The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1884-05-02
A WELL
Tint Supplies Good Drinking Water and
Good Fuel at tho Same Time.

- NSsN atVA AhN
Good Fuel at tho Same Time.
San Francisco Bulttin fg.
Cutler Salmon, Of French Camp, not far
from Stockton, CAL, sunk a we'll with a
seven.inch tube to a depth Of about $40
feet, and struck a copioas stream Of excel.
lent water. Desiring to learn whether he
could increase the dow by going deeper,
and fearing that, should he continue the
well the same size, he might irjure the
quality Of the upper Btrata Of water, Mr..
Salmon bit on the plan OF sinking q four.
inch tube inside the Eeven.inch one, and
thus making what might DO called the ex.
detrimental well four incheu in diameter,
This inner one he bored 10 q depth Of
l,sbO ieet, and then came 10 water again.
rhis lower stream came 10 the surface, anu,
indeed, rose IN u tube twenty-five feet
above the ground. The last water found
was unit Tor drinking, and but Tor IN &C.
cidentAl discovery OF its wonderful proper.
ties might have been considereda nuisance.
IT was found TINT there was q large amount
OF gas III this water from the lower depth.
This came hubblipg to the surface, making
one think oil u gigantic 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, hay.
ing q lew holes punched in 1t, an impro.
Vlsed gas.ti1turo was at hand. Only a
match Was required to complete the pre.
parations. The match was lighted and an.
lied to 4 hole In tho can, and flames shot
up three or four feet into the air and
burned steadily. The gas would burn.
M, Salmon bad fire and water coming out
OF tue same hole in the ground. The tube
Of the outer well, that which was only $40
ieet deep aud furnished the good water,
waa tapped, and sufficient water for all
domestic uara and Tor the stock, etc, was
lou on in pipes to tho house and other
localities. A curbing WAS built around the
twin wells IN such n way. that It formed a
reservoir Tor the water from the l,95O 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 tho gas, generated somehow,
down below. When Mr.. Sal.
mon next went to Stockton he had a gaso-
meter made with a stop.cock in tho top,
and this ho took home and fastened over
his wells. The bottom Wig beneath the
surface Of the water in the reservoir, and
the gas speedily filled tho bell.shaped re-.
Tho next thing was to attach a gas.
pipe and connect his homemade gas.ms.
chine with the house.
He put a pipe perforated with small
holes across hislarge open fireplace, turned
on the gas, applied a match, and the prob.
lem OF cheap fuel was instantly solved.
After that gas.pipe was put into the IRE
box OF tho kitchen stove, and now the
meals are prepared with the new fuel. Mr.,
Salmon has also used this gas for illumi.
but it docs not seem 10 entirely fill
tho bill, although it lisa great improvement
on q ta'low dip. 1t has been suggested
That, as this gas seems to be almost pure
hydrogen, it might be carburetted and is
Illuminating quality improved. The gas
offs great amount OF heat, and,
doubt, such a we'll would supply d
large number oil families with the means OF
warming their houses and preparing their
|ood, -..