The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-18
NATURAL GAS.
A Collection of Opinions as to the Probable
Duration Of the supply.

A Collection of Opinions as to the Probable
Duration of the Supply.
Compiled by Gen. Hickenlooper. of Cincinnati.
PROF. J. P. Leslie, the State G~eologist of
Pennsylvania, says: From the time Col:
Drake sunk the first we'll on the plains of
Titusville | have professionally p~artici-
pated in the history of the oil and gas de-
velopments, and believe myself to be IA
miliar with whatever has been o in the
premises, and there does not remain in my
min the shadow of a doubt respecting its
practical extinction in tie comparatively
near future
prof. Orion, State Geologist of Ohio:
The exhaustion OF natural gas. with the
question of a very short time. The wells
at Findlay are now failing, and the central
portion of that field is already drained
PROF. John F. CARL, Assistant Geologist
haustion is inevitable. 1t need not be at
all surprising il some of the gas pools now
starting out with great promise shout
have brilliant but shOrt-liyed careers, sim
liar to Cherry Grove and Thorn creek
PROF. Franklin Plat, Assistant Geolo-
gist of Pennsylvania: The total supply
will be, sooner or later, exhausted, and the
fields will cease to yield gas
Prof; Chance says of the Pittsburg
drain can be sustained for more than three
or four years, and will certainly be ex-
hausted inside of eight years.
Emerson McMillen: .Three-fOurths of
the wells in the Findlay field that were
promising producers two years ago are now
either totally extinct or sdeliyer under
greatly diminished pressure
"Wm. II. DennistOn, gas engineer, of
Pittsburg: 1t is and has been for some
time rapidly diminishing at Pittsburg.'
"Mr. Printz. gas engineer: 1T has been
demonstrated in the Findlay field that the
| life of a gas well is not to exceed three or
four years. In the Washington field it is
L liz On -ov ,11ry <haf fhncA %n.aa<a ~
greatly alarmed. The manufacturers of
| Pittsburg never attempt to conceal the fact
that the supply is rapidly falling
Governor Foster, presidentof the Toledo
Company: The process of depletion is
going on, and that the field will be ulti-
and 1 viii ultimately die
The superintendent of the. Pittsburg
limited supply. The time the supply will
last depends only upon the rapidity with
which it is consumed
Professor Shaler. geologist of Harvard
University: The wells in the Pittsburg
fields cannot, at present rate of exhaustion,
| live to exceed eight years.
1.-The Secretary of the Northwestern Nat
ural-gas Company, supplying Toledo: The
supply is limited, and the only. safety we
troll, which enables us to supply as long as
any,
Pennsylvania, advises natural-gas compa-
MES to provide sinking funds to meet the
depreciation of loss of investment due to
exhaustion of supply.
-. ID. Weeks, employed by the United
States government to report on the natural
gas supply, says: 1t is essentially a tempo
rary phenomenon and must soon come to
an end
THE report of the Society of Engineers
of Pennsylvania gives the average life of
wells not to exceed five years.
"Selwin Taylor, long identified with the
natural oil and gas interests. says: In my
Judgment, a few years will see the end of
natural gas
"T. NJ. jenkins, of P~ittsburg: Officers
and employees all tell me that, in their
Judgment. it is only a question of time, and
their estimates vary only as between two
to five years.
"The superintendent of the natural gas
Company at Lima: Sooner or later we will
find that natural gas has an end
1.-The president of the FIndlay company,
owning the once famous Karg well. which
ceased to flow a year ago. admits that they
are giving it a rest
prof. s. II. Douglass: 1t ia only a ques-
ti0n of a few months or years at most
when every one of the wells will fall
THE Scientific American says of the
Pittsburg field: A few years ago it was
thought to be the richest field in the
world, yet during this short period it has
been entirely exhausted and new fields
brought in
.'T6e great Philadelphia company of
Pitttsburg. are now making contracts for
limited periods only.
defending . suit to enforce specific supply.