The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14

uuupt tup ASeuloklghHy Slnllusul BIauuH
uprising of that section Of the earth
drained oil, leaving huge basins OF sal
water, which may be called Devonial
Lakes, the Devonian era succeeding, no
unlike our present system OF great lakes
These Dsvonisn basins gradually hllin
with silt and mud, began to form marsh,
flats, with rank vegetation. Such vege
tation is Seologicllly claimed from fossil
remains formed In the metRmorphiC rock
and the coal strata, OmitinR, for thl
sake OF breYlty, the various botaniCa
names and descriptions OF those veseta
tions, 1t is sufficient to say that they werl
Of similar family to the resinous pineI
OF the present day, but more probably o
a spongy, soft, tern.likO consistency, aud
grew to enormous size, some fossils show
ing length OF from 80 to 100 feet,
A VAST TsUBTRRRANEAN REToRT,
At that date one theory Is that the earth
was q vast hot house, Rnveloped In q
dense atmosphere OF carbonic gas and the
great internal heat OF the earth at that
time created a more than tropical climate,
which stimulated the vegetable growth Ia
gigantic proportions, and under the In
tense heat they absorbed from the atmos'
phere great quantities OF carbon, which,
combining with the saline nulrlment oil
their roots, caused the secretion oi rich,
oily Juices. Under such an atmosphere
animal life was impossible; and, unbrOken
by auGht, this vegetation, which was prob
ably the most enormous that the earth
ever produced, must have filled the huge
marshy basins in which 1t grew to an
almost solid mass. II is geologiCally
claimed that Ia the DsVonian period there
were submergenCiea Of the Appalachian
region, and successive periods OF vegetable
formations Of similar character, thus
forming many layers OF this resinous
vegetable matter, from which distillation
through internal heat was consequent. II
Is not difficult to bsleve such Rn enor.
nous bulk OF oily plants, submerged and
covered with great depth and weights oi
silt, aud thus compressed between the
heated rocks beneath and the sand and
silt above, would be practically in a retort,
and their oils distilled. Prof. Lesley, in a
paper read before the American Institute
OF Mining Engineers at the Pittsburgh
meeting OF 1885, says: Twenty years
ago showed that the petroleum OF the
conglomerate formation Of eastern Ken.
lucky was produced by the decomposition
Of fossil plants," and also, "that the gas Is
undoubtedly evolved from petroleum."
yAsT STORAGE TANKS oE SAND.
The oils, in tho long period Of Submerg.
ing, would be superheated-if the term
may be used-into gas, the undistilled
and chRrred portions OF these gigantic Sig
illiara remaining as interpreters in future
ages OF the process ot coal formation, and
the distilled juices seCreted in the earth
for mans future use. Under the pressure
its own sublimAtion would cause, these
gases would penetrate into the superin
Cumbent sand, which which would form
reservoirs, and are to-day the tanks, go to
speak, in which 1t is found. This seems
as 1t Is In various strata OF peb.
bic, sand and honey.Comb rock, at i'm.
mense depths, that the Vapor is reached.
1t is q property OF all vapor to ascend,
and the expansion Of gases under heat and
continued formation is productive OF great
force. This penetrative char.
aCteristiC OF so.called natural gas Is one oI
its peculiaritles, as well as It's habit OF fol.
lowing 'earthy leads" which has been
demonstrated in investigations OF explo.
Rionu, occurring at points distant from the
leak in the pipes from which It has es.
capped, arising only to the surface where
some vertical CreviCes give freer egrssB 10
tho atmosphere. AS 80 far tho rcachable |
tankage OF this vapor Is found in pebbly |
sands and honey.Combed rocks, as pre- |
viouRly cited, 1t is reasonable to suppose,
are no indications In these sands Of |
formative processes, that the gas has, In
It's natural habit, aSCended from the CreR-
live source and become stored, penetrat.
Ing under the force OF tho creative pres
sure every interstice, however minute, Of
The sands or rocks above, and being held
back therein from further ascension by
luting OF very hard rock which Is always
Just above the sand.
What beds OF sand or gas holding rock |
lio beneath the sands from which thu
present supply Of gas escapes, and their
depth, nothing as yet determines; and
that II Ia found in tho soCalled Venango
sand ia because under the enormous pres.
sure 1t hos been forced upwards through |
rilts and followed from onesand 10 another.
It there is any force In the theory that
from the distillation Of the vegetation Of
the Devonian era, this vapor was created
Judging from the volumes stored in tho
present producing sand, 1t Is presumable
That, even admitting the generating has
ceased, the existing bulk must bs i'm.
mense. For, from the pressures created
under its distillation, the packing would
be enormous, and naturally evolves as 1t
escapes from pressure greater bulk than
in It's packed form. While any stored
quantity would necessarily find exhaus.
lion under sufficient consumption, 1t is
evident, on this theory, that while in one
sense exhaustible, 1t may DO spoken Of ss
In the same sense as coal
beds, the more especially when there arc
records Of wells that have burned for 1000
years.