Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-05-12

That Supplies Good Drinking Water and
Good Fuel at the Same Time.
San Francisco Bulletin

octft r fd7tctScO bNt6SIlH.
Guitar Salmon. Of French Camp, not far
from Stockton, Cal, sunk a well with a
seyen-inch tube to a depth of about $40
feet, and struck a copious stream of ex-
| cellent water. Desiring to learn whether
he could increase the flow by going deeper,
and fearing that. should be continue the
well the same size, he might injure the
quality of the upper strata of water, Mr..
salmon hit on the plan of sinking four
inch tube inside the seven-inch one. and
thus making what might be called the eX-
perimental well four inches in diameter.
This inner one he bored to a depth of l $50
feet, and then came to water again. This
lower stream came to the surface, and,
indeed, rose in a tube twenty-five feet
above the ground. The Iast water found
was unfit for drinking, and but for an ac-
cidental discovery of its wonderful prop
critics might have been considered nui-
sance. 1t was found that there was a
large amount of gas in this water from
the lower depth. This came bubbling to
the surface, making one think OF a gigan-
tic soda fountain.
Some one suggested the idea of seeing
II the gas would burn. A cOal-Oil can
was put over the top of the tubing, and,
having a few holes punched in it. an i'm
prOYlsed gas fixture was at hand. Only
match was required to complete the
preparations. The match was lighted and
applied to a hOlein the can, and flames
shot up three or four feet into the air and
burned steadily. The gas would burn.
Mr.. Salmon had fire and water coming out
of the same hole in the ground. The tube
of the outer well, that which was only $40
feet deep and furnished the good water.
was tapped, and sufficient water for all
domestic uses and for the stock, etc., was
led of in pipes to the house and other 10
calities. A curling was built around the
twin wells in such way that it formed a
reservoir for the water from the l, 250-fOOt
level, and that portion from above which
was not conveyed away in the pipes. All
through this water in the reservoir came
bubbling up the gas, generated somehow,
somewhere down below. When Mr.. Sal
mon next went to Stockton he had a gas
ometer made with a stop-cOck in the top,
and this he took home and fastened over
his wells. The bottom was beneath the
surface of the water in the reservoir, and
the gas speedily filled the bell-shaped re-
celVer. The next thing was to attach a
gas pipe, and connect his homemade gas
machine with the house.
He put a pipe perforated with small
holes across his large open fireplace,
turned on the gas, applied a match, and
the problem of cheap fuel was instantly
solved. After that gas pipe was put into
the fire box of the kitchen stove, and now
the meals are prepared with the new fuel,
Mr.. Salmon has also used this gas for il
Illuminating, but it does not seem to entire
ly fill the bill, although it is great i'm
provement on a tallOw dip. 1t has been
suggested that, as this gas seems to be al
most pure hydrogen, it might be ca1bu-
retted and its Illuminating quality i'm
proved. The gas throws off a great
amount of heat, and, without doubt, such
a well would supply large number of
families with the means of warming their
houses and preparing their food.