is "the greatestthreat wc have
today.
to the futurc growth of kilowatt hour
s a l c si n r u r a l i l r e a s . "
The ('ouncil set up a new Dealer Sale,sAid
progranr to providc dealerswith printed informational and display materials, local promotional
programs, and other selling tools developed to
coordinate Council advcrtising and publicity into
"grass roots" selling. Frank Carpenter was the
lirst DSA chairman.
A. H. Cotc, Suburban Propane Gas Corp., succeededK. R. D. Wolfe as Council president.John
Hartzell became the Council's first field representative,with oflice in Washington,D.C.
Talmage Lovclady was elected president of
LPGA.
Marketed production for the year was 6,939,1 2 1 , 0 0 0g a l .
New
loads o{
recent
years include in-hold and on-docl industrial
i r u c k s { o r s l e v e d o r e s . L P G A p e r s u a s i o np a v e d w a y { o r o p e n i n g l h i s
markef,
LPGA Times-September, 1962
I n 1 9 5 0S u b u r b a nG a s b e c a m e f i r s l m a r k e l e r l o h a v e s l o c l l i s f e d o n
New Yorl Slock Erchange. Suburban presidenf W. R. Sidenfaden
( l ) n o t e si n i l i a l l r a n s a c l i o nw i t h E r c h a n q eo f i i c i a l .
1958
With interest increasing in 20,000 gal. (water
capacity) tank cars, one company was reported
studying the possibility cf 30,00C gal. cars for
r l r il r o u d t r u n s p o r t a t i o n .
F. L. Fagan was electedLPGA president.
Hanlon Award winner was William F. Lowe.
secretaryof the Natural Cas ProccssorsAssn.
N a t i o n a l L P - G a s C o u n c i l a n n u a l i n c o m ep a s s e d
the half million dollar mark for the firsttime. The
Council's first "Win-A-Home" sweepstakesprom o t i o n . a d v c r t i s e do n t h e A B C " B r e a k f a s tC l u b "
p r o s r a n ra n d i n l e a d i n gm a g a z i n c sd. r e w 2 - 5 3 , 0 0 0
e n t r i e s .T h e m u l t i - p a g es u p p o r t i n ga d a p p e a r c d
in Reuder'.tDige,st,with other insertionsin Better
Homes & Curden.r, Atnericutr Horne, Farnr
Journul and Pro.gressiveFortner.
A f o r n r a l a n n u a l r e p o r t w a s p u b l i s h e df o r t h e
l i r s t t i n r e b y t h e C o u n c i l . A h e a d q u a r t c r sw r i t e r
and Western regional manager at [-os Angeles
werc addcd to the stafl <lrganization.Frank DeVoe. manager of LP-Gas salcs for Phillips
P e t r o l c u n rC c l . .w a s C o u n c i l p r e s i d e n t .
M a r k e t e d p r o d u c t i o n f o r t h c y c a r w a s 8 , 91 9 , 000,000 gal.
Outdoor LP-Gas lights bccanre increasingly
popular.
A n i n c r e a s i n gn u m b c r o l a i r l i n e s w c r c c o n verting their industrial tractors to Lp-Gas.
An LPGA directory listed rnore than 4,000
service stations and bulk plants selling Lp-Gas
for motor fuel.
Suburban Gas stock listcd on New York Stock
Industrial and gas utility plants relied heavily 1960
E,xchangeand Pacilic Coast Exchunge.Suburban's
on LP-Cas to maintain operationsduring thc unsalt cavcrn storagcin Moab, Utilh, wcnt into servusually cold wintcr.
icc. Tidewatcr C)il Co. pr-rrchascd
Vangas of CaliLP-Gas sales increascd 3Ook more than the
fornia.
average increase of the preceding nine ycars.
