Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1886-05-24
A BIG GASSER
Struck, Saturday, Out Near Can
n0nsburg.
The Well Fired by Lightning, and
Presents a Grand Sight,
General Oil and Gas
Notes.

Yesterdays REGISTER contained very !
brief mention Of tremendous gssser
struck by the Manufacturers Natural Gas
Company out near Canonsburg, and the
firing of the came by stroke of lightning.
Yesterday mornings Pittsburg Dispatch
contained an extended account of the mat
ter, from which we take the following.
The we'll was located about one and one
half miles distant from the village. About
noon on Saturday the drill, which had
reached.a depth of 1856 feet and was pen
etrstiUg the sand, tapped a gas vain.
With rumble and roar, like the sound OF
battle, the natural product rushed from the
cssiug, as if impatient from long confne-
ment and anxious to move st will through
space. The flow was tremendous, and the
sound of the voice was completely swal
lowed up anywhere within a radius of 100
feet of the derrick The drillers were COM
PEELED to quit the place, and several OF
them went TO barn 300 feet distant. Dur
ing the afternoon signs of thunder
storm became visible in the southwest, and
the heavens were overcast with heavy
clouds.
Between ! and o'clock Mr.. Duncan
and some OF the workmen visited the der
rick, and the former CHANGED to remark
that the place might not be safe during
storm. The idea seemed to have impress
ed all OF the men in a similar manner, and
theS accordingly departed. They had hard
| / L. uyhan
chain of lightning flashed across the heav'
ems, and in an instant the atmosphere tor
hundreds of feet above the derrick seemed
TO be on fire. Quick as thought the flames
rushed downward and enveloped the der.
rick, and great roaring volume of flame
shot upward for hundreds OF feet again,
the well being on fire. The sight
was magnificent one and filed the
beholders with awe and admira:
ton. A peal of thunder followed, as if
the storm king had been moved to ap-
plause at the antics OF the ligbtuings
hurled from his mailed hand, aud the
heavy clouds aoated by with omiDous
frowns. After the first feeling of surprise
had passed away the men rushed to the
derrick The tools were hanging from
the pulley at the top, and the frame work
was still perfect. No signs Of lightning
stroke we're visible on any part of it, and
not the slightest shock had been felt by
the men, who we're some 300 feet away.
The boss driller stood in the door OF the
barn when the fire occurred, and he says
that tAs gas ignited several hundred feet
above the derrick.
MIR. Duncan said last evening that in his
opinion the Immense volume OF escaping
gas had collected in the upper atmosphere,
and been ignited by the electric current.
He considered it the most remarkable
sight he had ever Witnessed, and said it
was without precedent The well is still
burning, and last night lighted up the
country for miles around. To day the
drillers will extinguish the flames by
smothering them with the Handicapped
cap, as was done at Washington some
weeks since during the big fire there.
The gasser is said to be the largest ever
struck, and opens up new field. The gas
will be piped to Eitrsburg at onos.
GAS AND OIL NOTES.
Work on the river pipe line OF the
Wheeling Natural Gas Company is going
along nicely ever since the sunken boat
has been raised Two lines are done, and
the third one, including the shore ap
proacbes, will, unless solHe unforeseen oc-
curreHce takes place 10 hinder Il, be COM
plated in week Ur ten days. Booth and
Finn, the contractors Tor the str=ets iii
Martins Ferry, have completed the ditch
~ far az the HanWood furnace, and have
the p pc laid to within hundred yards Of
that place The pipe has all been tested
as far IS the Clark's addition rink.
The first kiln fred with natural gas in
this vicinity was drawn at Fast Liverpool,
Saturday, In the presence OF ia large assem
bly, OF pottery men, who were deeply inter
ested in the experiment aud the effect it
would have upon their future pro 'pscts
Inc KIN was G sc1 ID; lie second time, and as
it was predicted failure would be the re-
suit, the interest ON this occasion was the
deeper. The experiment, however, proved
to be an unqualified success. and the pot.
tiers are very much pleased with the result.
"Cold Short" in the Age Of Steel-"A
very productive we'll has been struck
within seventeen miles Of Wheeling, bring
ing the prospective supply nearer and
nearer. | think it will require only pa,
thence. perseverance and enterprise to find
gas almost, if not actually in, the city
limits All the geological formations and
Typographical appearances indicate the
existence of the gas, If they count for any
thing"
A statement has appeared in print re-
gsrdiug the charges for natural gas for
domestic purposes, where competition
exists and vice versa-50 cents per month
where competition is lively; Sc Is per
month for like service where there is no
competition. | note this for the benefit OF
Wheeling, where they will soon be inter
ested. Gold Short.
Rock oil, or petroleum, it is said, was
gathered from Charters creek aud used
as liniment, nearly hundred years ago.
The HUFFMAN family which
came TO Brooke from Washington county
in 1855, or rather great grandson OF the
original Samuel HindnsH, is quoted as
authority, in the newspaper account.
A Washington telegram says: The Will
lets No got the lower pay s'resk to-day,
and started of at big rate. No accurate
gauges have come in tonight. The Came
ron No. is reported doing ss big work &c
the Vandergift No. l. This, however, is
an unconfirmed report, and unconirmed
reports are as thick as black berries.
On Friday VIM. Wolf and DR.. White
sey leased ten acres of land, fronting on
Wade avenue, Little Washington, for oil |
and gas purposes, to C. D. Robbins, for a
cash bonus Of 81, 600 and one.eighth of the
OIL
The well being put down on Hesthering
toms place, just below Bellaire, reached It's
contract depth Of 1000 feet Friday night
red shale, dry hole. Whether it will be put
down any farther is not now know.
The Gordon did 237 barrels in twenty
Fonr hours ending at 8 o'c'o1k Saturday