The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-06
NATURAL GAS CENTURIES AGO.
The Discovery of Pagans Leads to Modern
Industry of Magnificent Resources.

A Journal reporter tell into conversation
at one of the hotels, recently, with styl-
ishly dressed man, about twenty-siX years
of age, who proved to be subject of the
Car. He is a graduate of the University
of ST. Petersburg The talk turning upon
the manufactures of Indiana, led him to re-
count unique story Ofsthe origin of what
is to-day one of the greatest industries in
his native empire. Nearly ten centuries
ago" said the Russian, "there was built
on the peninsula of ApscherOn, that juts in
to the Black sea, then known as the Euxine
sea, a curious temple, peculiar enough in
its architecture, but more so in the wOr-
shippers that gathered there for ages within
those blackened walls that stand to-day.
1t was the temple of the great fire. god
whose worship, brought from Arabia,
spread all over southern Russia and eau
casia. The spot was black, exposed and, in
every way, a strange one to select for the
massive pagan edifce that was reared"
what led the pagans to hit on such a
placer" was asked.
''There was a mysterious reason. They
had made wonderful discovery thf,re."
where did those people come FRONT"
asked the reporter.
The priests had come from anO Their tenn
pie, great distance southeast, leading q
tribe of the fire-wOrshipers int, that coun-
try for settlement, as the immigrants I'M
like those of the present day, were very
wealthy, seeking new fields in which to
found nation BETTING their prosperity.
The tradition tells us the pries.ts had formed
accommodating body, and that on certain
day, as they came near this wild spot to
encamp at the noon hour or during the
glory of their god; the, sun. according to
their custom, they heard a strange, rushing
noise, like loud wind, YET not weed ON
the hot ground was stirred, and they did
not feel it on their o'neeks. They saw
no explanation of The mystery, and
thought it must We the voice of
of them dropped a burning torch from the
sacred fire they carried, and it rolled down
a declivity from the spot where they stood.
In an instant thin pillar of flame shot
a certain place in its, descent. At first the
pagans were horror. stricken, and wanted
to flee precipitately but their leader assured
them that the sun mad wrought the miracle,
and desired them to build over this spot a
met the approval of all his heather breth-
rem, and they set to work to quench the
flame that the heat might not destroy the
And what c.iused this pyrotechnical dis
plays"
This, of course. was none other than
bona tide nat nral-gas well, just such as yOu
have now IN Indiana, and that whole pc
ninsula WITS a mine of gas, though it
remained for modern times to discover that
fact. The, priests succeeded, after heroic
efforts, in Gaping the well, the tribe was
led to the peninsula, and the huge temple
was buj 1t from the massive rocks they quar-
RED ear, just as it stands, almost I'M
changed, to-day"
Did the priests carry ON their jugglery
there.v
'.'ies. for ages. In its dark, windowless
hail, the tribe worshiped that lurid light
sI,ringing from the bowels of the earth,
trained in strange candelabras by the
priests into tangled, serpentine forms and
} images of the sun. and. in their ignorance,
| they were made to believe that continued
| presence of this representative of the fiery
| orb was ever dependent on the prayers Of
| the sacerdotal rulers There came %
time when the flow of gas was changed
| TO something else. Petroleum rushed
| from the orifice, and the flames licked forth
wilder than ever. In the course of decades
| perhaps. the great well gave out, and then
| it was that the priest learned the art of
| bringing it from its subterranean reservoirs
| themselves, and so for centuries this scien-
| tifc sun worship endured On the spot. In
| the early part of the present century q
| prospector, sent by great Swedish firm of
| capitalists, Noble Brothers, to investigate
] the supposed coal resources of the district.