T o t a l u n d e r g r o u n csl t o r : r s cl a c i l i t i e sf o r n a t u r a l
Hanlon Award winner for ths ycar was Clarc
g a s l i q u i c l si n t h e U . S . r e a c h e da c a p a c i t yo f n t o r e
D . G a r d , U n i o n O i l C o n t p a n yo f C a l i f o r n i i r .w h o
t h r n 2 t / + b i l l i o n g a l l o n s .M u c h o f t h i s w a s i n r n i n e d
built the first LP-Gasplant in that state.
c a v c r n sn e a l h e a v y m a r k e t i n ga r c a s .R c f r i g c r a t e d
A. E. Bone was elected LPGA president.
storagccapacity totirlled nrorc than I 1,000.000
Prcsident Eisenhowc'rund thc Department of
g al .
Conrmerce conrntendedthe Council for its part
"grew" again with
LP-Gas rail tank cars
in the "Lick thc Reccssion"progran through its
i n t r o d u c t i o no f t l t c f i r s t 3 0 . 0 0 0 g a l . t a n k c a r b y
ncwspaper "Changing Scene" cartoons emphasizT u l o n r aG a s P r o d u c t sC o .
ing the advantagcs of buying ntodern LP-Gas
K a r l H . H a c h n r u t h .P h i l l i p sP e t r o l c u nC
t o.. won
appliances.
t h e y e a r ' sl { a n l o n A w a r d .
Thc Council begrin sponsorship of newscasts
A transport klading rate ol' -500 gal. a ntinute
four times weekly on 400 Mutual radio nctb
e
c a n r c a r c a l i t y w i t h t h c d c v e l o p n r e n to f n e w
work stations in small towns. E. Carl Sorby of
c q u i o m e n td c n r a n d e db y t h c l i t r g e rc a p a c i t yt a n k s
the Gcorge D. Roper Corp. electcd Council
used in transDort.
president.
Thc 2,200-mile Mid-America Pipeline was
Marketed production for the y e a r w a s J , opened
to stretch from Eunicc. N. M., to Mc462,000,000 gallons.
Continuedon p. 38
1959
Petrolane Gas Service, Inc., sent the first LPGas to Alaska by barge.
George G. Oberfell reccived the Walton Clark
Medal of the Franklin lnstitute for "original
and notable work in the gas industry."
From a billion gallon year in 1944, LP-Gas
sales reached the billion gallon a month mark
for December 1959, a new monthly rccord.
Acceptanceof built-in LP-Gas rangesappeared
assuredwith an 88oZ increasein salesover 1958.
An absorptionair conditioner to add to existing
LP-Gas forced air furnacesbecame available.
The use of high purity LP-Gas as propellant in
pressurizedcontainersof insecticides,paint, shaving cream and similar products expandedrapidly,
although accounting for only a small pelrt of total B o t h s i z e a n d d e s i g n o { t a n k c a r s c h a n g e d . T h i s A C F 3 0 , 0 0 0 g a l .
"belly-botlom"
hauler shows the new
design.
industrial usase.
24
L P G A T i m e s - S e p t e m b e r ,1 9 6 2
br lreezing therl with liquid propane. This n.raybe all right but care
s h o u l db e t a k e nw i t h r e s i d u a fl u m e s .
Every attenrpt is ntade through
the LPGA stafl ollices to correct
t h i s n r i s i n f o r n r a t i o n .l f y o u r u n
a c r o s ss u c h i t e n r sy o u w o u l d b e c l o ing the pcople involvcda favor by'
c o r r e c t i n gt h e n r . l f y o u n e e d h e l p .
c o n t a c tt h e s t a l l o f i i c e s i n C h i c a g o .
, o m m e r c i aLl o a d
G r e e n ' sD e a l e r sT o l kS a l e sC
Join
LPGA
N o w!
Industry Historl'
('onlinued from p. 2i1
s nd
P h c r s o n .K a n s . .w i t h b r a n c h c st t r M i n n e a p o l i a
t o M a d i s o n .W i s .
