The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1888-03-21
NATURAL GAS.
THE TRANSFORMATION IT HAS
EFFECTED IN SOME PLACES.
The Terrific Advent OF the Giant
Kary Well-The Dazzling Ca.
reer of Findley's Nat
ural Gas Boom.

CnaC NOrtnern OnlO anu lnQlana QceQ.
Uncertainty united to unlimited posi-
bllitics, which, in one way or another,
may affect ali members of society, keep
up the exhilaration. There is no foot of
ground that may not be the spot. A few
dollars Clipped in to buy drill by an
errand boy may turn into fortune up
lifted by a ''gusher." Such things have
happened all about-at Findley, Cygnet,
Montpelier, Delphos.
A generation has seen strange sights.
Toledo was settled in 1884, and small
book published shortly after makes no
mention of coal. The surrounding coun-
try was dense forest and swamp. The
forest was cleared, and then came the
coal, bringing further prosperity. Now
coal IS dismissed for natural gas. On
September Toledo was ablaze celebrat-
ing the operation of her pipe line from
the Hancock and Wood county gas fields.
These changes have been radical, touch
ing life at every point.
But much more dazzling are the imme-
diate examples. That of Findley, for
example. Three years ago it was small
town on the Blanchard River surrounded
by an area of bleak, swampy ground,
and with population of 5000 or 5000
inhabitants, without manufacturers, and
pursuing the dull dead-and-alive life of
other small towns. Then natural gas was
discovered. There was much digging
and plenty of failures. A little over two
years ago the great Kary well was struck.
Its advent was terrific. A balloon-like
fame mounted on geyser shot into the
air. The engineer even fled the scene.
At length the earth was removed about
it, heavy walls were built, the valves
were sustained by iron braces, and the
great creature was chained. Its flow is
tremendous. It is the giant among Find
ley's thirty active wells.
The town of Findley offered gas as
fuel to manufactures free. Some glass
works accepted it. This was only about
a year and half ago. Then came Find
ley's boom. The excitement can be com
pared to the discovery of gold in Cali
fornia, to the finding of oil in Pennsyl.
vania. For sixty days the tumult ragged.
Men poured in with their savings in their
pockets to invest in real estate. Women
came up from as far as Cincinnati, grip
sack in hand, and money in the sacks, on
the same erraud. The accommodations
of the town could neither lodge nor feed
the strangers. Real estate leaped from
hour to hour. Two real estate agents,
not able to find place to transact busi-
ness, walked into a little jewelry store
and offered the owner $4,000 for his
place for the rest of the year. The
ieweler, who had paid 5000, tumbled his
things into bag and went out.
At length this excitement subsidci,
but here are the substantial results. The
wells now put forth 9O,O0O,OO0 cubic
feet of gas day, q supply fully equal to
the first flow, and believed to be unlim-
tied. There is no wood or coal burned in
the town. Every house and workshop is
heated by gas at O cost of fifty cents a
month for stoves and five cents burner
for lighting. There are now forty diff
ferent manufacturing interests represent
ed there. The town has increased from
5000 to between Is, 900 and Is, 900 with.
in year, and additions have been laid
out for 40, 900. Within the year 2, 300
houses were built. Water works are con-
tracted for, and from six to eight miles
of railroad track are to be put down this
summer. Business property sells at
500 and $500 foot.
This brief and dazzling career of
Findley shines before the eyes of all
Northern Ohio and Indiana. The gas
and oil belt, as it is called and known,
extends from Noblesville, northeast OF
Indianapolis, and runs northeast, en-
bracing Montpelier, Muncie, and Del
phos, and passing through Findley, where
It has proven richest. Gas is found both
north and south of the belt, but not in
"gushes," and not in paying quantities.
This, however, has not damaged the
hopes that it may be yet found, with i'm
proved methods and greater knowledge.
Montpelier has proven to be the oil city
of Indiana and Cygnet that of Ohio. In
Cygnet the Big Parker well, discharg-
ing IL, 900 barrels in twenty-four hours,
is said to be the largest oil well known.
Cygnet is thirty miles from Toledo, and
year ago was only forest and swamp.
It is now a village of 700 inhabitants,
and in six weeks after the discovery of
oil there were thirty tanks erected hold
ing 35, 900 gallons each. From these feds
oil is now piped to Lima, Ohio, where
within year 1000 tank builders have
been added to the population.
Pittsburgh furnishes the basis for all
estimates, authentic and commercial. 1t
has put off its sooty robe. 1t is light,
airy, comparatively clean and livable.
Within distance of from to 30 miles
there are 2SO wells bored at cost of
from $500 to Sc, 900 each. The initial
pressure carries the gas 80 miles; 5OO,-
900, 900 feet are sent each day, as freely
as water, for 3 cents per 900 feet. The
annual saving to the city is SO, 900, 600.
The saving in labor amounts to 5000
men. During the year 600, 900 tons of
gas and water pipes were produced.
Plumbers bills for connecting gas mains
with houses amounted to 81, 50O,OcO
Real estate increased 35 per cent. It is
impossible to compete in manufactures |
with any place holding such an advan-
tage. Other cities are alarmed.
Natural gas has its dangers, and chiefly |
from leakage. The Pennsylvania gas is
odorless, which increases the danger
In the little village Of I.ewisburg when
your neighbcr is alarmed all the lights
in town must so out. But the manu-
racture of safer pipes is now going for
ward. The Ohio and Indiana gas has
/ slightly pungent and salphurous odor,
which announces itself. still accidents
occur, as at Anderson, Indiana, the other
lay, where several people were killed in
. domestic explosion.
Of the ultimate results in that part of
he country there is no question. Gas