The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1891-01-14
AT ANDERSON.
The Local Wells Exceptionally strong-Pros-
poets Lightly Encouraging.

The Local wells exceptionally StronE-Pros-
poets Highly Encouraging.
ANDERSON, Jan. T~1.-[Special There
is perhaps n stronger belief among the
people Of Anderson than elsewhere in
the gas-belt hat it will be many years, if
ever, before natural gas will become ex-
hausted. This feeling is due to the fact
that the gas wells of this locality are ex-
ceptionally strong, and even now, after a
lapse Of almost four years since the first
gas well was drilled in" there appears
to be no perceptiblc %diminution Of the
supply.
IL is true that some fear exists that the
gas supply may soon become exhausted.
This fear is not caused by any indications
of failure in the loca! field, but rather to
the reports of gas failure that come from
other localities where gas Is found.
The consumption OF gas at this point is
perhaps greater than at any other tow
in the Indiana gas belt-it is estimated
that no fewer than 5000 residences and
business rooms are heated and lighted by
gas, and in addition TO this, eighteen
large iron and glass-wOrking factories, 10
say nothing of other smaller factories,
depend solely on natural gas for fuel.
To supply fuel and light for the pur-
poses named, thirty wells nave been
drilled, and are now attached TO gas
mains within Il radius of one and a half
miles from the court house square. 1t
must not be inferred from this that thirty
wells are necessary to the supply, for such
is not the fact. The Citizens and DOxey
gas companies, which supply a large ma
lOrity OF the private consumers, have,
the former but three, and the latter two
wells-One at each end OF the system.
Other gas companies hat supply the
outlying additions have from one to two
wells each. Each factory controls its own
gas supply, and has a well adjacent from
which it alone obtains gas.
Until recently natural gas was used to
light the streets. Parties holding stock in
the Citizens company. which guaranteed
them gas for fuel and light, construed
their privilege most literally and erected
yard lights or flambeaux-alOng the street
and In many instances they were burned
night and day-causing a useless con-
sumption Of hundreds of thousands of
cubic feet Of gas per day. The board of
directors, desiring to check this criminal
waste. issued an order for the detachment
ef. all flambeaux, and the result is that
now no gas Is used in Anderson a V for a
legitimate and sensible purpose.
This statement Is made to show that
the people OF Anderson are alive to the
possibilities of a gas failure, and ifit does
come are resolved to take all precautions
~ measures possible TO postpone the ca
lamity. In cutting of the yard lights a
great saving was made as the following
will show:
While the yard lights were burning, the
regulator and gauge of the Citizens COM
pany showed that a satisfactory service
could be secured with a f-ourteen-ounce
pressure, and it was kept at that point.
After the order was made to detach the
yard lights. l6S were removed in one day
and the regulator was left unchanged.
During the day, while yard lights were
being taken down, the gauge showed a
raising pressure, and by night it regis
tered forty-eight ounces showing that out
OF a total Of f0rty-eight ounces of gas pres
sure. thirty-four ounces Of it was due to
the burning of yard-lights; or, in other
words, almost ~three-quarters of the gas
consumed by the Citizens company was
through the burning OF yard lights. 1t is
stated by those who have made actual
tests OF the pressure OF gas in the wells, by
proper instruments, that the pressure is
considerably less han that registered by
the first and second wells drilled here.
This does not appear to alarm n one,
since the loss in pressure is explained by
the fact that so many rents have been
made in the gas territory within such a
small radius. 1t il believed that If all the
wells in the locality of Anderson were
closed for a short period, and but one well
opened and the gauge applied, that it
would show a pressure equal to, If not
greater, than that which existed before
gas-wells were so numerous. This, how
ever has not been proved by actual ex-
pertinent.
There is perhaps no man in the state
better posted upon the gas situs..jon than
Mai. &. Il. Doxey of this civ. He has
had a great deal of experience in the bust
ness. and has now hundreds OF THOUSANDS
Of dollars invested III natural gas plants,
and it might be said right here that he
has no desire to sell a dollars worth Of