The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1886-12-10

TINS GLOBE, ana Whon the crater Or QUIZ
let Of any one Of these codls or closes
these gases have TO seek other outlets,
and generally do 30 where the crust
may be tho thinnest, or find their way
between the different strata 70 where
they may outcrop. frequently under the
bed of the ocean. Tho large quantity
of dead fish seen floating on the surface
at times are evidence Of these results,
either from sulphurous acid gas or con.
cussion. The tidal wavo that occurred
ON the west coast of South America q
few years since was the result of an out
break under the ocean.
What other results have you no
ticedP"
There are many different results pro-
duccd by the overpressure Of gases,
ranges of mountains are thrown up.
continents and islands are formed and
sunk, lake and inland seas are formed
by depressions. With our contracted
ideas we can scarcely conceive the
magn-,ude Of the work going on in ma
lures laboratory, and only when such
occurrences as the undulatlons or
waves that have recently taken place
at Charleston and vicinity do we con-
slider their force or magnitude.
what the nature OF these gssesp"
"They are the most volatile and ex-
pansive substance known and under the
immense pressure they are subjected
to are permeating and escaping from
the earth's surface at all times yet they
are not noticed except in extreme low
temperatures or where they may es-
caps through still water. The spas
modic flow of the geysers at Yellow
stone are identical with the regular
spasmodic flow of the petroleum wells
in some instances, and both are caused
by the accumulated head of pressure
of gas behind the liquid There is moth
ing novel in the use OF the gases for
fuel or Illuminating purposes. l and
others generated steam in our boilers
and lighted and heated our offices and
buildings with 1t over twenty years
since in the Pennsylvania oil region"
How do you account for the stor-
age of these gases in certain placesp"
"There are no geological theories by
which the storages of these gases can
be located or defined. The underlying
strata or formation of the whole area
or basin, from the breaks on the west
base of the Appalachian range to the
Rocky range lying horizontally and
being unbroken or undisturbed, confine
the gas, and only through connecting
crcviccs or at the outcroppings can it
find an outlet in quantities. Every
city and town within that area can rs
well be supplied with natural gas from
natures gasometers at far less cost for
plant and product than erecting works to
manufacture from coal or other substan-
ces. There are surface indications in
the outcroppings OF gas on the water
springs as is the case on the Muskingum
river, in Ohio. on the Kanawha in West
Virginia, and in the Chovtaw and
Chickasaw nations in Indian Territory.
The Indians value these oil and gas
springs for their medical properties. and
light their camps by Inserting tube or
gun-barrel in the earth"
But would not the supply soon be-
come exaustedP"
"As to the permansncy OF the supply
of these gases there can be no doubt,
but in cases where the outlet is In ex-
cess of the accommodations the head or
pressure must necessarily decreas. BY
proper management experience will
soon demonstrate the supply OF any
given outlet without decreasing the
pressure. Where -crevices or cavities
may be struck in drilling wells that lead
TO large caverns or storage places for
gas the supply will be in proportion TO
the accumulations, and the escape
should be regulated accordingly In
many instances IN the Pennsylvania oil
fields crevices have been struck that
have afforded many millions OF cubic
feet of gas daily, escaping under a pres
sure of 800 to 400 pounds to the inch
through the usual % casing. and sufii-
cient to light any city on the continent
Petroleum has IFS origin in deposits
of organic matter OF a marine growth
OF fatty vegetation. while natural gas is
a separate and distinct formation. being
accumulations as above stated. sd
Louis Republican.