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


Wheeling the Centre u IA Great Gas aud oil
Field Prof. Whites Interesting Vows,
Prof. |. O, White, OF the University o
West Virginia and the United ststel
Geological Survey, has perhaps given {
more thorough aud painslaking attention
to natural gas than any other scientist
He has made himself familiar with West
eTn Pennsylvania and with West Viz
GINA, making his personal inspections
on the ground with whatever guides geo
lOgy and practical experience could offer
He has located some OF the best OF the de,
yeloped wells northeast OF Wheeling, and
southeast Of Wheeling made locations
which give promise Of yield equal to the
beat. Prof, Whites name Ia prominently
identified with the antiClinal theory
He has pursued 1t in his practice aud with
results the most satisfactory, He informs
the INTELLIaENCER that each step in the
progress Of the development has more
fully convinced him that the great strikes
will be found on the antiClinals.
THE ANTICLINAL THEORY,
Prof. Whites views are best set forth in
his own words;
The recent introduction OF natural gas
into general use as a source OF heat for in.
duRtrial and domestic purposes, has raised
it from the rank OF mare curiosity tc
one Of the earth's most valuable treasures
This new fuel, which bids fair to re-
place coal almost entirely in many Of oul
chief industrial centres, has not received
that attention from the gsOlogist which
its importance. demands. So far as the
writer is aware, nothing has been pub
lished on the subject which would prove
OF any value to those prospecting for nat
ural gas, and 1t is the existence OF thii
blank in geological literature that has sug
gested the present article.
Practically all the large gas wells struck
before 1889 we're accidentally discovered
in boring for oil; but when the great value
Of natural gas fuel became generally recog
nized, an eager search began for 1t IN
Pittsburgh, Wheeling and many Other
manufacturing centres.
the first explorers assumed that gas
could bs obtained at one point rs we'll Rs
at another, provided the earth be- pene'
tratea-te-a depth sufficiently great; and il
has required the expenditure Of sew
eral hundred thousand dollars in use.
lees drilling to convince capitalists oil
this fallaCy, which even yet obtains gen.
eral Credence among those not interested
in successful gas companies.
The writer's study oil this subject be-
gan in June, 1883, when he was employed
by Pittsburgh parties TO mako general
investigation Of the natural gas question,
with the special object Of determining
whether or not 1t was possible to predict
the presence or absence OF gas from geo.
logical structures. In the prosecution OF
this work | was aided by u suggestion
from Mr.. William A. Earseman, OF Ale
gheny, Pa, an oil operator OF many years
experience, who had noticed that the
principal gas wells then known III West.
ern Pennsylvania were situated close to
where antiClinal axes were drawn on the
geological maps. From his he inferred
there must be some connection between
the gas wells and the anticlnes. After
visiting Ill the great gas wells that had
been struck in Western Pennsylvania and
West Virginia, and carefully examining
the geological surroundings Of each,
found that every one OF them was stu
atcd either directly on, or near, the crown
OF IN antiClinAl axis, while wells that had
been bored in the synClines on either side
furnished little or no gas, but In many
cases large quantities Of salt water
Further observation showed that the gas
wells were confined to a narrow belt, only
one fourth 10 one mile wide, along the
crests of the anticlnal folds. These facts
seemed to connect gas territory unmis-
takably with tho disturbance in tho rocks
caused by their upheaval into arches, but
the crucial test was yet to be made In the
actual location OF good gas territory on
this theory. During tho last two years
have submitted It 10 all manner Of tests,
both in locating and condomning gas ter.
rltory, and the general result has been to
confirm the anticlinal theory beyond q
reasonable doubt.