The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-08-01
WASTE OF NATURAL GAS.
The Loss Estimated at Millions Of
Dollars Worth.
Reckless Extravasrance In the Csc OF the
Gas Is Rapidly Exhausting the Supply
Efforts Being Made to Check
tho Waste.

The state geologist Of Indiana, S. s.
Gorby, presents in the Engineering
Magazine the latest conclusions of
science regarding the origin of natural
gas, including the evidences of limit
ed supply. Its permanency, he says,
depends largely upon the use made of
it. For the last eight years it has been
extravagantly and foolishly wasted.
For period of nearly one year there
was daily waste in the state of In
diana alone of moro than 100. 600, 900
cubic feet. The daily loss to the peo-
pie of Indiana on account of this
enormous waste was more than $40, 900.
It is estimated that so, 600 cubic feet of
gas in the Indiana field is equal to a
ton of the best coal in stoves or fur
naces. Coal delivered in the Indiana
gas fields is worth 1928 per ton. It is
not an extravagant statement to assert
that the cash value of natural gas
wasted in Indiana since its discovery
would be more than SEC. 200, 0OO-an
amount greater by far than the total
capital invested in these fields on ac-
count of cheap fuel The waste is still
going on at the rate of %. 0OO, 900 cubic
feet daily. Hundreds Of fambeaus,
consuming on an average 1000 cubic
feet of gas per hour. have been allowed
to burn day and night, without inter
ruption, ever since the beginning Of
DEVELOPMENTS in the gas area. Hun
dreds of Improbable wells are not
plugged, but are left wide open, and
the gas allowed to escape in the air.
This is especially true of the section Of
the field where petroleum is found in
connection with gas. Scores of isolat-
ed wells that have been drilled for oil
yield gas in large quantities, but they
are not connected with pipe lines, and
the oil is saved but the gas permitted
to escape.
Reckless extravaganza also prevails
in the use of gas, both in factories and
private houses. Gas in the Indiana
field is not sold by measure, but it is
supplied for factory or domestic pur-
poses at fixed price per month. It
makes no difference whether much or
little is consumed, the price is the
same. 1t costs no more to continue
the fire twentyfour hours in the day
than in does one hour. With this state
of things existing, the consumer has
no interest in practicing economy.
Fires are allowed to burn continually
in unoccupied rooms and unused fur
naces, without regard to the value of
the fuel consumed. If gas were sold
by measure for all purposes consumers
would practice economy.
The statement may seem extravaganza,
but it is doubtless true, that at least
forty per cent. of the gas consumed in
the Indiana field, factories, dwellings,
etc, is actually wasted.
But one result can follow this extrav-
agance, and that is quick exhaustion
of the field. A final exhaustion is in
evitable under any circumstances, but
the profigacy that now prevails is de-
stroying the field at twofold ratio.
With economy in its use natural gas
will bring capital and prosperity to
the field for years to come, but the
quick exhaustion that is sure to follow
the extreme prodigality of the last few
years will necessarily result in the
abandonment of the field to certain
extent for manufacturing purposes.
Gas is most beneficial when con-
sumed for domestic purposes. In this
way it benefits much larger proper
ton of the population, and there is
also more profit to the producer in sell
ing it for domestic use. AS the volume
IF the supply gradually decreases it
will necessarily be withdrawn from
Use in the factories and the supply
confined exclusively to domestic use
1t is well to note that at this time
here is united action on the part of
he various companies producing natu-
al gas throughout the various fields
ooling to its preservation and endeav-
'ring to secure rigid economy in its
Use. If these efforts are successful the
'eriod of prosperity now prevailing
throughout the gas areas will be ma
erial1y heightened.