The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1886-03-04


that it is uo:exaggeration to say
that the eyes of the entire indus
trial world are turned with envi'
Gus admiration upon the city and
neighborhood blessed with &c
unique and valuable a fuel.
I Where the gas comes from.and
how long it is going TO last-and
where it is going to-. Wa might
add, now that the scheme of pi.
ping it to distant cities ishundeI
consideration--are questions
which involve SO many elements
for discussion that we do not pro.
pose to take them up at present,
The manner of distributing and
utilizing the gas, and the indus
trial revolution its introduction
has effected, are more than suffi.
cient to occupy our space. As
many of these facts are still in.
volved in mystery to a large ma
jority of our readers, it will. per-
haps, be advisable to start at the
we'll itself, and from there follow
the gas in its various wanderings
until it is finally consumed in the
mills and works or in the home.
The regions in which natural
gas is found are for the most part
co-incident with the formations
producing petroleum. This,how-
ever, is not always the case; and
it is worthy Of notice that some
districts which were but indiffer.
ent oil producers are now famous
in gas records. The gas drilIer,
therefore. usually confines him
self to the regions known to have
produced oil, but the selection of
the particular location for a we'll
within these limits appears to be
eminen.ly fanciful. The more
scientific generally select a spot
either on the anticlinial or syn
clinial axis of the formation, Civ
ing preference TO the former po-
sition. Almost all rock forma-
tlons have some inclination to
the horizon, an3 the constant
change of this inclination produ-
ces a series of waves, the crests of
which are known as anticlines,
and the troughs are synclines.-
Many drillers suppose that the
gas seeks the anticlines and the
oil the synclines, but others,
equally lonz-headed, discard en-
tirely all theory of this kind, and
dnll wherever it may be most
convenient or where other oper
ators have already demonstrated
the existence of gas, 1t will sur
prise many of our readers to
know that the divining rod, that
superstitious relic of the middle
ages, is still frequently called up
on to relieve the operator of the
trouble of a rational decision.
The site having been selected,
the ordinary oil-drilling outfit is
employed to sink a hole about
six inches in diameter until the
gas is reached. In the neighbor
hood OF Pittsburg, this is usually
found at a depth of / 800 to 1900
feet, in what is known as the
Third Oil Sand, a sand stone of
the Devonian period. Where the
gas comes from originally is an
open question. When the driller
strikes gas, he is not left in any
doubt of the event, for if the we'll
be one of any strength, the gas
manifests itself by sending the
drill and its attachments into the
air, often to a height of hundred
feet or more.
The most prolific wells are ap-
propriately called ''roarers. p
During the progress of the drill
ing. the we'll is lined with iron
piping. Occasionally this is also
blown out. but as a rule the gas
satisfies itself with ejecting the
drill. When the first rush Of gas
has thrown everything movable
out Of its way, the workmen can
approach and chain the giant 10
his work. The plant at the we'll
is much simpler than one would
suppose. An elbow joint con-
meets tho projecting end of the
we'll piping with a pipe leading
to a strong sheet iron tank. This
collects the salt water brought up
with the gas. ordinary, about
half a barrel accumulates in
twenty.four hours. A safety
valve. a pressure indicator, and a
blow-off complete the outfit
When the pressure. exceeds a
prescribed limit, the valve opens,
and the gas escapes into the
blow-off.
The question Of pipeage is one
of immense importance, and with
increased knowledge of the best
conditions for securing an even
flow of gas, becomes even more
prominent, for the lines are being
rapidly extended in length, and