Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1884-10-04
ECLIPSE OF THE Sun.
NATURAL GAS WELLS.
Their Wonderful Doings ut Pittsburgb-A
City TO be Heated by Gas.

Their Wonderful Doines at Pittsburgh
, City to be Heated by Gas.
= A Pittsburgh correspondent writes
c | Pittsburgh. so long known as the smok
! ! City," promises 10 lose that unenviabi
| title i'm the near future. The natural "a
. lately discovered in this regisn In larg
, | quantities has already taken the place o
coal In many Of the roling-mills and blast
furnaces. and as soon as pipes and appli
ances are laId the whole city will be sup
pied with the new seli-propelling fuel, anC
can then vie in cleanliness and COMBINES
with New York.
/ The gas issues from a well generally o.
1900 TO 1900 feet in depth. Being under
pressure Of from $50 TO 200 pounds 10 the
square inch. Il comes out with peculiar
Kissing sound. When lighted as it issue.
nom the well the gas bazes up In vast
column. burns with palptating flame, and
gives forth rumbling sound. The cause
OF the palpitation is the irregular rush OF
air TO supply the combustion. The same
thing occurs when water is poured from an
inverted bottle. To prevent this palpita-
ton Of the gas flame. a serious incOnveni-
ence when used A. fuel, valves are placed
In the pipes at intervals and break the
fluctuating movement.
The first gas.well OF any note In tais re-
gion was discovered ct MurraysylIe, q vii
lage about twelve miles southwest OF Pits
burgh A company Of oil seekers were
boring for oil. but when they had reached
depth OF 1900 feet they struck 4 vein OF
natural gas so strong that further opera
tions were STOPPED. The well was aban-
| dCned. The gas that game out instead Of
oil was regarded by the Oii-scekcrs as bad
omen. being in reality the much dreaded
| coal.damp OF the coal-mines. Ia a short
| time the gas began 10 infect the air, and
being in its natural state heavier than at
mosphcTic air, broOded like miisma over
all the country round, aud the good pea-
pie Of the neighborhood were credulous
enough TO believe that the end OF the
world was near at hand. But before their
apprehensiOns were realized q company
was formed in Pittsburgh for making car
bon-lamp OF the gas. Soon the derrick over
the well. now rickety and weather.boa;en.
became black and erimy. But before much
carben.lamp, or lamp-black, had been
made, the derrick and buildings were
burned TO the ground. Seeing that nothing
could be done with the gas in that way. 1t
was lighted 10 keep ii from escaping to the
annoyance ana possible injury Of the peo-
pie Of the neighbOrhood. In the mean
time, however, successful experiments had
been made in using the natural gas as fuel
AZ smaller wells, and company was formed
for the purpose Of conveying the gas from
Murraysyille in pipes to the manufacturing
establishments in Pittsburgh. A dispute
arose between the company and those who
had temporary possession OF the well, and
about one year ago rot took place at
Murraysyillc, in which one MN, Hay
maker, was killed by 4 bayOnet. Those
who held possession were armed with pick
handles and their antagonists with guns.
The slayer Of Haynaker was tried Tor his
crime aud fond guilty OF murder in the
second degree 9t the August term oil the
Allegheny County Court. 80 great was
the popular indignation In Westm0reland
county. the scene OF the tragedy, that -
insure justice q change Of ycnu: hId to be
obtained.
Meanwhile the company went on laying |
pilcs ard was already supplying fuel u
several large mills wien another company
and then another was formed. Competi-
tion promised to make the new fuel iabu |
lousy cheap, hut the competing companies |
saw what The issue would be and united. !
Large coal-consumcrs IN the city then saw !
that their only way Of obtaining cheaper |
fuel was to bore wells OF their own. A ,
number % wells were begun. but the first /
large well wa, struck by George Wc,ting- /
hollsc. inventor az the air-braEe. at Home /
wood, inside the civ Limits. soon after sevc- |
RAJ other goods wells were stru X near by, /
bat not so large rs the IVES -inghous
well. This well may De taken A. a
representative one. although not 50 large, /
PERHAPS, Il, the MurraysYilc well. To visit
Ors entering Pittsburgh AT night from The
north or south, tie flames OF b'ast-iur-
naces, the glare 81 molten iron in rolling
mills, the hurryinS about OF brawny-lTm-
ed aud sparcly-cIad men IN the lurid light,
the Cliuking OF hammers, The sighln- -
furnaces, fhe rumble OF machinery, The
shouting Of Workmcn. AL cOnspiTc 70 sug-
ge>t most wildly "a rea,izliion oi DIntc's
al Inferno" But IN few years this
"pllar Of cloud by day ind Ere by night"
will he dissolved. 4 similr spectacle can
now Toe seen as one enters Pittsburgh from
the east. IL is the glare OF the gas-wclls.
A red glow can be seen reflected Oh the
skies for miles and miles. The West
inghouse wen lights up all the neishb0r-
hood, and the shady halmts OF IlomewoOd,
so long the flyorite resort Of midsummer-
night strolerS, have been deserted tins
summer for The first time. The gas is con-
Quoted from the mouth OF the well up into
the airabout eighty feet, where IL is lighted,
ard the fame leaps up into the air from
seventy TO seventy-iiye feet. The rumble
Of the gas escaping eau be heard fer a con-
siderable distance and might easily be mis-
taken for the roar Of a waterfall or the roll
OF heavy fTeight-train. Many Of those liv-
ing near TO the well could not sleep at night
on account OF the noise. a noticeable rise
In the temperature was observed. due 10
the heat from the we'll. Pant-lIe suffered,
and after q few weeks the lighting Of the
well at night wss discontinued.
The best proposals OF the nstural-gas
companies 10 far have been - furnish gas
as iuel for toe same price that the coal cost
heretofore. No definite rate has been de-
termlned upon, however, and the only
saving then will be In the cost OF handling
Inc coal, ashes, and cinders. But the con.
Vehience, cleanliness. and adsptabili!y OF
tie gas 10 certain kinds OF manufacture.
notably glass manufacture, will be the chief ,
gam. Imagine q roling-miil whitewsshed
inside and outside. Such a thing actually
exists in Pittsburgh. One great advantage
Of the gas IN manufacturing is the regularl.
" with which the beat can be supplied.
10y simply turning a yslye. like the |
ot locomotive, the de-
gree OF beat can be regulated. One dam
ger besetS HE use Of gas 81 fue--its eX- [
DlosiNeners. The high pressure OF $50 {
pounds 20 the square iuch makes IL inIpos. :
'ibie TO o0nilns the gaS Ia any ordinary Z
'as-pipe. The gas must necessarily escape /
I the cieviccs aud joints. Being odorless '
Is presence cannot be detected, aud when 4
nixed with atmospheric air in certsin pro-
loriions II explodes very easily. To pre.
,ent THIS. however, an apparatus has been n
ievised 70 relieve the pressure. which has {
'ToVed IN every way successful, The b
'reafss' revolution this gas.fuel has made h
IN the dwelilng-houses. Cooking, once an Ii
ncrous task, becomes 4 pleasant pastime. J
~ turning valve the gas enters en- appsra- b
"a similar 20 the gas-stoves used IA oyster y
blooms, and m few minutes meal can be Il
1oktO. NO d,Tt. no smoke, no ruiied If
mper, no kindling OF fres In the morn "
&. A burglsr-whlstie has also been made b,
operate by means OF natural gas, the Il
rick OF which IA even more terrible than 50
at OF the steam.whistle. For heating ht
yellipgs The gas has been found better
en- either heated air or steam. The tenn
l. a