The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-01-23
THE INDIANA GAS FIELDS
THEIR EXTENT AND IMMENSE VALUE.
A Source of Wealth Whose Present Waste
Is Simply Shameful-Win the Supply
Ever Fall Off?-Origin of This
Wonderful Deposit.

IN FRANK L6SttS s OF JQlS week appears
several articles from the pen of John II.
Patterson on the natural gas fields of In
diana and the fourishing cities within the
belt. These articles are protusely Illus
trated. Especially does Indianapolis re-
ceive attention. The state-house, court
house, union depot, the Y. NJ. G. A. build
ing, the city hall, view on E. Markets.,
view on Westinghouse, board of trade
building are admirably pictured.
''Natural gas in Indiana" the article upon
the gas field, begins. "What revelation
it has been to the world. Nobody ever
dreamed of such a fountain of wealth,
and yet it exists here in seemingly ex-
haustless quantities. 1t is now two years
since the attention of the country was
called to the discovery of natural gas In
Indiana, and the extent OF the field has
proven a great surprise. Whether Its
boundaries will continue to expand is
problem to be solved, but the indications
are that its full extent has been pretty
definitely defined"
In an interview with Prof. Gorby, state
geologist, Mr.. Patterson collected some
important points in relation to the natural
gas field.
The natural gas area of Indian embraces
more than 4, OO0square miles of territory
considerably larger than all the gas fields
of Ohio and Pennsylvania combined. The
extreme length is 165 miles, and its ex-
trime width sixty-five miles. Whether It's
boundaries will continue to ex-
pand is a problem for the future
to solve, but the indications are that
Its full extent has been pretty definitely
defined The gas belt embraces
all of Blackford, Decatur DeKalb, Della
ware. Grant, Hancock, Henry and Madi-
son counties and the greater portion OF
Allen, Fayette, Franklin, Hamilton, How
ard, Jaw, Miami, Randolph, Rush, Upton,
Wabash and Wayne counties. Gas has
also been struck in other counties. Alto
gether there are 3S1 good wells, and drill
ing is daily increasing this number.
The daily average production of all the
wells is about 600,000,000 cubic feet meas
ured at the wellhead. The most product
i've wells are located in Hamilton, Madi-
son, Grant and Backford counties. The
strongest we'll in Indiana is probably the
Mccullough we'll at Anderson, which it
has been calculated flows Ia, 461, 900 cubic
feet daily. Other wells almost as power
ful are the No. at Fairmolnt, Grant coun-
ty, whose capacity is IL ,500,0 900 cubic feet,
o. =
of 100000 cubic feet, and the Granger
well near Noblesville with IL 100000
cubic feet.
Capital is being invested in manufac-
turing enterprises throughout the Indi-
ana gas area at the rate of more than
100000 per month. Among those To-
Gated and IN active operation are glass
manufactures in which is invested more
than g, 100000 and which furnish en-
ployment to 1859 hands. There are four
straw-paDer manufactures with a capital
of S650,00 and employing al hands;
also four wood-pulp works with
capital of $4,000, employing 2Sl
hands, and fourteen iron man.
ufacturing concerns with 1854, 900
capital, employing l 9O7 hands. Altogether
there are seventy-nine different manu-
featuring establishments with capital of
g, 462, 800 employing 5,734 hands. Many
of these concerns have moved to this state
from Pennsylvania and other gas-produc-
ing regions, and have been induced to
locate here on account of the superior adj
vantages which this state affords. For
instance, gas throughout the Indiana area
to manufacturers for term of years free
of charge, while in the older manufacture
ing centers it can be procured at a cost
but little less than that of coal.
No experiments have been made in this
state as vet to determine whether the
wells are failing to any appreciable extent
or not. ''One thing is certain, however"
SAYS Gorby, land that is, that the entire
supply will be wholly exhausted in time
There Is undoubtedly fixed or limited
amount of gas stored in the rocks, and
that amount Is limited by the capacity of
the reservoir. When the supply is drawn
off once it is not likely to be replenished.
1t is true, very likely, that gas is even now
being slowly generated from petroleum,
but the quantity that may be ex-
pected from that source is prob
ably not greater than the natural
waste, to say nothing of the vast quanti-
ties drawn off daily by artificial means.
am not prepared to say how long natural
gas will last, but / do wish to state that
the extravagant waste of it which has pre-
vailed through this state since its discov-
cry is foolish and almost criminal. For a
long period the daily waste exceeded
100000 cubic feet, worth at least 81 500.
and such extravaganza should be restricted
by prompt legislation"
Speaking of indianapolis, Mr.. Patterson
asks:
''What agency is it that has made lndi-
annapolis metropolisP
Natural gas did it! This one element
of nature has forever set the city upon its
feet, and nothing but an unnatural disas-
ter can turn it from its course. While
the growth of the city during the past
twelve months has been wonderful, even
greater strides are confidently looked for
during the year that has just begun"
'As to the origin of natural gas, geolo-
gists generally agree" says Prof Gorby.
at is their opinion that it is derived from
the decomposition of organic matter that
was buried with the sediment which now
forms the rocks. The shales, as rule, are
highly bitumInous, and these it is con-
cluded, are largely the source of
both the gas and petroleum.
With the sediment that forms in the
shales it is known thai large quantities of
organic matter were deposited. This mat
ter consisted of both animal and vegetable
substances, but principally vegetable. In
the decomposition of all forms of organic
substances, the greater portion is finally
resolved into gas. This we know
to be true regarding the mat
ter that is deposited upon the
surface of the earth at the present time,
and the same laws that govern now have
always prevailed. If body decomposes
upon the surface of the earth or in shall
low water, the gas escapes into the atmos-
phere, and being much lighter than air. it
is lifted by the latter TO an altitude where