Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-01-24
DEPTH OF NATURAL GAS WELLS
Theories as to Surface Indications, and
An Inter esting COLLATION. Of Facts.

H@NftNNg's
The depth of the natural gas wells, an
more particularly those in the great natl
ral gas centre Of Western Pennsylvania,
an interesting study, and notwithstanding
the claims OF the experts who profess to b
able to locate u well, the distance TO til
first, second and third sands, ard wha
pressure will be obtained, proves beyont
question that it is simply guess work, anc
about g. uncertain as striking oil or thu
capital prize in Q forgery.
The experiments so ta-, nave proven
that the third sand is the only one tina
can Do relied On for o regular supply o
gas. IL Findlay, Ohio, wells have beer
sunk to the limestone known to geologist,
as the "Findlay horizon" and a highly
odorous gas struck at q depth of $500 feet
This gas is q much better illuminant thar
the gas of the third sand, but is not so rich
in Marsh gas, which is the great heating quail
ity and most TO be desired. The first and
second sand gases are, like the Findlsy
gas, better il!uminants than heaters, but
are not so odorous. The third sand gas
is practically inodorous. This is the gas
developed in Pittsburg and vicinity. In
and around Findlay it was generally sup
posed the drill would have to be put down
$500 feet, but on Saturday the gas sand
was struck on the Briggs farm at l.lGj
feet. The estimated flow is 2 900. 600 feet
per day. At what depth the "Fiudlay
horizon will be struck in this State has
not yet been ascertained. although ct
Homewood @ well is down 5000 fset-720
feet over d mile.
In the great murraysville district, where
t~hree.quarters OF the present Pittsburg sup
ply comes from, the third sand is struck
at a depth OF IRON 300 to 2 900 feet, and
in the Caunonsburg field, 10 miles from
Murraysyilie bur only 20 miles from this
city, the sand Is struck at from 500 TO
1900 feet. Ire Michigan we'll that has
been burning since 1879 il situated near
Washington aud is 1850 feet deep. The
flow OF gas from it is as etrong to-day as
on the day it was struck six years ago.
The Canonsburg Iron Compsny's we'll suck
in 1883 is 1870 feet deep. Gufy Bros
we'll on the Wilson farm. Little Charters
creek, is $50 feet deep, while the Wilson
Roarer," but q few yards away ID 100 feet
deeper. TIE Jones & Mclaughlin wells.
uesr TWENTY eighth stree, South Side, are
800 feet deep,
Al Tareltun, 20 niles from the city,
the Hite well, On the CGYSt farm, is 2.40O
feet deep. This i2 the dc9Pe:t we'll in this
field, 90 mos, of the wells are shout l,SC0
feet down. In 1858 q heavy flow Of gas
was struck at ! 800 feet ia Eensngo com.
" and Immediately c little town sprung mp
and received the appropriate name OF Gas
CITY. In lSG9 gss a. struck on tee
N~allston farm, Eve miles from Tilutvii!e,
and is gtili flowing IN paying quantities.
4 2iach line was laid from this well TO
s~eyeral factories Gnd the gas burned for
heating pIrposes. In the neigb6orhood O.
Franklin, gas is struck a. l.jU9 s;ot, while
in Mexican c0uu;v, near Bradford, the Ma.
tional Transit Company drilled n number
oil wells 2,l00 feet before they made q pay.
ing strike. At Northeast, Pa gas was
struck at 700 feet in 1870 Gud since the.
time has been used in the paper mill snd
several sresidences. On the Volt farm,
Centrevilie, Butler county, in 1885 a well
was drilled 700 feet Tor salt water, bit ga
was struck and used under ;ne salt pans.
ia 1870 O vel was subk loo feet away
from this well aud tho drill was put to
| 200 feet before the sand wal struck.
In the Baden field, 20 miles northwest
OF THE city along the Ohio river, gas was
struck Oh the Bryan farm st | O7O feet, and
at Rochester, 8 miles below, the sand was
B'ruck at 500 feet. Twenty miles below
h chester, or at Smith Ferry wE.e:e oil is
produced in paying quantities, o Eumber
Of holel haze bean put down Z,IC0 feet and
no gas sand struck. IL the Sheffield field,
10 miles from Baden, on the opposite side
Of the Ohio, 1925 t=et must be drilled be.
lore the sand is struck. The Ohio Valley
Gas Company, in Hancock county, x
Va, opposite East Liverpool, Ohio, struck
he first sand OF IS feet, ,h5 second at 26j
Ieet and the third at 1913 feet. At Wells.
nile, i've miles below in Ohio, the second
sand has been struck OF 800 fest. AZ ye.
no drill has been put down to the third
sand in that vicinity. winch is supposed 10
be 1000 fee; IeIow. Al East Liverpool
no third sand wells have been pUt down.
At Massillon, Ohio, 10 miles from Pitts.
burg. the second sand has been struck at
Clio i-ot with O slight Cow OF gas, and al.
the drill was put down TO 1850
feet no third sand was found. At Mead.
Vile, Pa o well has been drilled 2.NCG
feet and no gas. 1t is proposed - Put it
down 200 feet more.
In Cleveland tue rolling mill company
put a drill down 3,400 feet. At a few
hundred feet they got a very little gs9. but
not enough to be Of any ass. At Stony
Brook, Western New York, gas has been
struck in paying quantities at | 500 feet.
On Gravier street, New Orleans, in 1865,
gas was struck at ~ feet by some men
d well. A drill is now a. work
and will be forced down until gas is struck
or until it IS determined that there is no
gas there. At Toluns, Ill, the Drst sand
Is struck OF from 96 to lG3 ieet al almost
any place y'i,hia blk miles Of that tom.
at Grst the pressure WAS strong and plans
were made for piping the gas to adjoining
towns, but the flow gradually decreased 90,
lnless q paying second or third sand is
struck in that locality, the field will be
worthless. In the old field of Kentucky
the gas is struck at about ! 100 feet, bat
is The gas that accompanies the oil, and
has not yet been put to any practical use.
4 we'll is now being drilled Tor gas near
Louisville. IN California the Oil Qss is
struck at 200 feet, but in small quantities.
In the Russian oil fields gas !s a.ruck at
rom 400 to 500 feet.
In the province Of Ou-Toug.higo, in
China, in a district 30 miles long and II
miles wide, srtesian wells may be counted
oy the tens Of thousands, FUNK ct very re-
note periods Tor the sait water and gas
These wells ere from 1850 10 600 feet.
In the province Of Sz.chusn natural gas is
obtained from wells at depths ranging from
500 to 1000 feet. In both places the
,as is conveyed from the wells in BAMBOO
pipes to the salt pans. 1T Chateau Der
lard, France, gas EaI been burning for
80 years, and may be struck 2t q cep;h OF
lot over $50 feet. The supply, however,
S very limited. In the town Of WiGap,
lancashire, England, Estaia. gas may be
truck at 100 .cs., aa1 has been burning
o. zoe years. 10 c coal pit in Notthum-
gas was struck 20 years oga. md
vas collected in @ chamhc- aud used for
the mins
Frcra tae above collection Of isc:s Il =iij