Virginia free press. (Charlestown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1832-1916, 1845-06-19
NATURAL Gas.

sfhs wonderful gas tountalns which ahound
iaeTe, and are nov turned so advantageous.
Ely 10 account Ia The n.anufaelure Of salt:
The existence oflarge quantities Of gas.
al various poinS. throughout the whole
g xient OF the salt region on the Kanawha
River, was known to the first white men
that explored this beautiful valley. It
aPpeafed escaping through spertures in
low grounds. and springs Of water. Ira
dliion has il. that as company Of the
earliest explorers encamped on the banks
of the river, one OF their number, in dark
night. took torch 10 light bis war Ia the
spring near by the encampment, and id
10 wssing il over the spring, 10 his great
CONSERVATION il took ERE, the gas buring
upon the surface Of the water II was
thence called the BURNING SPRING" and
is tkesame noticed by Mr. Jefferson in
his notes on Virginia. II is still there.
We saw itlsst Week-s mere mud puddle.s
The water ~agitated by the gas resembles
boiling, pot. |, readily ignites, and
burns with blue blaze on the surface. of
the water, for short time-butwhe the
water Is dried up the gas will burn bril-
lsn'ly from one rain TO another.
When, 10 process ofiime. the sail m an
uiscturers. either from failure of the salts
water above the stratum Of rock some is
or 20 feet below lie bed Of the river Or
Tor The purpose 81 procuring the water id
greater abundance. sunk. their. wells by
boring far below ihe surface OF the rock,
the gas. IN various quantities. made It's ap.
pearance in the wells. 10 some instances
jeiting lbe water iniothe air, igniling and
spreading the fame about, iothe no small
amazement and terror OF the workmen -.
WheH this happeneathe Y used ID say the
weN 6lOtceaA The stream Of gas, howey-
er, soon 'dbsided, or acted only with sutfi-
Gent power4to force the water up into the
gum. which was thence pumped into the
cislern Or reservoir.
/ That those who have never seen our
salt-wellsmsy have correct idea OF them.
we wflljust say that they are commence
ed nearthe edge ofthe river al low water.
"A gam, b shafssawhich is part Of the
trunk of sycamore Tree. ab0utfour feet
in Diameter. followed out so that 40 she'll
is not more than four inches thick, is
sunk downto the rock, d distance from
10 to 20 !eet,lhe lower end resting tight
ly on the rock. The other end is usual
TlY few fee, above the ground. This ex-
clndes the fresh water above The rock. and.
serves us u reservoirs 10 receive Inc salt
water when Ills reached by boring through
the rock and the yarfous strata ofseaTth.
Three years ago. WILLIAM THoMPKINs.
80 hret nhl It, a
nentsireafn OF gas. Of sufficient power. not
only 10 force the waier up ffom the depth
Of thousand feet into the gum, but to
carry it into the reservoir elevated macy
feet above the bank of the liver. This
saved the expense of the pGnp. which is
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. was only wasting its fragrance on
the desert air." or BY lis brilliant light il
the works and the neighbour
hood by night, attracting the gaze and
wonderof the traveller, could be turned
to sill more useful purpose. He erects
over the reservoir or cistern 4 gasometer,
which is simply a hogshead upright into
the lower end Of which i irseIted the
pipe which CONVEYS the. waaeg and the
gas from the wefl5ihe wafer filming out
through hole in the lower end. and in
the top isinserted pipe that conveys the
gas 10 the mouth Of the furnace. Then it
is ignited. and makes dense and intense =
y heated flame along the whole furnaces.
under the row Of kettles, 100. feet long
10y 6 deep and 4 wide. This saved the
expense Of digging and hauling coal.
Subsequently,. Messrs. WARTH s ENG
LlsH, whose works are son the opposite
side Of the river from the one above spo.
ken OF, obtsined similar stream OF gas,
which has been used successfullyin the
same way and more recently, Mr.. Day
DEN DoNNALLY, Mr.. CHIRLEs REy-
NoLDs, and some few others, had a partial
supply Of gas, 10 operate their furDacesin
the same way
= But the most remarkable phenomenon
in tie way OF natural gas, here, and We
Ehape no dou5t 10 he whole world, isthat
at the works Of Messrs. DICKINSON g.
sSHREwsBURY, which has been exhibited
for nearly two months past. 10 this we'll
lhe gas was reached at the depth OF 1000
feet. What the upward pressure of the
gas to the square inch is, through the a.
perture, which isihree fnches 10 diane
Ter, we are unable TO telL aed perhaps it
would be impossible 10 ascs5asin. II has
! never had free and uLobAEucted vent.
There is now at1he bottom of the we'll
an iron sinker a long piece1of round ron
] nearly filing The aperture; on this are GOO
pounds of iron, and shout 800 feet Of au-
ger-pole used Id boring. in pieces Of ten
and twenty feet ia length, with heavy
iron ferules on the end. screwedinso each
other.
| Notwithstanding ali this.-.ss6s1sasss.;;pn, !
j ste s-4sH gas issues up thf36eE
copper tube 3 inches in diam eier insert,
ed inte the well 10 the depth Of 500 FEE,
with the noise and force Of steam. generat-
| ed BY the boilers Of the largest class o
steamboats,. It's computed tina. sufi
Gent quantity Of gas comes ffom this wei
TO I'll in Ave minutesss reservoir larce Z
nough 10 light Ahe city Of New Tor
twelve hours. hen I'VE reflect Tia, thi
stream of gas Eas snnabaied, flowed u
for nearly two months. what must 5
. thought Of the quantity and facility /
manufacturing It belowl In The sgsfSno
bard by, and 10 he other wells, with Be,
haps the exception ofthsf OF one 81 ii
others there appearsssJet!no diuinut,o
10 the quantity AZ apSaplace where il hI
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