The Portland daily press., 1889-10-25
THE TRIENNIAL FESTIVAL
OF the Maine Charitable Mechanics
Association.
A Gratifying Statement Of the socie-
ty's Condition.
Interesting Literary and Musical Ex-
ercises and Banquet.

Hall, COfucI VI OOuBtOoo anu 0"oSo osAeSsos
President E. Fl. @. Thompson In the chair.
Somewhere in the vicinity of 200 were pres
elt.
The meeting was called to order at
O'Clock by President E. FL. G. Thompson,
who made a short address congratulating
the members upon having reached another
triennial mile stone. He presented some
statistics showing gain in membership OF
1S; loss by death. 8. Some interesting facts
concerning the library were then presented.
The library at present contains 9S6S volumes;
1915 were circulated last year, gain Of
1915 over the previous year. Mr.. Thompson
stated that the Association was entirely
free from debt and In possession Of good
income. Referring to the fact that next
January marks the 10th year Of the society's
existence he said that there was one member
on the society's roll, Gen. Neal Dow, who
had been member for 62 years, the longest
term Of anyone. The president then intro
duced the orator Of the evening. Mr.. 5. L.
Pickard, who delivered an interesting ad-
dress on the sbbject Of gas wells. Mr.. Pick
ard said in substance:
NATURAL GAS WELLS.
The industries of this country are being
reyolutioniZed to degree tnat Is nardly
realized here at the East, by recent dlscov.
cries of great reservoirs OF natural gas at
widely separated points In the Middle ana
Western States, and by equally important dis
coveries of methods Of utilizing this remark
able natural product. IL Is only ABOUT 10
years ago that the thought OF using tne now
of the gas wells for industries requiring IN,
tense heat and great power, took practical
shape in Pennsylvania. The gas OF these
wells had been used for illumination and Tor
small industries, much earlier tnan tniS' IN
1921, Fredonia, N. Y, obtained gas from
well 27 feet deep, which was conducted
through the village in pipes made Of bored
logs, and was used for lighting several houses.
The village was Illuminated with this gas
when Lafayette passed through the place IN
1924. In many. other places, naLaIai gas
obtained from shales. near the surface, was
used for the same purpose. These old wells
somewhat deepened, are still In use.
But il was not until the search for petro-
leum led to the sinking OF very deep wells
about thirty years ago, that r3ck gay issuet
manufacturing operations For years u was
considered as a nuisance, or treated as
playtning. The sands from which II issued
came above the oil sands and the proDlem
wes to get by it, and to shut 1t OIL, In order TO
secure an uninterrupted flow Of petroleum
| But where the gas got the mastery, IL was
| allowed to burn in utter waste, great pillars
| of roaring flame illuminating the country:
All at once. it occurred to manufacturers ,s tnat
| here was source of heat and power tnat
might as we'll be utilized Means were de-
| yised to regulate and control the flow OF gas,
| and it was found exactly fitted for all indus
| tries like iron works, glass factories, lime
| burning, brick kilns, and pulp miiis' wnere
| intense heat was required.
| Some account was given of the low press
| ure gas wells, not fitted for great manufac-
/ turing purposes, but which are proving very
valuable for domestic purposes, ana ioI
| small Industries in Western New York and
/ in Ohio Some of these have been In contin.
/ uous use for fifty years. Many farmers md
these cheap wells mort valuable 10 them LOT
/ fuel than wood lot or a coal mine would pc
But these wells can crea.e no economic as
/ turbance.
| 1t is the deep wells of Western Pennsyl-
/ yania of Findlay, Ohio, and OF Muncle, In
| diana, that have within the past nye or Ten
| years begun to reyolutionize the manuiact
| uring business Of the country. Gas was
| found at Muncie only three years ago, but In
/ that time six large glass works have oeen
built there and more than fifty other factor
| les established. These establishments have
/ many OF them been removed from 0tner
places, because Of the immense advantage
| of the gas supply. Mills of all kinds are
clustering around the gas wells In several
| States. So great was the waste OF gas IN
| Western Pennsylvania, before its value was
| known, that some of the reservoirs there are
/ becoming exhausted. But the gas fields In
/ Ohio aud Indiana were fortunately not dis
/ covered until the Importance of economy In
| the use of gas began to be realized.
