Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-31
NATURES GAs-woRKs.

PROM the KAsAwHA lvA.) REPUBLIcAs, MAY ~. st
The existence Of large quantities Of Gas at various point
throughout the whole extent Of the salt region ON the Kama
wha rver was known 70 the first white men that exporet
this beautiful valley appeared escaping through speure
low grounds and springs Of water Tradition has il that
company Of the earliest explorers encarnped on the bank
of the river Of their number In dark night took
torch light his way to the spring BY the encampmen
and in waving it the spring. to his great CONSERVATION
took fire, the gas burning upon the surface Of the water
was thence called the burning SPRING. and is the same
noticed by Mr. JEFFERSON in his Notes on Virginia" Il
is still there We saw it last week--a mere mud-puddIe
The water agitated by the gas, resembles boiling pot
readily ignites and burns with blue blaze the surface
the water for short time but when the water is dried up the
gas will burn brilliantly from rain to another.
When in process of time, the salt manufacturers either
from failure Of the salt above the stratum OF rock,
fifteen twenty feet lower than the bed OF the river
for the purpose of procuring the water in greater album
Dance sunk their wells by boring tar below the surface OF the
rock the gas in various quantities made its appearance in the
wells in instances eng the water into the air ignitng
spreading the fame about the small amazement and
terror of the wokmen When this happened they used to
say "e ce bo,oed" The stream Of gas, however, soon
subsidized acted only with sufficient power to force the
water up into the gum which thence pumped into the
cistem or reservoir.
That those who have never saltwels may have
correct idea of them, win just say that they are COM
menced the edge Of the river at owwater gum or
shaft which is part Of the trunk Of sycamore tree, about
four feet in diameter followed out that the shell Is not
than four inches thick is sunk down to the rock dis
Of from fifteen twenty feet the lower end resting
tightly the rock the other end is usually few feet above
the ground Thsexcdest fresh the rock and
A.. IA "a = .I,nJ
by boring through the rock and the various strata Of EARTH
Three years ago WILLIAM ToMPKNs, Esq. first obtain
ed steady and permanent stream Of gas Of sufficient power
only force the up from the depth of thousand
feet into the gum but to carry into the reservoir elevated
many feet above the bank of the river This saved the
pense Of the pump, which operated by steam engine In
short time the thought occurred to his practical mind that
this gas which as yet after having brought up the water
ready for use, only "wastng its fragrance on the desert
air." by its brilliant light Illuminating the works and the
neghbohood by night attracting the gaze and wonder Of
the traveller could be turned still useful purpose
He erected the reservoir cste gasomete which is
simply hogshead upright into the lower end of which is
inserted the pipe which conveys the and the gas from
the WELL the water running out through hole in the lower
end and in the top inserted pipe that the gas to
the mouth of the furnace then is ignited, and makes
dense and intensely heated fame along the whole furnace,
under the row of kettles hundred feet long, by six feet
deep and four feet w This saved the expense Of digging
and hauling coal.
Subsequently Messrs. WARTH & EssLIsH, whose works
the opposite side of the river from the above spoken
Of obtained similar stream of gas, which has been used
successfully in the way and recently Mr. DIR
DEN DoSSALLr, Mr.. CHARLES RErSoLDs, and some few
others had partial supply of gas operate their furnaces in
he same way.
But the most remarkable phenomenon in the way OF natu
al gas here and we have doubt in the whole world, is
hat the works Of Messrs. Dickinson & SHREWSBURY,
which has been exhibited for nearly two months past In this
well the gas reached the depth Of thousand feet
What the upward pressure Of the gas the square inch is
through the aperture which is three inches in diameter we
are unable tell and perhaps it would be impossible
certain. II has had free and unobstructed vent
There the bottom of the well iron sinker long
piece Of round iron nearly filling the aperture this are
hundred pounds Of iron and about three hundred feet Of
lugepoe used in boring, in pieces Of ten and twenty feet in
engh with heavy iron eres the end screwed into each
her Notwithstanding all this obstruction stream Of water
md gas issues up through copper tube three inches in diam
ter inserted into the well to the depth of five hundred feet
Nth the noise and force of steam generated by the boilers Of
he largest class of steamboats, is computed that su
lent quantity Of gas from this well Gil in FIVE
minutes reservoir large enough TO light the city Of New
FORK twelve hours When reflect that this stream of gas
ms, undated flowed up for nearly two months what
thought Of the quantity and the facility of manufacturing
own below In the springs hard by and in other wells
with perhaps the exception of that of two others
here appears yet to be dmnuton the quantity
my place where has heretofore been known exist
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