The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-12-18
TO THE GAS WELLS.
The Mayor and City Council
Visit Them.
The Chamber of Commerce Invites Manufac
turers to See Our Gas Finds-0ther
Business Considered.

The excursion to the gas well over the
Rio Grande Western yesterday afforded
about 400 people an excellent opportunity
to view that wonderful phenomenon. The
train left on time, returned on time, and
all that can be said is,-that the excursion
was success. Agents Bennett & Brown,
of the railway service, and Mr.. Constant,
of the gas company, ccompanied the party,
and ali are indebted to them for pleasant
and profitable ride After the well and
surroundings were inspected, the valve
was opened, and
VAST MUD GEYSER.
shot into the air, throwing shale and pieces
of rock to a height of more than 200 feet.
1t was decided not to ignite the gas, as the
expense of extinguishing it would be too
great.
After closing it second exhibition was
given which was even better than the first
and demonstrated clearly that great
pressure was at work In the gas meter
below.
THE PARTY
was composed of the mayor, city council
and many of Salt Lakes best known bust
ness men. a large number of ladies graced
the occasion, and silently witnessed this
great outburst of natures wonderful agent.
Among those noticed among the party were:
Mayor Scott. Councilman Anderson and
wife, Mrs. Knapp, Mrs. Sloan, Mr.. and
Mrs. Lynn, Judge Burris, l.. P. Robinson,
Rev. b. F. Clay, H. V. Meloy, MIR.
and Mrs. Faust, c. E. Want
land, w. H. Irvine, Judge Blair,
Frank Groesbeck, Dr. Musser, j. E. BAN
berger, A. Rochofsky, j. X. Gillespie, P.
A. Sorenson, DR.. Maclean, J. P. Gardner,
w. c. Higgins, G. F. Penhale, A Fisher,
MIR. and Mrs. Slmondi, Mr.. and Mrs. Pen
dleton. MIR. and Mrs. Rogers, Mr.. and
Mosher, j. j. O'Reilly, c. E. Taylor, c. E.
Bamberger, r. H. Harris, H. M. Mozart
ney, L. A. Wickersham, c. p. Mason,
James Glendenning, A. A. Rice, DIR. Bene-
dict, I. P. Murray, Mr. and Mrs. Sharp,
Mrs. johnson, Miss Hughes, Henry Rippey,
M. E. McEnany, H. H. Rea F. N. Uhrlaub,
Judge Colburn, F. H. Hiatt, Mr. and Mrs
Stringer, o. H. Hardy, Fred Leonard, Mr..
and Mrs. Adams and sister, F. Dieckert,
Z. w. Wilson and others.
AN EXPERTS VIEW.
Much speculation was INDUCED in and
few were skeptical. In order to talk in tel
ngently The HERALD reporter sought out
an old oil and gas man. Mr.. George F.
Penhale, who for the past year or more
has been engaged in mining operations in
Utah, has been watching the gas develop
ments for several months past, and has be-
come greatly interested therein. About
hve months ago he examined the formations
throughout this district and made a report
to Plttsburg gas and oil operators, but ow-
ing TO large lease of Pennsylvania land
having just been made, they decided not to
come west. Mr.. Penhale has had dozen
II n1sG1k al \
gas regions of the keystone state and is
thoroughly familiar with the operations in
those lines
In speaking of the formations there, he
says the first, second, third and fourth
sand rock is found at depths vraying from
eight hundred TO two thousand six hundred
feet, and of a thickness from five to one
hundred and twenty-five feet. The first
sand IS what is known as the gray sand.
and usually contains vast quantities of gas,
This rock, which the papers have been
speaking of as
THE TRENTON ROCK,
is so called by local name, having been
best known near Trenton, n. j., and was
found many years subsequent to the native
oil aud gas rock. In his opinion the well at
the Lake Shore has reached the first sand,
and that fact has been demonstrated by the
large quantity of sand that has been blown
out, accompanied by the everything shale
and soap stone.
As TO the compactness OF the formation,
there seems to be
SOME DOUBT.
However, the near proximity of the great
Salt Lake, at an elevation of over T. 600 feet
above the sea, with fresh water wells very
near to 1t, found at the depth of $50 to 400
1eet not containing any salt water, is an
evidence that this basin is selid and COM
pact. Then, too, if the formation was
broken up, the gas would not be here at
all.
The flow of this great well is unques-
tionably
FROM THE MAIN ARTERY
and is the genuine carboniferous gas.
showing that 1t has body, and is the most
valuable for fuel and Illuminating purposes
in the known world. In the weli-sinking
in Pennsylvania, it is generally struck at
uniform depths throughout the same dis
trict.
and from this it may be judged that other
wells can strike gas at practically the
same depth as the one now down.
While many may think this is only
BOG GAS
yet it is well to recall the fact that when
IN 1893 L. l.. Drake began drilling for oil
on Oil creek, he was classed as lunatic, but
he kept on going down in the earth, until he
got bonanza and hundreds of millions
have been added TO the wealth of this
country as result.
In estimating some of the advantages
which will come as a result of this dis
covery, the cost of fuel alone will be dc
cresed 70 per cent: the very lowest
rate that the railroads could give such
points as Omaha and Denver on fuel, it
would be impossible for them to compete
with Salt Lake in manufacturing with
raw material of all KINDS close at hand.
The only ingredient lacking will now be
upplied in the form of
CHEAP FUEL.
AS to its use for common Illuminating
purposes, natural gas can be used sep.
arately or in com bination with the arti
fetal, and when so combined is both better
and cheaper.
MIR. Penhale says that he looks forward
at an early day to seeing this valley dotted
with derrlcks and active drilling for gas
and possibly oil.
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE