Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1885-09-24
NATURAL GAS.
Its Use and Prospects for Uscfulness in the
city Of Pittsburg.
Likely to Kill the Local Coal Trade In That
District-IIow It's Obtained

Distfict-iioW it IL ODtatned.
Pittsburg correspondent of the
Chicago Tribune writes: The source
OF the gas, speaking of its location in
the bowels of the earth. or the extent
OF those underground chambers where
it is stored, and the limit OF its supply,
IS still likely TO remain as much mat
ter OF theory as has been the certain
location OF all fields, except as the
genius of man for speculation demon
strateS by practical expert ent just
where it is TO be found, aud what are
its staying qualities. Its formation is
undoubtedly the result of chemical
action, but whether generated in ares
past or the result of changes now tax
ny place away below the surface of
the earth is proposition which would
probably find as many to affirm as to
deny.
GAS AND SALT WATER.
The troublesome salt water has not
deferred the enterprising seeker af-
ter hidden wealth. New derricks
are going up here and there very
cucouragngly. Gas has been struck
IN every hole that has been put deep
enough, in larger or smaller quantities,
but the inevitable salt flow was always
there In few instances where the
sat water was cascd off, sufficient
quantity OF gas remained to be used to
advantage, but in the great majority of
wells this WAS not so. This, however,
does not disprove the existence of large
volumes OF gas under that part of Al
leghcny County upon which the twin
cities are built. To illustrates: A COM
pany that has large lease of property
III the eastern part of the city, over
looking the Monongahcla River from
the north, put down a we'll from an ell
ovation of about 800 feet above the riv-
er, believing nat they were on what is
called the anticinal line, under which,
according to one OF the gas theories,
the gas WAS to he found in the greatest
quantities. At abo,i 400 fest Il small
amount OF gas WAS found. At9 0 feet
Il strong vein was struck. Tho drill
was sent a little deeper and The well
vas flooded With salt water. The salt
water was cased of and ut 200 feet
another vein OF gas was tapped. but it
III turn was drowned out by stream
OF salt water, which was opened up
little deeper. 1t was noticed as the
well went deeper that each successive
VEN OF gas bccamG stronger, that
flow oil salt water was invariably found
under each vein, at variable distances
and OF variable but smaller ratio of
Increase as compared with the cores
ponding vein OF gas and that the low
CT veins OF gas aud salt water were
closer together. Again, ut 1875 feet
the heaviest vein of gas yet obtained
WAS struck. The flowing capacity was
172. 900 cubic feet per day, or cGuiva-
lent to about l72 bushels of coal every
twenty-four hours. With the accumu-
lated volume Of gas that had been shut
off with the salt water the well would
Their have flowed quantity of gas
equal to about 800 bushels of coal per
day. Aud yet the com 1any has not
reached the sand in which they had
expected to find gas when the drill was
started Tho third sand, generally
known in the oil country as the We
mango third-the one which is usually
productive when tae sands above it fail
in the district referred to- was thought
to be between so and 400 feet further
down. A few screws were run to in
crease the flow of gas, If possible, and
hard shell was encountered. When
the bit penetrated this shell the rapid
flow of gas stopped for Il moment the
we'll gave spasmodic gurgle, then
shot the gas and water L nun lrod feet
in the air and ceased, ctoked again by
tine salt water. The sand from VIII CHI
the last gas came was hard, and spongy,
;nd white. Inc company are now cas-
ing off, and VII, drill! deeper to the last
sand in whic the owners OF another
well about six miles distant on the
same imaginary line have struck oil
That strike wa, made known the other
day. The well viii prob ,bly prove TO
be Il twenty-five barrel pumper. 1t
WAS put down for gas. 1t is being
worked now rs n mystery, like the
small well know rs the Mount Ncbo.
three or four miles below Pittsburg,
back from the OHIO River
SOURCES OF SUPPLY.
These facts will probably serve to
show the progress in natural gas de-
veopmcnl in this city and lis suburbs
The history of all of the wells sunk is
very much the same, excepting as to
the number of gas veins struck. As a
rulc, gas is not obtained under /, 100 or
1900 feet. A few mills arc using gas
from wells on the mill property, but it
is not in quantities large enough to sup
ply the whole mill. For heavy manu-
featuring purposes NO single vein of
gas that has been discovered under the
city seems strong enough, and to COM
bine the smaller ones at places where
they have been tapped and keep them
separate from the salt water is 4 theo-
rem to be solved. Much greater VOL
umes of gas have been set free from
their subtorrancan chambers, in the
adjoining counties OF Washington and
Nestmorcland, but in those portions
adj ,ccnt to Allegheny County, and
distant some eighteen or twenty miles
frSAl PitiSbGrg. At Tarentum, which
is about eighteen miles above Pitts
bury, and in Allegheny County, some
a,sdbtc wells are now in operation,
and btiug within easy piping distance
ui the Smoky City manufacturing es-
Establishments, dlsplaeo Il good quantity
Of coal ia the homo markets. In Wash
in1tou County. which adioins Allcrhe-
~ on the South, num0er OF wells
i. have pecu put down in the vicinity of
the great Michigan well, and this dis
trct forms another heavy supply for
N4lt 4ttfa ma me- 1T ttlSnuEA. linen
Ia-(. H,l moi least, comes the enormous
supsry which the Murraysyilie natural
gu, 81 rlct brings. Murraysvilie is in
Nes uorcland County, and about
eItnjecn miles east OF Pltisburg. The
big Murraysyiile well. which has been
biowng away Tor ten years or more
without showing any sign of weaken
iug, sends forth tremendous volume
al gas with Il pressure SO great that il
4 iunnt be confined. and which requires
iita strongest Giud Of pipes to convey
il away from the we'll. There the sur
rounding country to IAc extent OF
tt.ou.anlS Of acres mas been leased by
GAS companies, and VETS have been
pu, uuwn 50 close together in some
p.ae..S lh..t man could cap from one
,terr.c6 into another. Bat as TO the
leasing 0l property, the same may be
said OF III the gas territory in this
state. Ii has uesn gob3lcd up by COM
peting companies which expect TO run