Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1884-08-21

through the city streets to consumers
Meanwhile, Mr.. Westinghouse is sinking
/ ing three other wells on his place, and
there are IN all some eighteen gas wells
! under way within the city limits.
Within a year at least one hundred
wells viii have been sunk in that part of
/ the city lying between the HOmeWOOd
/ Driving Park and the MOnongahela Riv-
/ er. Many OF these may of course be dry.
| The property Of the district likely to be
/ thus perforated is residence property
| owned IN small lots, and is very valuable
! An experienced operator gives 1T as his
/ opinion that a well is not worth the cost
/ Of drilling unless put down on a sufi-
/ GENTLY large tract ofland to insure per
| manency. The striking Of q well on a
| small piece of ground at once induces
| the neighbors to drill on their property,
and thus the supply that flowing through
| one well would last for twenty or thirty
| years Is divided up among many which
necessarily must loose head or pressure
within a short time Outside of the city
limits, and all along the line Of the belt,
a great many wells are being drilled.
The piping of natural gas from any
considerable distance is accompanied by
many obstacles. The friction in the
pipes creates back pressure which re-
acts on the well, and in time works its
county, which supplied the Natural Gas
Company of Butler, was in compare
lively short time destroyed.
One thousand feet of gas is the equiv
alent in heat units of four bushels of BIZ
luminous coal, plus the cost of labor
saved in handling the coal and firing
and getting rid Of the refuse remaining
in the furnace. Its economy in domes-
tic use remains to be demonstrated.
Negotions are now in progress for the
consolidation of the natural gas interests
IN one great corporation. Mr.. Ford of
the PIttsburg Plate Glass Company,
well in Washington county, has within a
few days been solicited to go into such a
combination, which is intended to in
clude Mr.. Westinghouse, the Penn Fuel
Company. Should this be consummated
the manufacturers can bid farewell to
the prospects Ofcheap fuel.
Gas wells are 3-8 inches inside diam
eter, and average I, 800 feet in depth. 1t
costs from Sc, 600 to $4,000 to drill and
of the we'll varies from 40 pounds to l, 238
pounds to the square inch, and with this
range furnishes sufficient carbon to take
the place OF from 80 to 1000 tons of coal
daily. The duration of wells is not yet
known. Wells opened tWenty-fOur years
ago are still flowing with undiminished
pressure, and those which are apparent
ly exhausted renew their full flow after
being cleaned out. The combustion of
natural gas is perfect. 1t burns with a
pure rose color and makes a tremendous
heat. 1t is exceedingly penetrating, and
this, combined with its OdOrless nature,
renders it a dangerous agent. 1t is pro-
posed to odorize it by passing it over a
tank containing the refuse from coal tar
or ammonia. 1t is so subtle that it will
pass through paper or gold or silver leaf.
1t is destructive to animal life when in
hailed for a short time.
The most generally accepted theory as
to the origin of the gas is that the water
from the earth's surface, penetrating to
the inner fires, is decomposed into by
drOgen, and this, gathering into large
bodies, is freed by the drill and rushes
to the surface. According to this theory
the supply can never be exhausted so
long as the processes Of nature continue
as at present.