The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1886-02-02
THREATENED ABDICATION.
The Dethronement Of King Coal q
Possibility.

A visitor to the Smoky City, enterin!
the city after nightfall, frequently see
an enormous flame, or series of flames
lighting up the dingy rolling mills anc
their surroundings. II there be snow
upon the hillsides that shut in the city
the glare Of light upon their whit,
slopes form q striking picture. TIL,
sides of the precipitous landmark
known as Coal Hill. frowning down
upon the head of the Ohio, frequently
glow and glisten beautifully all through
the night When partially obscured bl
fog or smoke, the flames CLEAN like red
pillars, waving and surging fantastic
ally. Their roaring may often bC
heard more than 3 mile away, rising
and falling like the sound of heavy
SUR, or the thunder of a waterfall.
They give one an impression OF pro-
siigious power. Ii j. needless TO sey that
they are The product OF natural gas.
the wonderful fuel and wcalth-pro-
ducer that has wrought such magical
changes in Western Pennsylvania
Snch flames as those described hu-n
only at night. when the manufacturers
have no use for the gas. they are
simply escapes provided 10 relieve
the pressure in the mains Natural
gas must have vent. Passing under
enormous pressure from the wells into
the pipes, its flow must not be checked.
If allowed 70 accumulate in the mains
T,Fafr1 - al, 20
ervOirs have yet been provided to re-
ceiVe the surplus. which is. allowed To
escape into the atmosphere. Hence
the beaeons seen about Pittsburgh ev-
cry night.
+ The general nse of natural gas ia 3
cumpaT3;:ye novelty: bTt il has long
been known in connection with petro-
ieum At Frtionia. y. u. il has been
nseA - fuvi Tor Etarly half century.
Drillers 81 sulls IN The oil regions OF
Penngy y :nia have long harne,l il uE-
der boilers. and used il ia r limited eN-
,ent in their dwellings. In 100 :, small
supply Of gas was struck at East
Iiverpool. o.. IN we'll for pr.rU-
Ieum. The product WAS first used for
domestic heating: later. il served as 4
fuel for the manufacture of earthen-
ware. In other places j! VAS also made
use of, but 10 SO limited en- extern: that
public attention was not drawn 20 it.
Not until about 1875 did it find IFS way
into Pittsburgh. and its use was then
confined 80 one or two i-Qn mills.
II may appear singular. now that its
popularity is go great. that it's merits
~ I'D fa
miliar with the facts con readily under
stand it. It came TO the surface in 3
region where fuel is proverbially cheap
and no necessity for it was felt. Its
nature was imperfectly understood, the
supply was deemed irregular and in
sufficient. and danger was apprehended
from its use. Further, merciless COM
petition with other iron centers had not
then forced Pittsburgh's business men
20 Stilize every advantage, natural or
otherwise, TO retain their trade. These
sire some of the reasons why natural
gas did not spring into general use
until within the past two or three
years.
The history of its introduction into
the Pittsburgh rolling mills and dwell
ings is of great interest. Its rapid
leap TO popularity verges on the mag
icaI People at distance do not real
ize what srevolution ithas effected. We
have not yet a clean city, but our
smoke cloud il not so dense as for
merly. and We see the sun oftener.
Less than three years ago not private
house in Pittsburgh used gas as q fuel;
to-day FIVE thousand homes are heated
by il, and If is no longer a novelty.
There is scarcely an iron, steel, or
glass mandatory that does not use
IT. The laying Of the mains has pro-
duced some remarkable scenes in our
streets. For months pedestrianism
was difficult. not TO say, dangerous
matter. DeeI trenches ran through
the principal thoroughfares. and the
LIQUID mud upon the crossings was
scarcely fordable. Famous for its
dirt. Pittsburgh never before saw such
filthy streets as during this dismal
Reign of Mud,
The supply OF gas comes mainly from
Mdrraysville, ;Tafentum. and Washing
ton County, the average distance being
probably twenty miles = No productive
wells are found, within the city limits,
although many wells have been drilled.
A vein of salt water found under the
city has cut off all hopes of gas in al.
most every instance The depths OF
wells range from one Thousand TO three
thousand feet, the average. depth being
probably fifteen hundred feet The
gas isfound in stratum of coarse sand
stone, much resembling petroleum.
bearing rock. At the well il has q per
ceptible ordor, which vanishes. after i
rs confined, D short time in the mains.
Housekeepers viii wish. TO know
about the cost. Different companies
supply il 70 consumers, and then
charges vary. In Allegheny City {,
village o. ninety shousaad people op