Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-03-08

Its Application TO Irou and Steel n anu-
characterization of GA Wells.

decentralization of GA Wells.
A gentleman familiar with the use of
natural gas in Pittsburg and vicinity
furnished the B Gilmore Sun with the fol-
loving interesting history of the applica-
ton of the gas to manufacturing pur-
p ,ses: sin the year 1871" he Gays, ''a
C impany boring tor oil at a small village
on the KlskineretAs river known as
Leechburg, about 80 miles from Pitts
burg, struck on July tremendous vein
of gas. So great was the pressure that
on driving plug in the end of the casing
1t would force the gas up in all the Gre
vices that entered the well from the
river, about Is yards away. The gas
could be lighted on the water, and
would run in flame as large as a
house. In the year 1872 Rogers L. BuTch-
field erected rolling mill at the town of
Leechburg, and for two Years used coal as
fuel. Through the knowledge of other
parties they then commenced the use of
this gas in their null. The result was
everything that could be hoped for, saw
ing the firm about $4,000 per annum.
The gas was not used III any Oth-r mill
until about 1879, when the Natural Gas
Company of PitJsburg was formed. This
company bought II well located at Taren-
tum, II miles from PICtsburg. FOR SIS, 900.
they then, at a cost OF about SI2O, 900 laid
the first pipe line into PiJtsburg for con-
Teying natural gas for tuel purposes. 1t
was first applied in the pipe mills of
Spang, Chaltant Il Co., at Etna, six
mites from PitLsburg; then in the
MlllVale mill of Graf, Bennett &
Co., with perfect success, saving in
the two mills about $4,000 per annum.
Nothing more was done with piping gas
= s.sr r.
Company was chartered and the laying
of pipes was commenced from Murray s.
vile. Il distance of 1S miles. A cOntrO-
Yersy arose as to the ownership of the
well. But the Penn Fuel Company holds
possession of 1t In 1888 a pipe line was
completed to the city and gas introduced
for fuel under the boilers Of the PIttsburg
water works, and in some Of the houses
in the east end of the city. 1t WAS next
put into the Union Iron Mills, Carnegie
a. Co., limited, and now nearly all the
lar. mills are using gas as fuel; also
great NJ any glass houses. Mr.. Andrew
Carnegie states that There his firm form
erly had 80 tiremen at work in one boiler |
house and were using 400 tons OF coal per |
day, one man now does the WORK OF 90. |
He says the iron manufactured is Of a |
better quality than that made with coal. |
George Westinghouse, Jr., owner of |
the present air-braKe, struck a big gas
well on his residence property, whic5 he |
estimates to be worth $50 0C0 per day. In |
the last year 100 wells have been sunk In |
the end between the HOmewoOd Driving |
Park and the MOnongahela river. OF |
course many are dry holes. The sinking !
of so many wells and 80 close together |
causes the tapping of some of them, and |
wells that would last from fifteen to |
twenty years are divided up among many,
and must necessarily have less pressure. |
One thousand feet of gas is equivalent in /
heat-prOducing power TO tour bushels of |
bitumlnOus coal, plus the cost of labor, |
handling the coal, firing, and gett ne rid |
of the refuse remaining in the |
furnace. Negotiations are now in |
ural gas interest in one great corporation. |
Gas wells are ga inches in diameter and |
average 1900 feet in depth. The cost of |
drilling and casing a well varies from |
So 900 to $4,000. The pressure at the |
mouth of the well varies from 40 pounds |
to 1,23S pounds to the square inch. 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 IL a dangerous |
agent. 1t is so subtitle that it Will /
pass through paper-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 hydro |
gen, and this gathering into large bodies, |
is freed by the drill and rushes to the sur
face. According to this theory, the supply
can never be exhausted so long as the
processes of nature continue as at pre-
sent. Now the question arises, how can
the companies engaged in the manufac-
ture of iron and steel in the East and
using coal compete with those in this re-
gion, where the cost OF fuel is almost
nOminalS AS an expert in this business,
however, l claim that natural gas can
be obtained as easily in the eastern part
of Pennsylvania, Maryland, New York or
New Jersey as it can in the city of Pitts-
burg, and that the time has come when
those using fuel for manufacturing pur-
poses must try the experiment of getting
this cheap fuel at their own mills.
Natural gas has been found in California,
Kentucky. Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania
and New York, and in foreign countries
fact that would seem to indicate it's ex-
istence in almost every portion Of the
country.