Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1894-11-02

Iruth ABOUT IT, Afterward.
Brattleboro people dreamed dreams and
saw visions of a new era of development
sunday, after the arrival of the Spring
held Republican, which, under its largest
headlines, declared "Natural Gas Discov-
cred in the Soil of Bratteboro," and in a
special dispatch proceeded to tell the story
which is reproduced below.
If the aim of the article was to create
sensation it was a success. The topic of
discussion in the village throughout the
day was the "gas discovery" Hundreds
OF people walked to the suspension bridge
and gazed from it upon the water below,
where they expected to see that gas rising
to the surface. OF course some saw it, and
papers were lighted and dropped upon the
water, with the expectation of setting the
river on fire. But the blue fame that they
looked for never came. People who were
out for ride naturally turned their horses
to the new FL Dorado which was to mean
so much for Brattleboro's commercial SUI
premacy, and the result was that the roads
in that section were thronged with convey
ances. Many people went along the banks
above the bridge. The gaseous odor which
was expected to permeate the atmosphere
they could not SMELL and the "immature
gas wells' which they sunk along the "plat-
eaus" yielded no fruit. But great many
people discovered where the bubbles came
to the surface of the water, 10 rods or more
above the bridge, and the general report
brought back was that the gas deposit was
at this point, but there were those with
vivid imaginations who saw the gas arising
in the water near the bridge. Suffice it to
| say that none of them visited the spot
where the experiments hereafter recorded
were tried
Some excitement was occasioned here today
| by report of the discovery of natural gas with
| in two miles of the village The discovery, it
| seems, was made several DAYS ago by two young
men who experimental sufficiently to show that
| by driving down small poles into the soil they
could readily strike gas, which when lighted.
| would produce strong flame. Yesterday two we'll
| known business men went to the place and ex.
ploded ynamitecartridges in the river, when in
stantly the entire surface of the water was aame,
| showing Enthusiastically that the discovery of gas
was reality. This incident may possibly lead to
| important results in the matter of fuel and light
| ing, and negotiations have already been suggest
ed for the purchase of territorial rights in the
| vicinity.
This discovery which bids fair to be one of con-
siderable Importance to Brattleboro, had been
| carefully kept secret until yesterday. The
| young men who noticed the evidences of the pres
| ence of the gas both law students. One is a
| Dir. Piper, who is employed in the office of Ed
ward C. crosby, and the other is in the Office nf
Morse Simpson They were taking walk up
the river road enjoying the beautiful October
weather and with no idea of prospecting for natu-
raj gas.
About two miles north of Brattleboro is the
new suspension bridge which spans the Connect.
cut, touching the opposite bank in the town OF
1t was when near this bridge that Mr. Piper no.
ticed the formation of bubbles on the surface Of
the stream He called his companions attention
to the bubbles, and remarked that they must be
due to the action of gas or air which was being
forced up through the water. After discussing
the matter little while, the young men concluded
| phenomenon z.
They cross the bridge to the plateau mentioned,
and getting number of sharp sticks began to
thrust them into the ground.
A peculiar odor was at once noticeable, and il
was then for the first time that the thought OF
natural gas occurred to the investigators. Mr..
Piper. in order to settle the matter beyond doubt,
lighted match and held it over the hole from
which one Of the sticks had been withdrawn. In
stanty there a flash, which in few seconds
settled into a steady. flame. The same expert
ment was tried in half dozen places along the
plateau, and always with the same results.
The two young men walked quickly back to
Brattleboro and told their employers what they
had found Naturally enough, the latter were a
little increduous at first, but MIR. Crosby and Mr.
Morse finally concluded to go and see for them
selves Yesterday they took a boat and rowed up
the river from Brattleboro to the bridge. They
had bought number OF sticks OF dynamite such
as are used for sub marine blasting and when
they had reached point opposite the plateau
8 one Of the sticks was submerged and exploded
Instantly the water began TO boil and seethe from
the rush Of gas and when piece of paper was
lighted and thrown out on TO the surface of the
stream, there was a great flash and the men were
obliged to row rapidly down stream TO avoid be
ing badly burned.
r This is the story of the finding of the gas il
was learned with considerable difficulty last might
by the Republican correspondent at Brattleboro
1t cannot of course asyet be positively stated thai
the gas which has been found Is sufficient in guam
tity to be valuable commercially. II may be thai
, | the product comes from coal vein which rum
= from the mountain out under the bed of th'
river or it may be that there is a little oil in IN
strata underneath the river and that from thu
| the gas has been generated.
There is no doubt however, that it is gas ant
= | gas Of a XII d which would cause revolution II
Brattleboros industries should IL be found II
quantities ficIen to pay for the sinking of wells
q The land on which Mr.. Piper and his friend SUM
their immature gas wells is just over the line in tn
: state of Vermont, an forms part of a smal
farm the owner of which lives only about mil
q away.
A further and more scientific investigation
being arranged for, and no time VIII be lost IN IN
: endeavor TO ascertain beyond peradventur
{ whether the great blessing of natural gas is real
9 to be enjoyed by Brattleboro.
A dozen people, perhaps, knew of tn,
discovery before the Republican article ap
!. peared. Sewall Morse, of the firm o
h Morse & Simpson, while on the river in hi
II canoe early in the summer, noticed that al
: unusual number of bubbles came to tn,
q surface of the river at point two or NOR
:. miles north of the village. He attempted
to light the gas but it did not rise in suffi
&c cient quantities to ignite. In compan
q with f. L. Howe, another enthusiastic ca
, noeist who spends much time on the river
y Mr.. Morse tried several experiments. Tn
q most interesting was when they went upo
% the sandbar, few inches above the water
+ and ran pole obliquely through the san
h into the water. Then gas arose in thu
/, hole, and by touching a match to it blu
y ish white flame was produced which burn
ed perhaps 10 seconds. Mr.. Morse an
, his friends have repeated these experiment
:, at different times during the summer Z
~ c.. Crosby of the firm of Crosby Co
u n was one of those who was told by Mr.. Mors
" about the existence of the gas. Mr.. Gro:
70 by, naturally, was interested, and last FIR
= day accompanied Mr.. Morse to test ful
- ther the phenomenon.
' The bubbles appear on the surface of tn
a stream over a space 800 to 800 feet /
a length, and so feet wide. Rowing OF
where the bubbles were numerous, dyI
amite cartridge was exploded on the bo
- tom of the river where the water was aboJ
four feet deep. Immediately after the eXpl'
sion the gas escaped in large quantitie
causing a vigorous boiling of the waite
When a match was lighted and held ne'
the surface of the water the gas was igni
ed for the distance of few yards, being a
about the boat. There was, however,
dan0ar as the flames disappeared in fol