Council hcitdcluartcrswas tntlved frclnr downto'"vnC'hicagrtto larger. ntttre cflicicnt qulrters in
"Win-A-Home" swcepE v a n s t o n ,l l l . A s e c o n c l
H' Koach'
stakcs pronrotion clrer'vntore than a cluarterof lt S p e a k e r s a l S a r a s o t a m e e t i n g i n c l u d e d ( f r o m l e f + ) K '
Union Texas vp; Dr' C' E' lrvin
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n r i l l i o n c n t r i c s a n d i n c r c a s c ds t t l r c t r a f T i cb y 2 7
Union Texasvp.
p c r c e n t . F . 1 ' . C ' l r p e n t c r ,U n i t e d P e t r o l c u n lG a s a n d O . M . B a i l e v , a n o l h e r
( ' o . , v i a sC o u n c i l p r c s i d e n t .
M e r c h a n d i s i n gt h c w h o l c g a s l i n c a n c l c n l l l h a s i st l n
I i . . J . M u n z e r w a s e l e c t e dL P G A p r c s i c l c n t .
2(X)
M a r k c t c c lp r o c l t r c t i o nf o r t h c y e a r w a s 9 ' - 5 ( X ) ' - the contnrcrcial ntarkct wcre-llliljor ttlpics I'ttr the
G r e e n ' s l r u c l c l i s t r i b u t o r sI l r c e t i n gJ u n e l l l - 2 0 a t S a r a ( X X ) . 0 ( Xg)a l .
s o t a . I r l l . K . H . K o a c h . G r e e n ' sp r e s i c l e n tp. r e s i d e cal n d
l o . O . M . B a i l c y ,v i c c p r e s i d e n t l f U n i c l nT c x i t s P e t r o l c t t t n
l96l
M o b i l O i t ( ' o . p t t r c h a s e cAln c h o r P e t r o l c u nC
U n i o n O i l C ' o . o l C a l i f o r n i a p u r c h a s c ctlh e I ' u e l c l i v i s i o no f A l l i c c l C ' h c n t i c aC
l o r p . ' G r e c n ' sp a r c n t l i l t t t ,
s c r v i c cc l i v i s i o no f A n r c r i c l n L i q u i c l G a s C o r p . o f s p o k c .
[-os Angclcs.
E . O . N . W i l l i a m s w a s c l e c t e dL P G A p r e s i d e n t .
l ) c a l c r S a l e sA i c l i n c o n r co l ' t h e C o u n c i ld o u b l c d
Hendricks
o v c r 1 9 6 0 t o r c a c h a n e w h i g h r e c o r do f $ 3 - 5 , 0 0 0
t y d e a l c r m e n l - Continued frorn p. 26
i n a c l c l i t i o n aCl ' o u n c i li n v e s t n t c n b
bcrs. Farnt ancl hontc plize givcaway contests'
n . l o d e r n i z i t t i ( tdni,s t r i b t i t i o n ,a c l v e r t i s i n gt h' c s e a r c t h i n g s
t o s c t h e rw i t h p u b l i c a t i o n so f L P - G a st l n t h c F a r n r you do cvery clly. Strategicclecisionsitrc ltlng-rantc tlr
a n c l l - P - G a s F o r A l l I n d u s t r i a l a n d C c l t n m c r c i a l l o n g - t e r n rp l a n s .
"grass roots" salesresults.
Uses produceclclicctivc
l , s y o u r t o w n g o i n g t o g r o w ' ?I n w h i c h c l i r e c t i o ni s i t
( ' o u n c i l a c l v e r t i s i n gl i r r t h c f a l l h o n r e g i v e - l r w l r y
g o i n g t o g r o w ' l W h a t a r c t h e t h i n g s t h a t i t t ' c g c l i n gt o
was extcndccl 50o/, by tie-in advertising by a l l e c t t h c c c o n o l l l y i n t h a t t o w n ' l W i l l y t l t t r b u s i n c s s
C o u n c i l n t e n r b c r p r o d u c c r s a n d n l a n u f a c t u r c r s . grow'l ls it going ttl srilw at thc ratc forccast'JDo not lct
A n i n d u s t r y - w i d ep r o g r a l l t w a s p r e p a r e db y t h c h a s t yo r t a c t i c a lc l c c i s i t l nus p s e tt h c s t r a t e g i cc l c c i s i o nr e C o t i n c i l f o r n r a r k i n gt h e 5 0 t h a n n i v c r s a r yo f L P - q u i r e c lf o r I ' u t u r eg r o w t h . T h i s i s w h c r c w c c l t n g c t i n t o
Gas in 1962.
itn rtwl'ulot ol trouhlu.
