Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1892-08-07
A VERY NOISY WELL.
Colonel Roberts Gives a Description of
the New Elizabeth Gasser.
YOUNG CASTOR KILLED BYA TRAIN
The Roar Of the Gas Was So Great That He
Didn't Hear the Whistle.
AN EXPERTS OPINION OF THE FIELD

The Philadelphia Gas Company yester-
day leased 250 acres of land in the neigh
borhood of the Elizabeth gas well. Both
the Carnegie Company and the Philadelphia
people have lines nearby, and the territory
will no doubt be gobbled between them, as
their lines are available.
An accident in connection with the
striking of the gas has not been reported.
Last Tuesday when the well was brought in
a young man named Castor was fishing on
the bank of the river just below the well.
He came up and sat down on the
railroad track to watch the men. The
noise of the gas was so great that he failed
to notice the approach of the freight train.
The engineer blew the whistle, but couldn't
stop the train. The young man was ground
to pieces.
Snee, the owner of the we'll, and the
Philadelphia Company can't come to terms,
and the gas is rapidly going to waste. Col
onel T. P. Roberts, the engineer, yesterday
visited the well, and though not an expert
he gives the following description of what
he saw:
The snee gas well struck last Tuesday
evening on the river bank. three miles
above Elizabeth, notice Of which first ap-
peared in The DISPATCH, is still blowing
with terrific force. 1t was not until Satur-
day morning that 1t was got under control,
and it is now blowing through two six-inch
pipes instead of one, as first stated. A TOO
pounds pressure per square inch was indi-
Gated.
without entirely closing It on-so that its
exact rock and minute pressure Is as yet
unknown. But Judging by the force and
tone OF its roar it is doubtful If any greater
producer has ever been struck in Pennsyl-
vania. I found it necessary to
have my ears stuffed, for positively
without such protection the drums of
the ears might be ruptured. The sound is
not only simply deafening, but absolutely
painful. 1t is no wonder that young Castor
Even now with the gas turned partly OF
and blowing from two openings, it is doubt
tul IL locomotive whistle could be heard 20
feet. The tools still remain in the we'll, and
the ], 500 .eet OF rope attached to them has
been blown into oakum and scattered
through the woods for hundreds of yards in
every direction. The force OF the gas broke
board from the top OF the derrick 20 feet
above the end of the pipe, and in falling it
rather seriously hurt one of the men. The
outlet and connecting pipes are covered
q N.
This gas well is on the southern terminus
of the Muriaysvile anticlinal, which here
seems from the elevations published in the
1855 report State Geologicai Survey, to ex-
ing with the Washington county extension
of the Pin Hook anticlinal. That
is to say in this neighborhood there is an
unusual width or fathers in the
anticlinal. The region has rather strangely
been neglected, but according to my dag
noeis OF the facts, so far as developed by sur
yeys, the Snee well is located in an extensive
and promising gas field.
Just Outside tho Line.
Last spring well was driven 26O0 feet
deep, or $50 feet deeper than the Snee well.
by Joseph Walton at a point about one and
quarter miles west of the snee well. but
without results. 1t was evidently Off the
gas belt, but very near it. The true center
of the Murraysville anticline, which is by no
means a straight line, is probably on the
east or right bank of the river, and is there
fore perhaps incorrectly shown on the map
of 1886.
In this neighborhood, only 16 miles from
the center of Pittsburg on an air line. we
may therefore look for a number OF good,
long-Iived gas wells, and perhaps enough to
supply many Pittsburg establishments with
gas for several years. As it is, however,
city is within 100 feet of the snee well, the
gas is going to waste. Snee and the Phila.
delphia Company should come to terms aud
stop it.
Mr.. Connor, the gas man for the National
Tube Works, sent an expert to examine the
Snee well and he made a report Friday
morning. He is not favorablv impressed
with it, and, while admitting that it is good
and in some respects phenomenal well, he
thinks the gas will play out in 90 days. Mr..
Connor said yesterday:
1t is an exaggeration to say that this Snee
well is the best ever struck, and 1t Is ridi-
culous to state that they are afraid on ac-
count OF the pressure to put on gauge
gas in an uncertain field the men often use
second class pipe, material that has done
service in other wells. 1t wouldn't pay to put
in the best pipe. II tie well is strong, putting
on the gauge would likely break the casing
somewhere, and then the tubing would fill
up with salt water. have had considerable
| experience with this territory, and 1 can
easily explain why 1 think the field
is discovered in the Murraysvflie
sand. A number Of dry holes have also been
the Allee heny river near Parnassus, runs
through Murraysville crosses the Pennsyl-
vania road and runs over the country ter
minating near Coal Bluff.
Wells Usually Are short-Lived.
The Snee well is nearly opposite Shire
Oaks, on the Pittsburg side of the Mononga-
he!a river. The field has been tapped in q
with many wells that gas was struck, but 8
soon as the well is drilled several feet in to
the sand, the tubing fills up with
salt water and the we'll is worthless. The
rock pressure is terrific and 1t throws the
water in a steady stream high above the
derricks. My opinion is that If the new we'll
was drilled in the owners would have the
same experience. 1t looks to me as If the
! well was bored into Strata resembling a bent
knuckle. The well is at the top of the angle
and the gas ds above the water. II wells
were put down where the gas and water are
on level, the wells, like the Others, would
be valueless, as the water would choke up
the pipes. For this reason think the field
Is not extensive.
My opinion is that the gas business is
over in Pittsburg. There is Considerable yet
in Washington county and some in the Pin
hook territory, but it is SO scattered
and found i'll such small Quantities that
it does not pay to put down wells costing
$1,000. The National Tube Works a year ago
thoroughly examined the field i'll which the
Suee we'll is located, and the company came
to the conclusion that 1t would req uire
$25000 to develop 1t. and a new
dollar couldn't be made for an
old one. The company is still
getting its gas from Murraysvile and Grape
Vile where the pressure on the wells is
about six pounds. The noise from the Snee
well is deafening, and man who went up
the derrick without cotton in his ears would
hear the roar tor B. week afterward. It Is