The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-11-18
PITTSBURGH,S BONANZA.
Hevolution I'm the FueI-SuppIy of Mills
and FOundries.
From the Pittsburgh Critic

n
&c information in regard to the gas-pipe
line about being completed to this city,
and the probabilities of the gas wells of
Butler County being utilized to supply
fuel to the furnaces of Pittsburgh, on
Wednesday last started to the front.
AT Graft, Bennett & Co.'S mills at
Etna, the terminus of the line, I ascer-
tanned that it would be finished the next
day, and also some particulars in regard
To ITS construction. The line consists of
a 6-inch wrought iron pipe, in joints of
10 or Is feet long, and extends from the
Ewalt Street bridge to the Harvey well,
a distance of 195 miles The object is
to supply fuel to the mills of these two
firms and such others as the line may be
able to supply. A contract has been
made with the two firms as such price
as will insure so per cent. per annum
rom these twomills alone to the owners
of the line, and, at the same time, re
suit in an immense saving in the price
of fuel to the mills in question. / was
unable to ascertain the cost of the line
The pipe is laid along the Butler
| plank road, through Ktna borough,
past the mill of Spang, Chalfant 81 Co.
At this point it leaves the road, and
takes g bee-line" as near as possible
for the well, passing up Little Pine
Greek, and good part of the way along
the old Kittanning road. Through a
5s-inch pipe the gas rushes from the
earth, and bursts in a burning sheet of
lurid flame, which, at night, illuminateS
the entire country. 1t can be seen
from the hills in the vicinity of the city
on any dark night, by looking in a north
eastern direction. The well is located
in beautiful valley, and the scene at
night must be magnificent. A dancing
platform has been erected near it, and
the lads and lasses of the surrounding
country have utilized the light and heat
for the past year in many a midnight
scene of love and frolic.
But finding there are greater sights of
this kind beyond, pass on to view them
through SaXOnburg to Great Belt City.
At this place | meet those that can sat
isfy my craving spirit on the gas ques-
ton; the gas in all directions from this
point is Illuminating the sky, while from
the northward | hear a sound like the
distant roar of Niagara. This, l am in
formed, is the noise made by the Burns
and Delemater wells, seven miles dis
tant. These gentlemen inform me they
have Just completed series of interest
ing experiments that have established
the use and portability of this volatile
substance, and also the immense value
of the wells in question, and that they
are proceeding to lay pipe TO convey it
to Pittsburgh. They gave me the result
of their experiments.
Having just completed new oil pipe
to FreepOrt, which passed the Burns
well, they secured ga refusal'' and OBJ
tanned the services of Prof. Otto Wuth,
the distinguished chemist of Pittsburgh,
James Cuddy, Esq, and other experts,
to experiment and ascertain the amount
of gas produced, what it consisted of,
and what amount could be transported
through a given sized pipe.
First, it was ascertained that the gas
was flowing through a 5s-inch casing,
the full size of the well, at a pressure of
100 pounds to the square inch; attach
ments were put on, the stream subdi
vided into six pinch pipes in order to
control and regulate the same, and it
was found that the pressure could be in
creased indefinitely by shutting off the
different branches. With two pinch
outlets, a pressure of 800 pounds to the
square inch was reached, which was
considered as high as it was safe to 90,
as the pressure cOunterbalanced the
weight of the casing, and a higher pres
sure might hurl it from the well. The
,,tt Dr.fn
rife, and the frightened natives rushed
terrified from the scene. The next point
was to find the velocity at which it trav-
eled under a certain pressure, and
amount lost by friction. To determine
this it was turned on to the 2-inch pipe
leading to Freeport, 15t miles long, a
telegraph line being along the route;
operators and time-keepers were at the
well, at the first station, st miles dis
tant, and at the terminus. At each
place a fire was kindled at the outlet, to !
determine the moment the gas would |
reach the point, as, of course, the air in |
the pipe would precede the gas. Watches |
having been compared and set by tele-
graph, the word was given and the gas |
turned on at a pressure of 200 pounds to |
the square inch. In fifteen minutes, |
precisely, it reached the first distance |
of 81 miles, and in eighteen minutes
more the second distance of II miles, or
a total time of thirty-three minutes for
155 miles.
This one well, then, according to this |
certificate, is producing fuel equal to |
$4,000 bushels of coal per day, or 49,
25O,000 bushels per annum; which, at
6 cents per bushel, amounts to over |
81, 900, 900 a year.
Since these experiments were made, |
anOtherwell, the Delemater, was struck,
which, from the noise made and volume
of flame produced, is believed to be |
much larger. Messrs. Kirk & Dilworth |
also purchased this one, as their expert |
ments showed that the gas from both |
could be transported through a 6-inch |
pipe to Pittsburgh; and they now pro-
pose to form stock company and pro-
ceed forthwith to put down the line. |
Think of a 6-inch pipe carrying S2,OOO,-
600 per annum. The ComstOck lode |
will be nothing to it.
So much for statistics, and now for |
my visit to the wells. At Carbon Cen
ter l found the first exhibition. A pipe |
having been laid from the burning well
to this place to supply the Keystone
Pipe Company with fuel, small pipe |
under the boiler bursts into a roaring /
fire, which with furnace-doOr open can
scarcely be got small enough to raise
the proper steam to drive a monster
pump, forcing the oil 10 miles to Free
port, while a standpipe is erected a
short distance off to consume the sur
plus and light the town.
At the Burns well the gas is not on
fire, as the well is located in the woods,
and it is deemed unsafe to permit it to
burn. Through five pinch pipes it |
rushed out into the air with sound |
g that shook the sere leaf from the woods |
as though storm passed by" 1t is |
simply appalling to pass among the
labyrinth of pipes that conveys the gas
from the we'll leave it as quick as
possible, fearing that friction or some |