Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1885-03-26
NATURAL GAS WELLS.
Theories Accounting for the Cause,
of Their Flow.


Theories Accounting for the Causes
of Their Flow.
A correspondent visited the region Of
gas wells near Pittsburg last week, and
saw nine wells furnishing gas. The gas
from the three largest was still passing
into the air. These are wonderful sights.
indeed. The gas rushes up with such
velocity through q six-inch pipe. which ex.
tends perhaps twenty feet above the sur
face, that it does not ignite within six fee,
OF the mouth Of the pipe. Looking up
into the clear blue sky you see before you
a dancing golden fend. without visible
connection with the earth, swayed by the
wind into fantastic shapes, and whirling
in every direction. As the gas from the
wells strikes the center of the fame and
passes partly through 1t, the lower part Of
the mass curls inward, giving rise to the
most beautiful effects, gathered into grace
full folds at the bottom, . veritable pillar
OF fire. There is moi q particle OF smoke
from 1t.
There are, OF course, various theories %
to the location and extent Of the gas belt.
Enough wells have already been bored in
the Murraysville district to indicate that
1t lie about half q mile wide, and ex-
tends in a southerly direction from
Murraysville for five or six miles. The
wells bored beyond this encountered . flow
OF salt water in such great quantities AZ to
nearly drown out the gas; for while gas
came to the surface. Ii was not in sufficient
quantities to render IL valuable, and merely
proved its existence. Experts have. there
fore, concluded that while the gas exists
in such wells, it is under q basin Of salt
water. Several wells have been bored in
the city Of Pittsburg and the vicinity, but
the same trouble from salt water has been
encountered there. A geological friend
informs mt that the stream dips about 600
feet near P~ittsburg, and his theory ia that
this depression has been filled with salt
water, and hence the attempts In that
district have proved unsuccessful. Whether
deeper boring, or some plan Of shutting
out the water, will overcome this difficulty
is yet to be seen. Northwest from MUIR
raysville but little has been done to prove
the extent Of the gas belt. So much for
the Murraysville district, which is to-day
furnishing most of the gas consumed in
Pittsburg.
Many theories are advanced to account
for the existence of this fuel, but the most
reasonable one is that given me by Prof.
Dewar, Of Cambridge, who recently visited
us. and who was deeply impressed by what
he saw of this new mine Of wealth. He
holds that the gas is being constantly dis
titled from the oil, or from immense beds
Of matter which are slowly being changed
to oil, and therefore that long after the oil
region has ceased TO give oil in paying
quantities, we shall still have an abund-
ant supply OF gas; for the shsllower the
deposit OF oil, the more favorable will be
the conditions for rapid distillation. In
stead OF occupying the bad eminence
therefore Of being the dirtiest city in the
world, which ii undoubtedly is to-day, it
is probable that the other extreme may be
reached. and that we may be able to claim
for smoky Pittsburg the cleanest city.
However this may be. l think that few
will be disposed to dispute that, surround
cd by such as / have attempted
70 describe. Pittsburg is to-day. as far as
subterranean treasures are concerned, the
metropolis Of the richest district in the
known world.