Smyrna times., 1884-10-01
Natural Gas Wells.
SOMETHING ABOUT THESE STRANGE De
VELOPMENTS.

The natural gas wells that for some
time have been exciting the western
end OF Pennsylvania, are generally
200 to / 500 feet in depth. Being un-
der pressure Of from $50 to 200 pounds
to the square inch, the gas comes out
with peculiar kissing sound. When
lighted as it issues from the well it
blaZes up in vast column, burns with
palpitating flame and gives forth
rumbling sound. The cause of the
palpitation is the irregular rush of air
to supply the combustion. To prevent
this palpitatiOn, a serious incOnVeni-
ence when used as a fuel, valves are
placed in the pipes at intervals and
break the fluctuating movement. The
first gas well of any note in Pennsyl-
Vania, was discovered at Mur"aysVille,
a village about twelve miles southwest
of Pittsburg. "A company of Oil-seek-
ers were boring for oil, but when they
had reached depth of 1900 feet they
| struck a vein of natural gas so strong
! that further operations were stopped.
! The gas that came out instead Of oil,
was regarded by the oil-seekers as a
bad omen, being in reality the much
dreaded coal damp of the coal mines.
In short time the gas began to infect
the air, and being in its natural state
heavier than atmospheric air, brOOded
like a miasma over all the country
round, so the good people ofthe neigh
borhood were CredulOus enough to be-
lieVe that the end of the world was
near ut hand. But before their appre-
tensions were realized, company was
,r,l,f
lamp Of the gas. Soon the derrick over
the well, now rickcty and weather
beaten. became black and grimy. But
before much carbon-lamp or lamp
black was made the buildings were
burned to the ground. Seeing thai
nothing could be done with the gas il
that way, it was lighted to keep it from
escaping to the annoyance and possible
injury of the people of the neighbOr
hood In the meantime, however, sue
cessful experiments had been made il
using the natural gas fuel at smalle
wells, and company was formed TO
the purpose of conveying the gas from
, Murraysville in pipes to the manutac
turing establishments ut Pittsburg.
. TIE GREAT WELL.
The company laid pipes and was al
ready supplying fuel to several larg
mills, when another company and the
another was formed. Competitio
!. promised to make the new fuel fabu
lousy cheap, but the competing CON
panies saw what the issue would b
and united. Large coal consumers
the city then saw that their only wa
Of obtaining a cheaper fuel would b
i to bore wells of their own. A numDe
Of wells were begun, but the first larg
well was struck by George Westin9
house, inventor Of the air-brake, l.;
Homewood, inside the city limit
soon after several other good wei
were struck near by, but not so larg
i as the Westinghouse well.
This we'll may be taken rs repr
sentative one, although not so larg
SI perhaps, us the Murraysville we
The Westinghouse well i.ghts up a
the neighborhOod. The gas is col
y Quoted from the mouth Of the well L
into the air about eighty feet, where
is lighted and the flame leaps up I'M
the air from seventy to seVenty-ti'
feet. The rumble Of the gas escapir
can be heard for a considerable di
tance, and might easily DC mistake
= for the roar Of a waterfall or the roll
i, heavy train. Many of those livir
near to the well could not sleep
night on account of the noise. A II
table rise in the temperature was o
served due to the heat from the we
Plant life suffered, and after a fe
weeks the lighting of the well at mig
was discontinued The best propose
D. of the natural gas companies so
have been to furnish gas as fuel at t
same price that coal cost heretOfOl
No definite rate has been determin
upon, however, and the only saw
then will be i'll the cost of handling t
coal, ashes and cinders. But the &C
- venience, cleanliness and adaptable
of the gas to certain kinds of manuf;
RE ture, notably glass manufacture, "
be the chief gain.-PhiIa. Chronic
Herald.