The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1885-01-20
a CTTIzEN,s VIEWS

ON the Natural Gas Question in Regard 70
Boring foritin This City.
10 he Editor Of he 1ateIligaeT;
sR:-1t seems that the Survival Of
the fittest'' is maxim in the mechanical
as well as in the material system, and
tina. an improvement Of opportunities is
a necessity in the physical as well as in
our mental and moral relations.
II ia now feared that our nail supte-
macy as well as glass productiyeness must
fail, II not altogether cease, unless we can
obtain as well as our more fortunate
neiehbors supply Of natural gas. The
mining project OF one writer is discouraged
by another, as doubtful supply and our
search so far for neighborhood resource
Is regarded as giving no hope. Theques-
tiorl as now presented to our community
Ia almost without hope II such PROPOSE.
tions are correct and such deductions are
logical. r..
US see II we cannot find foundation lor
hope. Archibald Geike, celebrated as
geologist writes thus. "All rocks are
trayersed more orless distinctly by vertical
or highly inclined divisional planes,
termed joints" SIT is by means Of the
| intersection OF joints that rocks can be re-
moved in blocks; the art OF quarrying
consists in taking advantage OF these
natural planes Of division" Joints form
natural lines for the passage downward
and upward OF subterranean water,
HWhile in straifed rocks the divisional
planes consist OF lines OF bedding and Of
lioints cutting each other, usually at o
| high. II not q right angle, in massive
igneous rocks; they include joints only
and as these do not as rule present the
same parrallelism as lines OF bedding IN.
tstratitied rocks, even though az. full OF
Joints have not the same regularity OF
arrangement as in the stratitied formation.
Again. Professor Geike says "Proots
NAV notinireguently be found that during
denosition, aqueous strata have been laid
hare 10 air and sum-" "The nature and
validity Of this evidence will be best as
certained by observation made at the
margin OF tile sea, or OF any inland sheet
| OF water which from time 10 time leaves
tracts OF mud or fine sand exposed to the
sun and rain" The way in which the
bottom Of y dried mp pool cracks into poly
eonal cakes exposed to the sun may be
! ILLUSTRATED abundantly among geological
formations oil all ages. These dessiation
cracks, or sun cracks could not have been
produced SO long as the sediment lay un-
der water. Their existence, therefore,
avonp any strata proves that the surface
OF rock on which they lie was exposed to
the air and dried before the next layer OF
water borne sediment was deposited upon
it"
II is here considered reasonable 10 argue
that the natural gas TO which reference is
made Is not an aqueous elimination, but
more or less hydrocarbon, and an igne-
GUS production, and 1t is thought safe to
| infer that all supplies OF that character
are the escaping c0mponents OF an inter-
nally distilled matter, SO tospeak. mother
words, changes OF formation ever proceed
| ing evolve gases which escaping through
assures in igneous, and cracks in sedi-
mentary rocks, reach the surface Of the
earth, or borings made therein, and form
natural gas springs or artificial gas wells:
This question then comes; May natural
gas be expected or found beyond the
depth Of 1000 feet below the surface of
our river bottoms?
Lot us resort to as plain demonstra-
ton as present opportunities furnish.
Potsdam sandstone, sedimentary Of
course, are reCkoned among tho lower
strata OF the lower "Silurian system"
Deep borings in the northern and central
portions Of the State OF Ohio indicate the
presence there OF stratum Of red mechan-
ical sediment between the limestones Of
THE Cincinnati group and those OF the
Upper Silurian, and there is little doubt
that this represents the Medina sandstone
OF New York. This Is rendered the more
probable by the great development Of the
Medina group in Pennsylvania and West
Virginia at points not more than two hum
drad miles directly east from the eastern
base OF the Cincinnati arch. Rising with
the strata tho Hillsboro sandstone is found
capping the Niagara group and the 0ris-
kanp sandstone is found in the lower sec
ton OF the Devoniau, while the lower
and upper red sandstone are found in the
upper part OF the same series.
The Huron shale, attaining In Ohio q
thickness 81 $50 feet, is said everywhere
in that State TO contain at least ten per
cent Of combustible matter.
The bortpgs at the Insane Asylum,
Saint Louis, between the suh.carboniter-
Gus (see Wayerly group Of that locality
and the igneous (granite) rock was 1892
feet in q total OF s, 1903! feet.
Now let US reckon here:
VIE vein Of coal No. ., Of Ohio geologic. 60 IT,
Thence 10 bottom OF coal No. l. about 336 #
Wavefly grOti $50 Il.
Huron $50 fl
COrnlIerOs rs f.
group 800 #.
hon the lower Potsdam may Feaeh...,....... 500 &.
aOS1 II,