St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1889-01-13
GUSH OF The GEySER
May GLADDEN. the Eyes of Seekers for
Natural Gas.
DOES MINNESOTA CONTAIN IT
A Minneapolis Cooperation Will Seek It
---S0meshilg On the Gas Well
Subject.

Ii the StOrehOuSeS which nature mas,
in countless ages, been laying up be-
meath the territory known to the world
and fame as Minnesota, contain that
wonderful and valuable commodity
called natural gas, the fact will be
made known. in all probability, before
long. Natural gas has already been
unearthed in the state, but never in
paying quantity. If there is a
spot in which nature, distance
and high freight rates make
natural gas desirable as either
illuminant or fuel. Minnesota NAV claim
that honor. and therefore enters into
the quest of the imprisoned gas with
unusual Zest. A Minneapolis corpora
ton has made the search its special eX-
cuse for living. and has laid up round
sum of money which it is willing to eX
pend in the experiments necessary TO
the game of hide-and-Seek to find the
lurking place of the gas.
Natural gas is species of carbu
retted hydrogen, with a greater or less
amount of foreign substance. prepared
and in process of preparation in natures
perts in the search of it, declare it
may be found almost everywhere, if the
search is only properly made, is deep
enough and if no unforeseen and insur-
mountable obstacles arise. 1t has been
the general belief that it could he found
/ only in the vicinity of the carbon de-
| posts which are peculiar to the head of
| the Ohio valley, hut one by
| one thedrills have been blown out of
shafts sunk nearly all over the country.
and the feeling is growing that experts
|. are right in their declaration. 1t is on
this theory that the Minneapolis COM
| pany has been organized. Some time
| since an expert named ellison came
| from the natural gas region of Pennsyl
|, vania and impressed several local capt.
| talists with the idea that a little money,
added to his general geological and gas
pOus information, would result in the
discovery of natural gas in Minnesota.
He examined the ground in various
parts of the state and became so I'M
pressed with the sOundneSs of his be-
lief that he made the offer not only to
put money himself into company, but
to take stock instead of cash for his
services. This Offer" said Maj. Joel
B. Bassett, ''seemed to us to back up
the faith that was in him, SO we went
in and made up the company"
"What have you dOne?'
"We have been simply experimenting
so far, but we have found traces of the
gas, and are confident of reaching it.
sooner OF later. In the spring we will
begin an extensive series of expert
mentS in various parts of the city and
state, and confidently expect the re-
ward"
"What do you think of the gas dis
covered at Mankato?"
sit is natural gas, and not the yege-
table gas that some people suppose.
That gas is all right, and there is more
where that came FROM
Minneapoitans probably know that
two years ago a very deep shaft was
sunk in Lakewood cemetery for artesian
we'll purposes. and that, though carried
to depth of $500 feet, no vein of gas
was pierced. But it is one of the vaga-
ries of natural gas that. while one shaft
5000 feet deep may miss it, another one,
not 100 yards distant, may strike it at a
depth of not over 500 feet. This was
abundantIy proved at the gas wells in
way, were originally sunk for oil and
the gas was discovered by accident.
The old McGugin we'll, IN Washington
county, Pennsylvania, the first of the
great ''gushers," wasted for over year
before it was finally piped distance of
forty-two miles to Pittsburg. The gas
was ignited at the mouth of the shaft
and threw great torch of flames sixty
feet into the air. casting a glow
on the sky plainly visible at
distance of thirty miles. 1t became
great curiosity, especially in the
winter, where the heat of the ''geyser''
kept space, fifty yards in diameter. in
perennial summer, its verdure present
ing singular picture in its setting of
surrounding ice and snow.
AS special matter of interest to
Minnesotians, it may be stated that at
Wheeling the gas is piped in from
distance of sixteen miles and supplied
for heating purposes in houses, at the
rate of rs cents per month per fire.
Think of SO a month for thoroughly
heating an eight-roOm house, with a fire
in every room! The discoverer of nat
ural gas near either of the Twin Cities
could at once project pleasure trip to
Europe.