St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-24

rick will be 70 feet high, 20 feet square at
the base and feet square at the top. 1t IS
intended to drill six inch hole to depth
of 500 feet. which will be below all water.
This will then be caSed from top to bottom
to shut out the water, when the drilling
will proceed with AZ inch hole to
depth of over 400 feet. if gas is not found
before penetrating that distance into the
bowels of the earth. The tools used are
very heavy and the drill and 81 feet OF rod
attached weighs considerably more than
ton. This is all the rod used. This is
then attached to a twO-lnch cable with
which it is operated during the rest OF the
drilling. This cable passes over pully at
the top of the derrick and is then connected
with the walking beam of the engine. The
drillings are removed by means of sand
pump which is 30 feet in length and
inches in diameter, is let down with line
and pumps itself 0full of sand, when it is
hauled up and emptied. While
at work in flint rock the drill has to be re-
moved at every six inches of progress to
allow the pump to be used. but in slate
rock distance of fifteen feet is drilled be-
fore the pump is required The company
expects to strike gas in the third sand rock.
as this is where gas and oil have always
been discovered. The gas is confined in
crevices of the rock. and when reached,
rushes out the mouth Of the well with great
force,
RESEMBLING vAPoR,
and is easily seen. From this time forward
the method of procedure is to store it in a
reservoir similar to those used by gas COM
panies, in order to equalize the pressure,
and then conduct it iii pipes all over the
city for use as fuel for heating. cooking.
manufacturing, etc. In Iowa gas has been
discovered at depth of but fOrty-five feet;
in Fargo it was reached $500 feet below
the surface. AS an illumination natural gas
has not been a success, except when ignited
at the end of a twO-inch pipe high in air,
for lighting whole town. In the house,
when used as an illuminant, it
does not give satisfaction, as it
sheds around a kind of sickness
which remains on the walls and furniture.
But when employed in stoves this sticky
effect passes up the chimney. The town of
Fredonia, n. Y, was Illuminated with
natural gas in 1921. when La Fayette
passed through it, but this was not a regular
thing, as the possibilities Of this natural
product was not thought of until within the
past few years. Nothing is known Scientiti-
cally of the production Of natural gas. al
though there are number or theories con-
corning its origin, and there is no scientific
reasons for its existence in any locality.
1t has generally been found in the neighbOr-
hood of oil wells. but also exists. as in Ar
kansas, Colorado and Dakota, where oil
wells are unknown. There is no longer
any question of its importance as fuel.
and its discovery in ST. Paul would be a
sgreater boom for the city than anything yet
undertaken. The work of drilling will be
begun this week on the farm of E. A. Hen
Erickson. just north of the state fair
grounds.
WHAT IS THOUGHT OF IT.
As already stated, the gentlemen inter-
eSted in the company are very Sanguine of
striking gas, but among gentlemen who are
not interested financially there seems to be
a difference Of opinion regarding the prob
ability of obtaining the gas here. DR.. d.
W. Hand, who is well informed in scien-
tifc matters, when asked what he thought
of the probability of getting gas, replied
that he considered it entirely problemati-
cal He did not think anybody knew
of anything in the lay of the country
to favor finding natural gas in one place
more than another. Regarding the geOlog
zeal character Of this section, he could say
nothing concerning the formation below
500 or 600 feet. as that was as far as he
knew of borings being made. DR.. Hand
said he had read good deal on the subject
and was very much interested in all deep
holes in the ground, but he could not find
anything certain about it, and regarded it
as entirely an experiment. He understood
that wells were sunk without discovering
gas and other wells near by produced it.
He thought the experiment was worth the
cost of making it, as should gas be obtained,
it would be very valuable property.
Il hope the company will be rewarded
by finding natural gas here as they show
commendable spirit of enterprise and really
deserve success" said DR.. Talbot Jones.
''Such discovery would in a measure rev.
olutioniZe present methods of house heat
ing, cooking, etc., by supplanting coal and
wood as fuel, Just as it has in other cities
where gas has come into practical use. AS
to the company finding natural gas in this
section, am inclined to think the chances
are against it. 1t is generally accepted
theory OF scientists at the present time
that natural gas is generated by the
decomposition of organic matter In contact
with heat. Tf lis theory is correct in
order to find gas it follows as corollary that
organic matter in the earth shall also be
found. The geological formation about
this city is not promising for the finding of
natural gas. Its rock formation appears to
be limited to the azotic and lower prOtozotic
groups, generally covered beneath diluvial
deposits. About the city the silurian lime
stones abound, as is shown in the bluffs on
either side of the Mississippi river; but in the
various Galena and Trenton limestones or
Pottsdam sandstones there appears to be no
room for the carboniferous group. In
sandstone there is no organic matter at all,
and, while there is small amount in lime
stone, the latter, in this vicinity, is but
thin strata, being about forty feet in width: