St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-01-28
Below zero.
NATURAL GAS HERE.

Contrary to the impression generally
prevailing, the search for natural gas in
the vicinity of St. Paul has not been
abandoned. 1t is still being vigorously
prosecuted in the neighborhood of the
stock yards, and also on the fair grounds.
Though We understand the gentlemen
who are bearing the expense of driving
these wells are well able to carry their
enterprise through, the finding of
natural gas is fraught with such vital
consequence to st. Paul that the city
could well afford to continue them if the
present proprietOrS should at any time
give up in despair. But instead of feel
ing downcaSt over the prospect of
successful issue to their undertaking,
the experts in charge are Sanguine in
the highest degree. Supt. CLLMENGER,
who is in charge and who has driven
scores of wells in Pennsylvania, declares
that the geological formation already
pierced is Identical with that found in
the oil and gas-bearing regions of Penn
SylYania.
A stratum OF so-called red rock is in
variably an accompaniment of a gas
well. and that rock has already been
penetrated in one of the experimental
wells. Not only that, but Supt. GLEN
ENGEI has at various places within
the city limits obtained gas, in small
quantities it is true, but more album
dainty than he ever did in some of the
Keystone states best producing fields.
Answering the objection which has been
frequently made and in which even the
state geOlOgst concurs, that gas could
not be found in the Northwest because
of the absence of bituminous coal de-
posts. Supt. CLEMENGER declares that
such deposits are in no wise essential to
the existence of gas. He instances one
well in Washington county, PennSyl-
yania, which gives forth great volume
of gas, though the gas was struck at a
depth of 1000 feet, while the only coal
bed penetrated was found at 200 feet.
He agrees with the noted chemist
Prof. MENDELEEF, that petroleum and
its correlative, natural gas, are not of
animal or vegetable origin, as generally
supposed, but are produced by water
which penetrateS the earth'S crust and
comes in contact with glowing carbides
of metals, especially of iron. The water
Is decompoSed into its component gases.
the oxygen united with the iron, while
the hydrogen takes up the carbon and
aScends to a higher region, where part
of it is condensed into mineral oil and
part remains as natural gas to escape
wherever and whenever it can find an
outlet. If this assumption is correct,
and a sufficient store of metallic car
bides is contained in the earth's interior,
petroleum and natural gas may continue
to be formed almost Indefinitely, and
yield supply of fuel long after the
coal has become exhausted. Prof. MEN
DELEEF has supported his views by
producing artificial petroleum in man
ner similar to that by which he believes
the natural product is made.
There is certainly sufficient encour-
agement in all this to induce the most
diligent investigation possible of the
question as to whether gas exists in this
vicinity. No matter what may be the
expense, the search should be prosecuted
until the mattcris definitely determined
one way or the other.