Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1885-01-10

day morning 9 meeting Of business men
was held st the City Building yesterday aft
ernoon to consider the advisabiEty Of max
ing . final test to see il natural gas could be
found under or near this city. The meet
ing was not nearly 30 large as it should
I ave been, or as might have been expected,
aEdit was finally decided to hold another
meeting next Friday. The gentlemen who
gathered talked informally for some time
waiting Tor the arrival of manufacturers
who we're expected, but who failed to mate
rialize.
COMING TO ORDER.
The meeting was finally called to order
BY Mr.. \. b Scott, who called Mr.. J. B
fancy to the chair. Messrs. Austin Beach
and a.. I. Black were made secretaries, on
motion by the same gentleman.
The objects Of the meeting were succinct'
ly stated by Mr.. @. w. Brockunier in about
the following terms: Wheeling must have
natural gas to compete with her great in
dustriA rival Pittsburg, which had an
abundance Of the fuel desired. No gas vel
has been sunk here to any great depth, the
greatest being 2,4OO feet, at the Benwood
mill. The idea, and it was q simple ques
ton Of finance, was to take hold OF q vel
and push it to q depth Of sufficient distance
to thoroughly test the matter. The LaBelle
wen vas 1000 feet and the speaker under
stood the company would make favorable
terms with the syndicate or pool.
Mr.. Scott, with q few remarks on the ne
cessity of getting gas, either at home or
from other fields, said the well at the Cen
ira glass works was 2,0l0 feet deeR and the
contracts would carry it to 5000 for 81 q
foot or 50, 0OO,or 500 feet additional tor $2.5C
a foot. He thought this well was the most
ad~vantsgeoasly situated, especially should
gas be stuck, and the
QUESTION OF DISTRIBUTION
come up. bis company was willing TO con.
tribute II this well should be selected, or il
any other well should be chosen. At LOIS
feet, in this well, q very good vein was
struck and which the company now pro
pose to utilize. He closed his remarks BY
reading a newspaper extract, showing the
best field for gas, to be 800 feet below the
sea level and also showing, by comparison,
that gas was superior to coal, for heating
purposes,
In reply to a question, Mr.. Priest Of the
La Belle, said their well had struck a flow
of gas at 800 feet which had been cased Of
when salt water had been reached al LOCO
feet.
Mr.. Brockunier said he chsmpioned no
special well, but wanted the best used, by q
syndicate to be formed formed for the pur
pose. He read a proposition from the La
Belle company, offering the use of their
well, upon conditions very satisfactory. Il
the result was q sufficient amount to pay
interest on the cost, the company would
paw all expenses. Ifsmall and insufficient,
the well to be the property of the company
without further expenses. If the experiment
fails, the company to have no cost to pay.
WANTS THE CITY TO A
Mr.. Robert Campbell said be thought
natural gas was the rock upon which the
citys greatness, fit eyer had any, was to be
built. We must have natural gas or white
wash the town, as far as manufacturing was
concerned. The matter being n IN which
everybody was interested, he thought the
city and county should take hold and push
it. Too much iberality could not be paid
to manufacturers was his idea. This he
illustrated by q story Of manufacturer who
was driven away from here by a lack OF
public spirit. He favored q plan by which
the cost of the experiment should come from
the treasures of the city and county and
proposed to appoint q committee OF five to
wait on the Council and Board of Commits
sioners, and lay the matter before them.
Mr.. Asa P. Wilson, a Pittsburg geologist,
who has sunk q well to the depth Of 1000
feet at the IS" bridge, near Triadelphia
said Mr.. Lanahan, who owned the well
would turn it over to::sny experimentalist
upon the condition that they " such an
interest as their expenses were in proportion
to the cost already incurred.
Messrs. A. c. Egerter and A. ID. Garder
told of their well at Windsor, where gas waS
struck at q depth of 400 feet, making a
good q flow as the wells at the lower end o
Wellsburg. They had, however, no PROPOSE
ton to make at present. Mr.. Egertel
liked the suggestions Of Mr.. Campbell.
But HERE A LITTLE DIVERSION OCCURRED.
Mr.. Kimberly pitched into this plan very
bitterly, saying it was not only illegal, but
that he was utterly surprised at its coming
from the couree it did. what" said he
after this Board Of Public Works has SEM
its emissaries into Council and put q tax o.
% per cent on the cheapest fuel, it should
now come in and ask to spend the people
money locking for a cheaper fuelT' This
of course, brought Mr.. Campbell to his feet
with a reply. Kimberly is at his old
tricks" he said, and / had hoped he had
gotten over it." He went on to say that
this was not the time for a personal fight
and he was here for the public good.
City Solicitor Erskine was of the opinion
that the city and county could not legally
spend money in aid Of this enterprise. The
only thing the city could do would be Ia
literally encourage, in the shape of right
of way through the streets for the pipe
lines.
A little discussion of the coal tax uues
lion, between Kimberly and Campbell, was
ended BY . well timed point Of order and
Mr.. Scott moved the appointment of q
committee Of three TO consult and develop
some place to be reported at q later meet
ing. This prevailed and the chair took
the matter Of appointment under considera'
ton.
Mr.. W. F. Peterson thought this was
rather indefinite and made a suggestion
which occurred to him. The county poor
farm had wanted gas, very badly, and he
thought that BY petition, the Board might
without let or hind anee make the exeri
ment there. This suggestion was referred
to the committee to be appointed and the
meeting came to an end.
COMMITTEE.
The chairman afterward appointed the
following gentlemen: Messrs. John II
Hobbs, John d. Culbertson, A. W. Kelly
DR.. E. A. Hildreth and DR.. 7. H. Logan
In regard to piping gas, if it should come
to that, the well at Windsor, referred tC
above, seems TO offer the best inducements
Il hasa good flow, will have a better, and
has q large tract Of land about it.