New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-01-04
THE KANE GEYSER.

solves not to take cold seldom does.
THE KANE GEYSER.
The Kane Geyser, or spouting water well,
has lately attracted much attention from the
sightseeing public. The well is Situated in
the valley of Wilson'S Run. Penn, four miles
south east from Kane. 1t was drilled In the
Spring of 1878 to depth of 1000 feet but,
as petroleum was found IN paying quanti-
ties. the easing was drawn and the hole aban-
doned. In drilling freshwater veins were
met with down to 36f feet, which WAS the
limit of the casing At 14l5 feet very
heavy "gas-veinn was struck, and this gas
was allowed free escape while the drilling was
continued to 5000 feet When the well was
abandoned the fresh water flowed IN. and the
conflict between the water and gas commenced.
The water flows into the well on top or the gas
till the pressure of the confined gas becomes
greater than the weight OF the superncum-
bent water, when an explosion takes place.
and column OF water and gas Is thrown up 10
a great height. This occurs at regular intervals
of thirteen minutes, and the sp0utlng continues
for one and halt minutes. The column, ac-
cOrding TO measurement, varies IN helgnt from
los to 13S feet. The gas OF the mixture can
be readily iguitcd. After uightiall the special
Gle is grand. The antagOn.siic elements OF hre
and water are SO prOmlScu0usy blended tlat
each seems 10 be fighting for the mastery. AL
one moment the flame 10 almost entirely eTtlr-
guished, only To burst forth ut the next instant
with increased energy and greater brllllaney:
During sunshine the spray forms an arililclai
rainbow, and in Winter the columns become N
Cased in huge transparent zee chIinneyS. a
number of wells III the OIL regions, says III.
Ashbnrner, of the Pennsylvania Geological
Survey, have thrown water geysers similar To
the Kane well, but none have ever attracted
such attention. Probably the first OF these
water and Gas geyser wells was a salt well
drilled IN he valley of the ONO IN 1888.
ELECTRICITY As A MOTIVE POWER.
The impulse given during the past few
wears to the study of electricity has already
borne valuable fruit IN various Applications OF
the electro current. One OF these Is the use
of electricity rs a motive power. sue
crsSful example of the conversion OF water INTO
electricity, and the use OF tins current To
drive machinery, IL To bc found nj large
chemical works ut GIeenock, Scotland. The
Nyatcr is brought from a waterfall to q tur
bne, which puts III motion, by means OF
belt. a Slcmcns' dynamO-clcctric machine.
The current thus generated Is conveyed 10
another machine 100 yards distant, when
drives a large lathe, boring machine, and a
circular SAW. An interesting lecture 10y Dr.
Werner Siemrns, of Berlin, on " Electricity IN
Service of Life has been recently reported
in the DcUtschc IHd /cit"nG with regard To-
electric transmission OF force. lie speaks OF
two recent examples OF It IN Berlin, the
working of several looms with Il dynamO-elec-
tr1c machine. and the driving OF small loco
motive m the same way. Much less developed
thus far Che points Ou) u the use or sIrong
electric currents Tor chemical and metallurgical
purposes. such use has been limited merely 10
galvanic cleansing of copper, aud separation OF
Tins from gold and silver. But he looks Tor
wlId To electricity being OF great service IN tins
direction. "Thc large and very promising do
main of the electroysis of iustble conductors
is STILL technically, quite unbuIt upon and
neither scientific nor technical chemistry has
vet sufficiently appreciated thc analytic and
synthetic force of the current II Is probable,
too Che thinks) that the scence OF the future
will lclrn to produce more convenient fuel
dian hydrogen 10y expenditure of work with AID
OF the electric current; and the further step
from the proIuc'ion of fuel to that oi food
stufs Is not IucouceIvabic. he energy ot me
solar rays. embodied IN wind and waterfalls,
may by-and-by, through the electric current,
furnish all necessary fuel, aud enable us TO dis
peusc with coal.