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

over their faces and heads. Even then
tho roar Is painful, and persons 100 yards
distant cannot hear conversation unless
shouted. A short time finishes the we'll
and the gas pouts out so strongly that 1t Is
impossible 10 operate the tools. In some
cases the flow Of gas upward Is so terrific
that the immense drills and the tons OF
tools on top OF them are actually buoyed
up and almost blown from the well.
The drilling finished, the work Of shut
ting the gas in the well Ia begun. The gas
was formerly allowed to escape, but the
possibility oil the flow becoming weaker
made 1t q desideratum to eConomize the
fluid. Heavy gassers require much in.
genuity to conquer their force. Several
systems arc in vogue, but the following
description gives an idea OF tho most com.
mon: The wells are generally cased down
600 feet with 81 inch casing, Below this,
0 inch casing runs down 1,400 feet. A
heavy elbow pipe Is clamped on the inner
casing 80 as to carry of the gas, and q
heavy casting is clamped on the outer
casing. These two clamps are then Rcrew-
cd down to the beams under the derrick
floor This places the entire weight Of
the derrick directly on the gas. To pre-.
vent the inner casing from bursting the
space between 1t and the outer one 10
loaded with shot and cement. This makes
q wall as solid as the eternal rock itself.
A pipe leading into the main pipe line Is
then connected with the top Of the well,
and the immense volume OF the gas rushes
into tho pipes, ready for transportation, or
II may DO cut oil by gate or valve in the
pipe.
AN IDEA or TIE PRESSURE.
The largest gassers have never been
thoroughly tested rs to what pressure the
gas exerts in the well. 1t is impossible.
The best that has ever been done is 10 aflix
strong gauge and allow the connection 10
remain one minute. This gives in the
best wells about 800 pounds to the square
inch.
In loading tho casing with shot, thou.
sand pounds-hali t0n-is poured down
the hole. In some cases so great was the
force OF gas escaping from tho upper vein,
outside the inner casing, that difficulty
was experienced In getting the shot down
tho hole, the flow OF gas being 80 strong II
blew the shot Into the air. This was over.
come by device suggested by Superin.
tendont Ross, Of the Wheeling com.
pany. A standing pipe, six feet
high, connected with the space between
tho Inner and outer castings Is furnished
with valves at the top and bottom, The
lower valve being closed, the pipe ia filled
with shot the upper valve Is then closed,
and tho lower valve being opened, this
mRss Of shot meets with no resistance
from tho confined gas and falls at once 10
the bottom Of tho hole.
At each well ID a "boiler house" con.
tanning a large iron tank, into which the
gas passes from the well, This collects
any moisture, which 10 drawn of at will.
Tho gas then passes through curved pipe
fitted with q safety valve into the branch
line which connects at the main valve
house with the pipes direct for Wheeling,
The safety valves can DO regulated 10 any
pressure, and when the desired pressure
is exceeded, the gas escapes and blows of
through a pipe on the Tooi. This 10 COW
cred by an automatic cap which opens
when the gas escapes and closes when II
stops, ..
The gas Is now practically shut into the
wells, except what Is used IN drilling,
This is not used 90 fuel, but passes into
the engine In lion Of steam, the pressure
on the pipes being ample to run the en-
glne.
One peculiar thing about the use Of gas
In the cylinder 10 that when II escapes IN
expanded iOtln, u generates intense cold
--or, more scientifically speaking, RbBofba
q great amount Of heat-and the waste
pipe 10 coated thlCkly with hoar frost, Just
as tho cooling pipes Ia a brewery are
frosted by the chemical cooling process
Of an Ice machine, ]