Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-03-10
NATURAL GAS.
A Detailed Statement Concerning the
Recent Find OF Ns'ural Gas In
Pale Pinto County.
The First K port of the Firing OF this We'll
and the Destruction of Property
EnIlrely Correct.
PALo PINTO. TEX March I, 1889.

To the Editor OF Lhe Gazette.
Much mas been said through the press
of late conc. rnipg the ind of natural gas
in this (PAIo Pinto) county, and letters
Of parties desiring 10 know the true facts
are daily coming for Snswer from our
office. undertake In this letter, which l
ask THE GAZETTE TO publish, to give the I
true facts concerning the flow from the !
celebrated DAlten well. S sveral months |
ago Mr.. G. L. Dalten contracted VITA 8 /
we'll man to bore 400 feet at his residence, |
FIVE miles north of Palo Pinto, for water, |
to be used at his dwelling. The con- |
tractor set up and went to work. H. (
sank the well about $50 feet and struck q
strong vein of salt water. M. Dslen
| wanted the contractor to stop &C the salt
80 the water would not be fl for use.
The contractor, desiring to carry GU. his
contract, still bored down for the end OF
AGO feet. AS it cost no more than to stop
ST the SAL, MIR DIlten let him 60 down.
At the emo of 1856 feet the drill entered
strong vein of natural gas, which came
rushing to the surface with q roar tnat
could be heard over half mile away.
The contractor suspended WORK, and the
foW OF gas was so strong that 1t threw thc
salt water twenty feet above the ground
IL seemed as though the water collected
above the gas, and when body collectee
the gas forced it out with q roaring
noise that sounded like steam
issuing from the pipe OF
steam engine under heavy pressure.
Two or three days after the g.s began
| foWinga MIR. Gabriel WAS at the well and
experimental with the gas by touching
a lighted match to it. He got within six
feet OF the well when the touch OF the
fl me fred the immense volume of d wv
ing gas, and Mr.. Gabriel was enveloped
IN the flame. He came out of the fire IL
q sad plight, but wiser man, having lost
mis- whiskeIs, eve brows anc portion OF
his hair In the f e. There was S team
, standing near and being rapidly hitched
J to the boripgiDachine it WAS dragged aWey
after being oaely damaged by the fire
. MIR. Dalten's smoke house being near
the team was hItched to 1t snc
with the aid of few meu it was
pulled down and out of danger
( Mr.. Dalten's fine resideDceSoeing near II
= WAS go much endangered that one end OF
q 1t was torn down TO save it. Three bar
: reIs OF cement being handy it was poured
q into the we'll to stop the flames, but they
e rushed out as furious as ever. Stone
v fresh water, ETC., were thrown in, but the
d fame did not decrease. A carpet was
l. soaked in water and stuffed in the well
n but to no avail, as the fire burned the wei
carpet. TIE fame was thirty feet in the
r air, and reached over twenty to thirty
r. feet, and burned the leaves on mesquite
d trees standing in the way. Finally
n Mr.. Mcfarland came on the ground
e and, having been IN the ga'
n regions in Pennsylvania he put the mel
= 70 work making heavy brine, and dash
d ing this on in heavy body it at one
/ stopped the fumes. Mr.. Dalten got I
p psrtY to put a pipe one and one hal
IN inches in diameter in the well 800 feet
lie This was stuffed around with fax seet
bsgs, gravel, sand and dirt. The ga
: threw the salt water through this small
ia pipe ia q rush. The gas still flows rap
Of idly through the pipe and burns readily
At but the water ceased to & )w after time
e. and never commenced to flow again until
n the last few DAYS, the gas is rushing
ont sgaiu. Gas has been found in tire
wells in this county, and the broken Ia
ofgthe surface Indicates immens
90 quantities of gas and coal. Ths gas is Q
s blush nature. The fame when seen
{ DAYTIME is very b,ue and indicates tha
9 oil is below There is spring abou
IL four miles from this gas well that hoW
an oil with the water. This spring is
the foot Of 8 mountain. There are mill
ions of tons Cf very rich iron ore within
radius of eight miles Of the gas vel
he LIrge veins of, coal have been found
several places in the county. Mr.. Dalte
has sold his gas we'll to eastern capitslis
hit who are preparing to put the gas in us
,s He sold the well for $4,000 and Il
ho purchasers, l do not suppose, d'
-, sire to sell at all as IT,
'"l are confident of bountiful I'D
W. and rich reward for their outlay. Prof.
mt erty in the vicinity Of the gas we'll h
d. advanced 300 per cent. since the pu
rs, chase, and yet it is cheap. l give tn
he statement through THE GAZETTE for Il
RI, purpose of answering many inquiri
" concerning the gas fad. l have giV'
nd the facts as near as possible, having Sc,
to the gas flow and the wreck produced
Ter the ire, and knowing Mr.. Dalten's hou
ed was torn down and removed for fear d
ity gas would again be fired. l feel justlt
yer in making this statement. Parties q
in string to know further concerning I
tb, facts as to the gas can write G. W. M
IT. Donald, W. K. Bell, G. W. Slaughtt
ie- Captain Joel Mckee, II. c. Mcclure, L
las NJ. B. Ketchum and 81. G. Taylor,
the citizens ofPalo Pinto, Tex.
.en ]. L. CUNNINGHAN