Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-11-22
THE NEWEST FIELD.
Continued from FIRST Page.

was down 800 feet when the tools were lost
and. after short fishing JOB; It caved in, and
the well. Ginger Hill, No. 2 of the Bellevernon
and Monongahela City Company is 800 feet
deep, and fishing, and is in danger of caving,
These instances are quoted to show the fact
that there is more risk, and that greater care is
needed in drilling in these fields than there is
in almost any other one which has been dis
covered.
THE AVERAGE DEPTH
of wells in the Bellevernon field is about the
same as in the Hickory and Canonsburg dis
trict. The shallowest well OF the Belleyernon
Company, q light one, is 1850 feet. The deepest
is 2,250 feet. Ginger Hill, No. 1, of the Bell
wood and Monongahela Company is 2.365 feet
this company are 2 500 feet below the Pittsburg
coal. All of these wells are in the 50-foot sand.
The chief point of interest concerning the
Bellevernon field was as to whether or not it
was simply pocket field, or was it one which
could be depended upon furnishing gas over
all its area, as does the MurrysviIle field. The
developments SO far made indicate that it is
pocket field only The number Of dry holes
and their location would seem to show this.
The Bellevernon Company put down a well
not more than 200 feet distant from a well Of
the Philadelphia Company which was pro-
ducing gas at nearly, if not quite, 800 pounds
pressure. So certain was everyone connected
with it that the contractor who drilled the
well was entirely willing to insure gas for
II
only receive $500 for drilling the well, and if
$500 more than the contract price. which
Of everyone although the well was directly on
the anticlinal, no gas was obtained. Another
dry hole found by the Bellevernon Company
was only a short distance from the Rider we'll,
which was the largest one struck by the Belle
vernon Company. This is now leased to the
Monongahela Company (the Pittsburg con-
cern). The three dry holes of the Philadelphia
A. fAV1., Dali ~.
gahela City Company were in no instance far
from paying wells.
NO QUESTION ABOUT IT.
IyMr s. F. Jones, of the Bellevernon Company,
says there is no question but the field is Of
only pocket nature" Mr.. Kuhn, Superin-
tendent Of the Youghiogheny Company, says
the same thing; and this is what an Off cial OF
the Philadelphia Company says:
I'm comparison with the MurrysvilIe, the
Bellevernon field has shown an enormous pres
sure This is because it has been but recently
tapped. 1t is somewhat spotted By this
mean that gas is only found in spots. The field
so far is wholly undeveloped as compared With
other fields. Nine wells have been drilled
there. Three of them are dry. This result
was brought about largely by drilling outside
the gas belt under the impression that they
been started three miles farther East it would
also be spotted as the BelleVernon field is to-
day"
But where good well is found in the Belle
vernon field. it is extraordinarily good. The
Bellevernon Company only uses one of its
wells, holds one in reserve, and leases the
others to the Monongahela Gas Company. This
one well of the Bellevernon Company is Of
about 800 pounds rock pressure, and furnishes
all the gas needed for domestic purposes in
Brownsville, California, Coal Center and Belle
vernon; supplies some domestic service and the
glass factory at Fayette City, and gives gas to
two other glass factories. IN all working 70 pots
which are kept running. r. g. Schmertz &
Co. supply part OF their glass factory at Belle
vernon with a small well Of their own.
The Ginger Hill we'll No. /, of the Bellwood
and Monongahela City Company, located about
81 miles from the latter city, toward Washing
ton, supplies all the manufacturing establish
ments of the place, and all the domestic ser
vice, except upon the hill. The Croll well
located as already mentioned, In the borough
limits, furnishes the supply to the dwellings in
the hill wards and to the green houses. This
company has another well on Dry run. held in
THE BIG ONES GUsH.
Nearly every well Of any value at all for long
distance work. which has been found in the
Bellevernon district, has been close upon 500
pounds rock pressure. This comes from the
Of the field Being ''pocketed' or
spotted" one well does not draw upon an
other, SO that the rock pressure is greater. But
the field has been developed for only such
short time that nothing can be
determined as to the life of the wells. Il
to become suddenly cold
on November Is. On that day the pressure in
the town pipes at Monongahela City from the
great Ginger Hill well actually ran down to
zero: but the distance of piping was so short
that there was little appreciable difference in |
the volume of gas furnished to the fires.
The testing of the Bellevernon field is still in |
progress. 1t Is probable there is much unde-
Yeloped territory there yet; but no one can tell
al fnc Uh bQ
found. The two wells Of Jones Laughlins
near Coal Center are simply being drilled for
test purposes Until they find out the result |
other hand, the Monongaheia Gas Company is
arranging to lay larger pipe to the city. hav-
ing sufficient confidence in the field to do so.
While Jones q Laughlins are putting down
test mills in the Bellevernon field, they are
also gathering data in regard TO the best and
cheapest methods of manufacturing an artifi- |
cial gas for fuel.
PONIES WITH A WILL.
The roads were not so bad in the Bellevernon
field as they were in the Murrysville section.
But some of the buggy stock was livelier. At
City wanted a rig to drive over
the Maple Creek field. The proprietor Of the
hotel suggested that a team Of ponies would |
do better in the mud than horses. 1 agreed with |
him about that, but didn't agree to have a
driver. 1t took three men to hitch up the |
C6dI0, Wnu6 ROb III pukEys
I'm going up hill you can touch that of one |
with the whip" said mine host; "but don't let |
the whip touch the near one, or he will jump |
out of the harness. Drive them with a tight |
rein they are little ugly at starting; but they |
will go all right afterward."
That was the caution before the signal for |
the men to le. go. The hostlers let go, and so
did the ponies. One stood on his hind legs for |
a moment, then came down on all fours, laid |
down fat and rolled over. The other tried to |
Jump over the tongue-yoke. but only got out Of |
the traces sidewise. Then both. getting up. |
tried to go different ways. 1t was picnic, |
beautiful to contemplate.
took driver, finally in order to be relieved
of responsibility for damage to ponies or
buggy afterward learned that the owner Of |
the team wouldn't attempt to drive 1t himself /
for twice its value. / abandoned it myself op-
posite Bellevernon.
The conclusions to be gathered from what
has already been published and from state
nents which have not yet been put in type, |
will be the next chapter of this series.
~ Il