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


the shores Of the Caspian Sea, and there
pour out their pagan prayers in the lighl
OF the burning gas wells, matters very 1T
tie to the nineteenth century manufaC'
tErer or the equally favored housewife
whose lot has been cast In tho natural gas
region Of the beautiful aud rich Ohio Val,
ley, However this may he, the use oi
natural gas dates back toremote antiquity,
For centuries ithas been utilized in China,
where the first pipe lines ot which there
Is any record were laid, the abundant
and easily manipulated bamboo serving
the purpose lin it's way, Clay burners were
fitted on the bamboo pipes. These Chi
nes0 wells are 5000 feet deep. Julius
Caesar found a burning well near what ia
now Grenoble, France, and IL 1t hasn't
been put out 1t Is burning still, Us indeed
1t Is said 10 be.
In this country, reference to "burninR
springs" which, in many cases, were evil
IDENTIFY springs yielding gas in large quaint.
tiles, are found in the records OF early
trayel, especially in those Of the pushing,
observant Jesuit fathers, In 1875, Wash.
ington, during a visit to the Kanawba
Valley, set apart and decided to the public
forever RquRre milo Of land some three
miles above Salt Lick, on which was a
''burning spring" Washington's purpose
in making this "publlC park" was thwart.
ed through an informally In the deed OF
conveyance. The burning springs Of the
Little Kanawha, in West Virginia, and
the escaping gas Of Big Sandy, In Ken
lucky, are types OF the eyldenCes OF tho
existence OF natural gas that have been
observed Tor many years, and are common
to many parts Of the country.
EARLIEST USE IN AMRMoA.
Possibly the earliest use OF natural gas
for any economic purpose was in ligh-
ing the village OF Fredonia, Nav York.
In 1921 agas spring or well was discovered
on the banks Of Canadaway creek, near
Main street bridge. The gas was col
lected by extavating and covering the
spring, and was conveyed into gmallcop.
per holder and thence conducted through
pipo to the place where used. Enough
gas was obtained to light 80 burners. Tho
inn OF the village was Illuminated by this
gas when General Lafayette passed
through this section in 1924. A well 30
feet was sunk for gas in 1865 which sup
piled 200 burners.
Shortly after gas WAS found at Ere.
donia, Judge Campbell, OF Westfeld, N.
Y, lit the light houGe at Barcelona Ia
small harbor on Lake Etiel from spring
OF natural gas. The contract was only
abandoned In 1856. An attempt wns ulEo
made 10 light tho light tho lighthouse at
Dunkirk, N. Y, with gHs from Fredonia,
and inch lead pipe was laid from the
Maddern gas spring, but this early attempt
10 pipe the gas was a failure.
In 1871 gas was struck IN boring salt
well in the Kanawha Valley, in West Va
This was used iu "hoiling tho furnace"
posslbly the first use OF natural gas In
manufacturing. Two years after this
q strong gas and salt vol was
struck near by and utilized in the
same way. These, though the first gas
wells utilized in the Ksnawha Valley,
were not tho first struck, well yielding
gas having been bored In 1916, within The
present limits Of the city Of Charleston,
For more than quarter Of century
natural gas has been used at New Cumher.
land, W. Va, above Wheeling, for max.
ing lamp black and burning fire brick,
though Its use attracted little attention.
IRON AND GLASS MEN TAKE HOLD.
AT an early date in the development OF
the Pennsylvania oil fields, q portion Of
the gas which generally accompanies oil
was used In heating and lighting the
towns and villages In the vicinity OF the
wells. 1t was also used for raising steam
with which to run tho drilling engines,
and even tho pressure Of the gas has been
utilized instead OF the steam in the cylin-
ders Of tho engines. Lamp black was
early made from 1t, and for twenty years
at least In some cases II has been used for
domestic purposes, but these purposes
have demanded only small proportion
OF the gas produced in the Pennsylvania
oil fields, most OF 1t wasting, until re-
Gently.
Its first use in iron.making was at the
LeeChburg, Pa, works, Of MersrB. Rogers
4 Burchfeld, about 1874 In glRsB.making,
the Rochester Tumbler Works, at Roches.
ter, Pa, were probably the pioneers, and
in plate.glass Mr.. ]. D. Ford, at the Pitts.
burgh Plate Glass Works, at Creighton,
Pa, in 1888. Salt was boiled with II al
East Liverpool, Ohio, In 1860, and II was
tried later in'burning pottery In the same
village. In 1873, or earlier, Mr.. Peter Nelf |
began the manufacture Of latnp.blaCk from
gas at Gambler, Ohio.
In 1876 gas was piped to spang, Chal.
FAINT & Co.'s iron works, at ShArpsburg,
near Pittsburgh, and has been used ever
since, but 1t was not until 1888, with the
piping Of the Munaysvllle gus, and its in.
PRODUCTION into the industrial establish.
ments Of Pittsburgh, that its use as fuel
any Importance.
wHAT1r1s.