Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1886-12-16
NATURAL GAS.
How IL IL Accumulated and stored
The safety Valves of the Globe.

"
and Investigations in the oil regions of
Pennsylvania, is at the Hotel Moser.
He talks very entertainingly and in
structively upon the subject that proba-
bly, occupies II major portion of his
thoughts and shows that he has given it
much careful research.
Science tells us" said he yesterday,
'that the central portion OF this globe
is molten mass of heat, if so it must
necessarily be an incandescent or electri-
cal heat, burning in vacuo without oxy-
gen-hence no combustion. Admitting
this to be the case and considering that
at least two-thirds of the globes surface
is covered with water, there must be
an immense quantity of that liquid
gradually working its way by gravity
through the crust of the earth and COM
ing in contact with this great heat the
natural result of which is that immense
quantities of hydrogen gas are liberated
from the water. and, it being very vol
atile and expansive. finds its way
through to the many cavities and cav
ems in the earth $ crust, which are, as
IL were, natures gasometers on an i'm
mense scale, and there accumulated
and stored until under that immense
pressure it must find vent, and in doing
so it is constantly coming in contact
with sulphurous gases, which are also
generated by the internal heat, and be-
comes Il hydro-sulphurous acid gas. In
other instances it comes in contact with
organic or carboniferous matter; each
having an enmity for the other it be-
comes hydrocarbon gas and burns a
white flame, while in the original state,
or sulphurous acid gas. it burns o vel
lowish and blue flame. These gases find
an outlet through and between the diff
ferent strata formation of the earth s
crust and in doing so under that intense
or inconceivable pressure and expan-
sive force with great velocity cause the
waves or undulations called earthquakes
and the escape of these gases are what
are generally noticed in the odor of sui
phur ut the occurrence of these undula-
tons or waves Vesuvius, Etna, and
other volcanoes are the safety-valves of
this globe and when the crater or out
let of any one of these cools or closes
these gases have to seek other outlets,
and generally do so where the crust
may be the thinnest, or find their way
between the different strata to where
they may outcrop, frequently under the
bed of the ocean. The 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 wave that occurred
on the west coast of South America a
few years since was the result of an out
break under the ocean.
What other results have you no.
tced?'
There are many different results pro-
duced 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 tude 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"
whats the nature of these gases~
They are the most volatile and ex-
pansive substance known and under the
iihlbOioO liNooNlC bHCN tlC SuDJtClCtl
to are permeating and escaping from
the earth's surface ut 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 places?"
There are no geological theories by
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
crevices or at the outcroppings can it
find IN outlet in quantities. Every
city and town within that area can rs
well be supplied with natural gas from
nature $ gasometers ut 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 rs is the case on the Muskinpum
river, in Ohio. on the Kanawha in West
Virginia, and in the Chortaw 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 permanancy OF the supply
of these gases there can be no doubt,
but in cases where the outlet is i'm 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 decreas 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 proport on 10
the accumulatons, and the escape
should be regulated accordingly In
many instances IN the Pennsylvania oil
fields crevces have been struck that
have afforded many millions of cubic
feet of gas daily, escaping under pres
of To de 20. 10, A.