| The essayist discussed the question OF the
| permanence Of the gas supply. The Leading
| geoligists agree that the reservoirs now be-
| ing drawn upon will In time be exhausted
and that no new supply Is In process Oh
| formation. The great reservoir that under
lies part of Eastern Indiana ana western
/ Ohio, Is the largest and most important yet
1 discovered There Is no reason to doubt
that, with the economy that is now exercised
this supply will last many years, enough
years to warrant the building up OF great
manufacturing cities, which when the gas
/ gives out will be at least as well on as the
rest of the country, for coal and oil are close
| at hand.
The essayist gave an account OF visit
last summer to the Indiana wells, described
the process Of boring the wells, pictured
| city of many thousands OF inhabltants, III
| which not pound OF coal nor cord Oh wood
is used for fuel in year, where no asnes OF
| SCOT are ever seen; where no smoke issues
from any chimney, not even from the great
| Mills where all parts Of the humblest
| houses are kept warm ana lighted for 81 a
| year where the fire need never go out In
| cook stove or CRATE; where all the drudgery
OF housekeeping is taken away where no
cusslon as to who shall build the nre. For
| the hOusekeeper this is indeed fairyiand.
He described the process Of glass-blowing
around furnaces that depend on natural gas,
| anu Sk6Lcntu lut dppcdldnCC Va thO AAVh
works and pulp mills: The magnificent
spectacle of a gas well blowing off at night
| at full pressure was described-lts tremen-
dOus roar, the jar of the earth and air and
the column of flame 75 to 100 feet high that
lighted up the country for miles around,
1t would seem to a person first witnessing
the outburst that no human power could con-
troll it. To smother volcano or quiet an
earthquake would be equally hopeful tasks.
Some account was given OF the methods
l ;,,o a vvall aOntrOllinQ IFS
Titanic energies.
In natural gas we have servant belong
ing to the same family, but In some respects
even more efficient than either coal or OIL
twith this limitation however, that 1t cannot
be induced like its clumsier cousins to work
far from its home. 1t can be used neither In
steamships nor in locomotives. But any
where within about 100 miles OF us Dirtn-
place its efficiency is phenomenal. Manufac:
turing cities will inevitably spring. up as II
by magic in the whole region overlying the
| principal reservoirs of gas. 1t may be we
| shall live, the youngest OF us at least, 10 see
| these great natural reservoirs exhausted
] But IL this time comes In our day, we VINO
\ are optimists and have the courage OF our
faith, will still confde in the good Providence
that has hitherto constantly improved upon
our yesterdays in the matter OF supply
of heat, light, and power. When natural
gas gives out something equally good, and
probably better, will take its place.
Al Tic COuCluslUH VI mi' NhoAu . "u
dress the company assembled to the hall
where six long tables were spread with an
excellent. banquet, supplied by Robinson
the caterer, 20 which all did full justice.
When the company were seated Mr. Thomp
son raped for order ad called upon VIM M
Marks, Esq, to offer prayer. At the con
clusion of the banquet Mr.. Thompson called
the assembly to order and introduced al
toastmaster the same man he said. who hat
. officiated in that capacity when the present
building was dedicated in 1859, Mr.. Edward
ii. Elwell Mr.. Elwell responded, saying
that it was little rough on him to expose
the follies of his youth in that public manne
and offered the first sentiment of the evenin,
"The founders of the instution, who three
', fourths of a century ago laid such broat
foundations that all who have come since
have never ceased to keep their memor.
green" Stephen Berry, Esq. responded t.
this toast by brief sketch Of the object
and history of the association emphasizing
, particularly its influence in changing th'
: temperance status of workmen and thei
| an,n1oyas Apothar ohiaet nf tha aSSOcia