Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1883-08-13
POINTERS ON GAS.
where the Great Fuel Saver May
be Found.
How Long il will Last and How il May be
Used-Freak Of the Michigan Well
Roaming Completed at
the Central Well.

Mr.. A. P. Wilson, Pittsburgh authority
on natural gas, with an extended expert
ence in drilling wells, gives Is the result OF
his operations that the gas territory is
comparatively limited in extent, but Pitts
bureh lies near the belt where the greatest
and most lasting flow OF gas may be OBJ.
tanned.
M Wilson, in describing the territory
in which the greatest flow of gas may be
obtained, says that it will be found within
a belt extending from point on Lake o.
tario, in direct line to western Warren
county, Pa, thence directly to Rochester,
Pa, down through Steubenville, Wheeling,
W. Va, Parkersburg, w. Va, TO Bone
county, w. Va, this line forming the
northwestern boundary. A similar line
running about eighty miles east, starting
from Lake Ontario and ending after the
Great Kanawha River is crossed, will EN-.
brace the area OF the most productive gas
territory. A continuance Of this belt, bat
much narrowed, through Kentucky and
Tenne sSee into Alabama will produce in
many ldISC nONS Va RdS. CcCblOuS
of " Wisconsin, Michigan and Illinois are
also likely to produce remunerative gas
wells.
HEAVIEST FLOW or GAS.
The points where the heaviest flow Of gas
may be expected, Mr.. Wilson says, are
Butler, Armstrong, Westmoreland, Greene
and Washington counties, Pennsylvanla;
Brooke, Ohio, Marshall, Wetzell and Monon-
gala counties, West Virginia, and Belmont
county, Ohio. in such quantities can the
gas be obtained in these sections said Mr..
wilson, that they are destined to be the
great manufacturing districts of the coun.
try. But all along the belt, as eX perience
is gained, think good and remunerative
gas wells will be found with lasting flow.
DO you think the flows will be lasting?"
the reporter asked.
We'll" said Mr.. Wi son, "you know thu
gas from these wells has been supposed to
be similar to that obtained from the oil
wells, but it is a mistake This gas is free
from the glutinous matter in petroleum
which clogs up the apertures in the fOrma.
tiOns through which the gas passes, aud
the supply may, therefore, be considered
20 he continuous until the deposits are eX'
hausted. How long this will take no one
can tell. an experience OF score OF years
giving no data upon which to estimate the
life Of a we'll. Heavily charged with hydro.
gen, the gas burns with an intense heat,
giving a brilliant light and bein free
from silicon and sulphur, which are so
detrimental to iron, the gas cannot help
cut become a great element in the manu-
iactUTe of iron. You know the gas has
been used in several iron manufactures in
this neighborhoOd, and | believe il will No;
I've long until, By the use OF gas for fuel an
non rail, equally as good rs a BesSemer
teel rail, vii! be manufactured
DErTH FOR GAS.
How deep must well be drilled to get
a large flow of gas was next asked
That depends upon The geographical
POSITION" said Mr.. Wilson, but at any
point along the belt the experience gained
N drilling will enable the drller to reach
one or more Of the gas bearing formations
at an economic depth.
why are SO manv more gas wells found
now than formerly ~
We'll, I'll tell you why, When wells
were first drilled for oil the operator was
usually attracted to the point selected by
the oil making its appearance on the sur.
face. Upon test being made with the drill,
a few hundred feet from the surface the
main deposit Was usually found. AS the
operator gained in knowledge of his work
the cost of drilling diminished, so that at
the same expense in later years he could
reach depth fOurfOld that of the earlier
years. This enabled the tracing Of the oil,
bearing pslnts 70 depth 50 great, say 2,vbJ
feet from the surface that the oil could not
exist as liquid, owing to the Increased
temperature at that depth The operator
IN his zeal for OH would not acknowledge
THE fact, and in vain has the geOlogr5t
labCTed to ConyiEce HIM OF il. Much terri
tory has been pierced for oil, in what was
opposed before to be barren districts, and
gas has been fOuSd. The operators blind
~ ignoring the fact that there is wide
difference in the character or the gas
hes often been led by large flows of gas to
bore for oil in the immediate vicinity, only
uei1g rewarded. ii he got anything at all,
with similar flow vi giS. II is only within
The past few months that Wells have been
drilled for tue purpose alone vi getting gas
FOR fuel
CAS- FJR GLASS N,NUFACrU8E.
Mr.. Wilson related somewhat in detail
the advantages OF the use of gas in manu-
featuring glass as demonstrated at the
works Of the New York City Plate GLASS
Company at Creighton station Gig lteen
miles from this city. Mr.. J. B. Ford, the
protector OF the enterprise, was for years
engaged in the plate glass business on the
lower Ohio. He realized that in order to
compete with European cheap labor he
would have to seek cheaper fuel, and he
was led to the conclusion that natural gas
was Il e fuel needed. lie accordingly lOcA,
ted works at Creighton station.
bored for gas and got it. Since the
Anrhs have been IN Operations gas
as not OF y proven cheap fuel, bu'
Il has done mOre-it has almost reyOi1-
ticnized the methods of manufacture so
that the glass is now made so cheapiy that
lot y is danger OF competition remove
ont IN the near futurethe company may
enter into foreign competition themselves.
The gas makes finer, softer glass, elsily
ground and susceptible OF a high polish
The one well which supplies these work.
heals the furnaces for two iOO horse pOV or
engines, II double engines of 20 horse pow !
er each, heats 10 annealing ovens and /
melts the material for 80 tons OF glass .
daily, besides heating and lighting - F.
dwelling houses, and yet there is plenty to /
spare.