The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-09-14
VOLUME XXXV.--NUMBER 10.

gen, The approaching process Of petro,
leum TO coal Is indicated by barrel OF tho
oil being LEFT undistuTbed and exposed tu
the sun, when, after certain time OF
evaporation from heat OF the volatile quail
itiee, the residuum becomes taTrY and BIZ
luminous In its consistency; and II is
quite evident that under immense weight
for long period, substance similar 10
coal would be found, II not absolute coal,
were such conditions carried on in the
earth, where possibly other influences be.
sides heat, evaporation, weight aud pres
sure are exerted. BlsChod says that the
lnhRmmable gases, always escaping from
mineral Goals, invariably contain carbonio
or natural gas. Lesley says that every
kind Of vegetable matter, when buried in
the earth, exposed to moisture and ex.
Cluded from the air, eVokes carbonlc gas,
being q similar condition to the dense
vegetable growth OF the DevoniRn era,
These facts are not brought together as
conclusive that natural gas is OF vegetable
origin, but to show that possibly It's source
is the Installation OF the dense vegetation
Of resinous ferns, SigillaEla, and all the
fatty plants mentioned in the Dsvonian
era,
GOOD THING FOR WHEELING.
At that period the North American
Continent, it is geologlcalIy claimed, con.
tanned q series Of basins similar to our
present system Of lakes, The largest OF
these basins was along the course OF the
Allegheny mountains, lying in the State
Of Alabama and running with the course
Of the mountains through West Virginia,
Kentucky, Maryland and Pennsylvania,
which Is the trend OF the Appalachian
btuminous coal field, and oil and gas
where they have been found. II Is sug.
gested that posSibly the gsoloEically claim
ed submergsnce Of the enormous yegeta'
ton Of the PaeoEoicage, andits distillation
In the ret0rts formed by the igneoua rock,
and the immense weight OF Buperincum-
bent deposit during long periods, Ia the
origin OF our so-called natural gas.
II this be the correct theory, and so far
as development has gone 1t supports the
theory, then the duration Of the supply ia
IN interesting speculation to be handed
down to remote posterity; aud further.
more, Wheeling and It's vicinity will be
using natural gas alter tho INTEL1ldEScER
has celebrated two or three centennial an.
ulNeIhhtlGbs anu 40 tLp lhVuhtAlu WLh
not come to Mohamed, Mohamed, who Is
in this day clear-headed, enterprising
manufacturer, will have 10 come to tho
great natural gas mountain and bring
along his followers. From Pittsburgh to
sons point on the Ohio river below
Wheeling will be almost q continuous
manufacturing community, in which nat
ural gas will be the only fuel.
THRY DON'T DIMINISH.
1t has been predicted that as the wells
in any given field increased the flow would
diminish but this hos not proved to be
the fact. In the Murraysvllle district,
which may be likened to q pepper bottle,
80 thick are the wells, we'll sunk in De.
Cember OF 1Ss5-ten years alter the 6rst
well-Was the strongest in
It's flow ever struck in the district; and
the original MurrayVllle well, although
blowing" for ten years, 10 said TO be as
strong as ever As, OF all the gas fields,
this Is the moat thickly perforated, any
decrease Of yield might be supposed TO
show itself here; as 1t does not, two
thoughts arc suggested: the one that the
theory OF practically unlimited supply Is
Oeing sustained; tho other, that the In.
creased vcntage in such. concentration at
one locality Ia establishing q powerful
iraught that has q tendency to divert the
lateral gas currents toward the established
centres, and the longer they continue the
moro the concentration Of the gas will
here be.