Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-07-12
the State; was thoroughly identified with
her cause, and no moro patriotic son
breathed her air. Yours truly,
q. JULIAN PaArT.
NATURAL GAS IN CHESTERFIELD.
Its Existence io y Bigh-Prcssurc State
Claimed by Colonel Job Adkins
.ytrIy l. 1891
To ne Editor Of dc Dispatch:

To NE EddOr Of The DispGich:
owe You "a we'll as the public an apol-
ogy or explanation for not publishing this
article on natural Gas within the time
promised, but IL is matter OF such vita
importance that have taken n little more
time 20 study all the surroundings, ne well
rs study the very best writers on seriforn
anids and on the laws that govern and regu.
late them.
The important subject Of the existence
Of high-pressure natural gas in Chesterfield
has Oeen on my mind for years. and
should have written ottener on the sub.
joct. but while admire and solicit discus
SION and careful criticism by capable men
u nauseates me TO see men criticlse what
they are a. unfit to touch ~ the lnfdc
Ingersoll is to occupy the sacred pulpit.
wrote an explicit and truthful article
on the subject in February, 1887. and it
appeared in the DISPATCH February 9Th
and on February -, 1887. there appeared
IN the same paper an article from a geolo-
gist in Washington, containing irrational
and insipid arguments trying to make II
appear that natural gas did not exist IN the
districts | contended II did exist IN, and
he actually used as one of his arguments Ga
copy Of which is before me- that natural
gas could not be expected 20 exist in the To-
calities ! named. because gas did not issue
from shafts. to use his own words. q" long
abandoned" when anybody knows that
knows ANYTHING that il would be as unrea-
sOnabie 10 expect gas TO issue from these
abandoned shafts as 1t would be to expect
an OIL lamp TO blaze without oil. simply
because the progenitOr Of the gas had been
oil extracted.
TRUTH AND sC1ENCR.
! would quote tho other arguments
which are equally as irrational but for
trespassing too much on your time and
space, but | do ask as q favor and in Jus-
tice 10 Chesterfield and Richmond, AS well
as in the interest of science and that dear
creature, the truth. that you will publish
my article entire. so that an honest discus
sion NAV follow, Tor although onward y
is indelibly written in rctulRent letters IN
the language Of creation by our benehcent
Mother Nature and all the consultations OF
Heaven sing II IN the oratOrlOS OF the
spheres and all natures laws ring with it IN
the anthem Of the universe, II seems there
is hardly anything in the Heavens above on
in the earth beneath that men dare not try
to pcrvert. and instead of pressing onward
and keeping pace with the requirements OF
our progr essive age, retrograde kwaru.
The Washington geOlOgist advocates
boring near Hallsboro', where all the sur
face associations and indications unmis-
takably show that iailsboro' Is outside the
margin of the coal formation and Is barren
ground AS far as coal and gas are con-
cerned.
Now the first question is. '' Does high
pressure natural gas exist in Chester,
fcldy" to which emphatically say Yes, "
and could j have space in your paper l
could give abundant proof OF 1t.
GAS EXPLOSIONS.
have been called upon to lead the way
for rescuing parties at FIVE terrific gas-ex-
blossoms in Chesterfield and in searching
Tor the bodies of the men. ] found Mt
three Of the explosions several enormous
blowers of gas roaring Ike thunder; and
at two Of these places where the explosions
happened the blowers continued unahated
when the pits were abandoned and The
pits allowed 10 fill up with water. Baslng
my calculations on the quantity and weight
Of the water and mud that has been on
those blowers Of gas for forty years at ono
place and thirty five years at another, ana
on the specific gravity of gases, feel safe
in saving, and do say, that the Gas that
caused the blowers has been forced back
in tho coal for scores of miles.
All gases have tendency TO arrange
Themselves by order of their density, and
when they meet together there 10 a uni
form mixture so that it follows that when
they combine together the pent-up gas Is
really enormous.
FURIOUS FIGHT.
IreOpcned the Egypt shaft that had
been filed with water eighteen years. ana
no gas was seen in taking the water out
til tho furnace drift was reached, but as
soon as IT was reached the men came for
me IN the night and reported there was as
much noise down the shaft as II men were
working with sledPe-hammers, and that
the larye water-tank was heaved out OF the
Il la @ aG allI04rpt II IA S1fttV-
lamp forty feet above the water. found
that the gas that had been forced back IN
the coal for eighteen years had gotten re-
leased and had formed vacuum and the
two elements, gas and air were having
furious fight, and TINS made the noise III
the shaft and lifted the large tank out OF
the water name this to show you and
the public the pranks pent-up gas plays.
The seam Of coal at Egvptls only four
feet thick, when III fact II Is more than SIX
times that thickness where / know high
pressure natural gas exists III Chesterfield,
and the pressure will naturally be higher
i'm proportion to the thickness of the seam
of coal, and the Same may safely be SAID OF
its duration.
PROGENIToRs OF COAL.
There are different progenitors of ma
tural cas. Fredouia. n. y, has been sup
piled with natural gas forty years, and
n short time ago was Informed that there
was no diminution IN the supply. Inc
progeuitor Mt iredOnia IS limestone. wnlle
the proconitOr in Chesterfield is coal, and
TINS Is why | have tried to explain the
actions of gas in different ways and occa-
sions but there is no comparison of the
pressure from limestone TO that from coal
containing large percentage of hydrogen,
md | would hike to explain how the
main gangways are lighted with tne most
brilliant lights in gangways miles long IN
large collierIes in England by simply IN
serting small tubes about the size OF lead
pencils in the wall of coal along the side
of the gangways and are lighted and put
out as easy and safe as a candle. But |
fear that | am taking TOO much Oh your
time and space already. If thin seams OF
coal give such pressure OF gas what may
we not reasonably expect from the timex
seams of coal IN Chesterfield that contain
rs high percentage of hydrogen as the
best Newcastle Goals III England.
THIS DEFENDS.
The next question is. viii the natural gas
when tapped be of long duration! And TO
this question say this depends on clrcum-
stances.
There il gas-producing coal enough to
Weld an Unlimited supply for at least nifty
wears. providing the progenltor OF the gas
i not extracted for q certain radius; but if
the progenitor Is extracted TO within a GER
tain radius of gas-wells the pressure OF Gas
would diminish and ultimately cease. JUST
as an oil-lamp will cease To blaze without
oil.
There will be no high pressure gas found
where they are boring in Chesterfield, as 1t
not in a line with the coal-producing high
pressure gas.
II the boring for natural gas is ever done
in Chesterfield and the locations Tor wells
selected and laid of by master-han and
he will get fifty feet of small pipe and
burner apd tap to turn on and stop, he
can show the people of Richmond the most
and dazzling light fourteen miles
from the Capitol Square.
Yours truly, JOB ATKINS, nj. Il.
The Neglect of Shockoe Cemetery.
RICHMOND, Va, July 10, 1891.