Dixie Pipeline Co.. a prttducer-tlwned firnl,
T h c g r o w t h o f t h i s i n c i u s t r yi n 5 0 y e a r sh a s b c e n f r o n l
started c<lnstructittnttf its line frorrr E,astTcxas to n o t h i n g t o r o t r g h l y l 0 b i l l i o n g a l l o n s .T h c l i g u r e t h a t
N o r t h C a r o l i n a . C o n r p l e t i c l nw a s s c h e d u l c d l o r i n t e r e s t sn r e i s n o t p a s t h i s t o r y , i t i s n o t i n t r r y t t p i n i o n
1962.
1970
"LP-Cits" more a s i n r p o r t a n tl s t h e f i g u r e w a y u p l t t h e t o p . l 3 y
J'o nrakc the gencric name
2
0
b
i
llion
o
f
r
a
t
e
a
t
t
h
c
t h i s i n c l u s t r ys h o u l d b e s e l l i n g
a c c c p t a b l et o e d i t o r s ,t h c C o u n c i l a p p r o v c du s a g c g a l l o n sa y e a r .
"LP-gas." D. G. O'Meara of
'fhe
of the ncw fornt
past is all ancient history. I'nl ntlt tt'ro nruch inPyrol'axGas Cclrp. was Council president.Elccted terestedin it. Let nte make one quotation fronr Crawftlrd
a s p r e s i d e n tf o r t h c y e a r a h e a dw a s A . B . R i t z e n - H . G r e e n w a l l , p r e s i d e n to f D u P t l n t : " l f o n e i n d u s t r y
'I-appan
Co.
t h a l e ro f t h c
d o c s n o t s u p p l yt h e p r o d u c t so r s e r v i c e sw a n t e d ,a n o t h e r
N a t u r a l G a s o l i n g A s s o c i a t i o n t l f A m e r i c a o n e d o e s .A n i n d u s t r yw h i c h b u r i e si t s h e a d i n t h e s a n d
changcdits name to Natttral Gas ProcessorsAsso- ancl declinesto move from its traditional nloorings nrust
'fhe
l 9 6 l N G P A H a n l o n A w a r d i n t h i s d a y a n d a g e e x p e c tt o f i n d t h a t t h e f u t u r e h c l l d s
c i a t i o n( N G P A ) .
w a s p r e s e n t c dt o J o h n C . D i e h l o f A m e r i c a n n o t h i n g b e t t e r t h a n a p e d e s t r i a ng r o w t h r a t e a n d u l t i MeterCo.
n r i r t cs t u g n u t i o n . "
E s t i m a t e so f 1 9 6I m a r k e t e dp r o d u c t i o no f L P I w o u l d l i k e t o r e c o n r m e n dt h a t a s t r t l n go r g a n l z a t l o n
g a sa p p r o x i m a t e dI 0 , 0 0 0 . 0 0 0 . 0 0 0g a l .
be fornted within the frameworkof the LPGA to handle a full and powerful progranl on researchand develChaptor 9 concludes the LP-Gas industry history prepared
o D m e n tt o i n c l u d en o t o n l y p r o d u c t ' e q u i p n l e n ta n d a p b1 the National I-P-Gas Council and printed exclusively in
E
'I'IIlIES.
p l i c a t i o n .b u t a l s o h o w t c l m a r k e t i t .
I-PGA
Jd
LPGA Times-September, 1962