New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-02-28

All this territory Is within piping distance OF
Pttsburg. Tho greatest development has taken place
at Mnraysvllle About 40 wells sending forth
an almost incaculable volume OF from that district
and evidently the number Of wells might be Increased
tenfod without any present effect upon the wells
now flowing Tho southern and western boundaries
OF tho field have been located, but the eastern and
northern limits Of the gas bed still unknown. In
drilling for gas in this field, after passing through
strata of sand rock and slate Of varying thickness, the
true gas sand Is reached at depth of abont 1,2o0
feet. This gas sand Is in fact firm but porous
sand rock and Is generally dry The stratum above the
sand Is slate and other layers of slate found at
lower levels.
Tho depth OF tho Murraysvilc bed of gas sand is
unknown the drill has been sunk into 1t much a.
Gfty-fye feet without reaching bottom. At that
depth the pressure Of gas great that nOtwith
standing the weight of tho drill together with its driver
IS about ton 1t rebonnded refusing to SINK tnithef
The standard inside diameter of well. after pip
this region varies from 400 to over 200 pounds per
square Inch. After flowing for a long tGle-seVeral
ycarS-ths pressure dmlnishes somewhat, ana IN me
southern edge Of tho field it has fallen low that
the wells have been abandoned I'm few instances
they have proved beyond question the existence OF
another led Of possessing enormous rock pressure
al further depth Of 800 feet and that they VIII be-
gin drilling the lower Lowell in short time Further
noIhward all that has been necessary. when tho flow
feet deeper and through another thin stratum or
slate when the rock pressure became great as at
the time tho well was originally OIenel The press
nro Is found TO Increase as wells are sunk further TO
the north
II Is now moro than n dozen years since the first
well opened In this district and five years since
Pttshurg hegan to the gas and drilling con
seaucntly became active. vet with a vc"y few
cert0ns, all the wells Il 10) located within n
territory not more than three by five miles In extent.
The" rush Of gas from wells located within few
yards OF each other is as great as from those more
WILDLY separated.
Tho Crapcvlllc district which Is located about eight
mills TcSi Of he MnaysylIe field IS comparatively
led IS known to extend under a wide territory.
visited Granville well this morning and witnessed
tha turning Of the from lts flow TO the main p pc
Into the open air The roar Of the escaping gas was
and IL dcafcning In the Immediate vicinity Of the
well that III" loudcSt shouting by the hvst andcrs Is
entirely inaudhle The pressure indicated by the
steam gaug" amounted TO }25 pounds 10 the square
inch and what Is very remarkable. for this region
the pressure s now great as Il was two
when tho we'll first orcnrd. What f. known as
the rock prcssure was obtained I'm twenty seconds.
some places more than an hour.
Tho two fields mentioned contain less than
oneihird OF III" developed tcrro"y tributary 10
this city frrthermore only about one-siXth ~ The
Of tho Mrrraysve field has been drilled and that
not systematically fOr al that be obtained rom
only few plorcs PIttsbrrg Is also receiving gas at
present from HcbOrv. In Washington Comfy about
miles southwest from this point. whore the
sand Is found at de"th OF 1000 feet. 800 feet
deeper than tn" second deposit that has Just been
discovered at Nurraysvil". COnrcding that tho
p't"d question. It Is manifest that Pttsbu"g and
vicinity Will have al tho natural that II
snme. both for domestic and manufacturing purposes,
for half century, al least