The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-03-16
From the Cle Gland Leader.


/ THE FIRST GAS WELL IN OHIO.
| Capt John Spauiding's weIl-A RevoIu-
| tion in Light and Fuel-NaturaI Gas VS..
| Artificial Gas and Coal. .8'r H..
Since the first discovery of oil i'll
! Pennsy lVanla it has been supposed by
! q few scientific men that vast gas
/ bed or field existed, undertaking the
/ stratum from which oil had been
drawn, and that it only depended on
the energy and enterprise OF our peo-
pie to bring it into use. RumOr has
said that it could be found anywhere
| between Huron and Buffalo, along the
/ lake shore and that nothing was neces-
sary to be done but TO bore a few hun
! dred feet into the ground to find Il
supply of gas sufficient for all wants
for tuel and light. ...l ...--.....
! Last January Captain John Spauld-
ing, of Rockport, paid visit to Erie
to investigate the operation of gas
wells i'll that place. For several years
the Erie wells have been in opera
tion and their fame has become well
| known. A number of the Scientific
american, i'll considering the subject,
| say S that one well there furnishes gas
enough to supply heat for one -four
mill with a torty-horse-power engine,
with heat and light to, the owners
house and the miller's house, warns
the heating apparatus Of a brewery,
| furnishes steam for a ten horse power
engine, for nine manufacturing estab-
| lishments, warns the buildings, gives
light and heat to the houses of the pro-
prietors, and that over forty per cent
of the gas escapes from the safety
valve. TIE knowledge of this tact
caused Captain Spaulding, of Rock
port, to visit Erie, where he found that
not half OF the facts relating TO the
matter had been reported. He here
learned that large number of houses
were lighted with gas from wells,
| that limekilns were working with the
same gas, that it furnished better light
than the manufactured gas, and that it
gave a fire that could be used for
smelling iron and for all other man
utacturing purposes, and he came
back to Cleveland, determined to i'm
mediately sound for gas. His endeav-
ors have been crowned with success,
and many persons have already inn
tated his example, and their work
may lead to complete revolution i'll
| light and fuel in Ohio.
On the Both Of January, 1871, lit
tie more than month ago, Captain
! Spaulding began The work in his well,
and has dug on an average, twenty
feet per day. The aperture is six
inches square, and sinks down through
stone and sand into material that
| perhaps, is richer than gold. During
the work many persons told Captain
Spaulding that he might ''strike he,'
but he answered that he was after gas
aud preferred it to anything else. He
found gas several days since in small
| quantities, but it was not until yester-
day that it appeared in q large quan.
| thy. AT four O'Clock yesterday morn
| ing, while the workmen were drilling
they were surprised at hearing roar
ing noise, and a moment after stream
of water arose four feet high from the
gas well. The tools were Immediate
ly pulled out of the well and an ordi-
nary gas pipe, without q burner, put
on the aperture. A light was applied
to this. and a bright white blaze i'm
mediately arose eight feet high in the
air. As there were apertures in the
wood about the well, through which
the gas leaked out, the flame soon
spread all over the shed, ana Captain
Spaulding was called to the Spot. He
gazed for moment, hardly caring
whether the shed and derrick were
consumed. He had been digging for
gas and now he saw it blazing before
him in as bright and brilliant lignl
as could be desired. BY smothering
the box with rags, and stuffing them
down into it the conflagration was
soon eXtinguished and the men Were
PnnI I1Ioh with thar, vunrE
The we'll is now five hundred and six.
ty feet deep and capable of supplying
all the gas desired. The company,
however, which is engaged in digging
it, have all the Instruments necessary
and will dig one hundred feet deeper
while at work. 1t is desired to fur
nish gas enough for eight families
and to light the streets in the neigh
borhood. As the gas costs nothing
it is intended to keep it burning day
and night in the street. The company
digging the we'll is composed of Cap
tain John Spaulding, Ezra Nicholson,
j. Brooks, George Marshall, III. Cadey,
William Ranney, and j. e. Garfield.
Captain Spaulding informed our re-
porter that he was the first person
connected with a newspaper who had
visited his well, though Messrs. Rich |
ardson, from the oil regions, George
Marshall and Edward Sanford,
Cleveland, together with many others |
had vitited him to investigate the sub
ject. Throughout the county the |
greatest interest is manifested in the |
subject. 1t is known that bitumin- |
Gus shell, three hundred and fifty feet :
thick is under our soil, that it is equa,
to forty feet of coal, ard extends iron
Huron to Buffalo. Wherever the soil |
is sounded deep enough along the
southern shore OF the lake, within I'll,
distance mentioned, gas can be found. |
1t can be utilized for fire and lighI /
and is capable OF answering all Iii, !
purposes to which coal is applied. A /
well was bored at Rocky River seven
years ago, but has never been utilized /
though when lighted it sends forth
flame eight feet high. 1t can be iouuo
anywhere about Cleveland, but near
er the surface of the soil at distauc,
OF two or three miles from the river.
The effect this discovery is destined
to have is incalculable. L, all that il
promised is realized, houses will soon
be lighted and heated with this gas.
and all the manufacturing establish
ments of the city will be worked by
it. ..Jatis.
JEFF. DAVIS has written letter TO a
barber in Wilmington, North Carroll
ma, who was once one of his house.
hold servants, abounding in kind ex-
pressions of interest in his welfare,
and concluding with the assurance
that he will pass through the city
some time in April next and will
meet him in person. l.. 7
"THERE was an old family fuel be-
tween them" was what the principal
witness in Chicago murder case said
to the jury. The Judge asked her if