The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1894-11-15
GAS WELLS IN CHINA.
Traveller Tells How They Drill for Gas
in That Country.


i'll That Country.
Col.s Samuel Friel, who has been
travelling through the various local.
ties in the foreign countries where oil
and gas are found, was visitor in this
city on his way to the Indiana oil
fields. He related the following re-
garding the gas of the Chinese empire
The principal natural gas wells in
emma are located near the town of
Isl-lln-ssing, in the vicinity of whic'
large numbers of wells are found.
These latter, in fact, appesr to have
really been responsible for the explora-
ton of the former. To make well the
chinese use long and elastic bamboo
pole, supported in the middle by a
cross piece, rope made by coupling
the ends of long slices of bamboo. and
an IRON instrument which weighs about
100 pounds. The rope is fastened on
the thin end of the pole, and the
iron on the end of the rope. A
sight up and down motion of the thick
end of the pole makes the iron jump
and bore a hole with its broad, sharp
ened edge. When a portion of the
rock is disintcgrated. clear water is
poured into the hole, a long bamboo
tube with a valve in the bottom is
lowered, and the turbid water is raised
to the top. Pieces of cypress wood are
rammed in to protect the sides of the
bored hole and to prevent the water
con to ned IN the surrounding ground
| from getting access to the well. The
pipes are attached to each other at the
ends with nails, hemp and tung Oil
The inner width of the pipes is about
hve inches. As the work proceeds the
! pipes are rammed deeper, and a new
enc is attached on the top; the rope,
too, is made longer. At depth vary
ing from seven hundred to one thou
sand feet the brine is struck and the
well is fit for use The brine is raised
to the top through long bamboo tubes
and bamboo ropes, by means of a horse
whim, and is then carried to large pans
for evaporation, or led to them through
bamboo pipes. Besides these wells
there are others, which are bored to Il
depth of one thousand eight hundred
20 two thousand feet At that distance
below the surface petroleum is struck
Immediately on reaching it an infam-
matory gas escapes with great violence.
Work is then stopped and a wooden cap
fastened over the mouth of the pit
perforated by several rows of round
holes. In each of them bamboo pipe
is inserted, and through these the gas
Is led under the evaporation pans. The
pipes ramify, and on each end a taper
ing mouthpiece is attached The gas
IS then used for evaporating the brine.
The entcrprising spirit which in
duced the Chinese to examine the
ground at 50 great depth is said to
have had its origin in the drying up of
brine pit. The proprietor was in
hopes of meeting brine at greater
depth, but found. instead, the gas.
When the country was infested with
rebels during the TAPPING rebellion
they moved the cap from one of the
gas pits and set fire to it. Since that
time long column of fire has risen
from that pit, and it makes beautiful
scene. There have been large num-
Der of test wells drilled in various
parts of the Chinese empire, but the
most important find of petroleum was
struck by Americans in a test well on
the To Chang, which caught fire and
burned for many days, striking terror
to the Chinese. 1t is a great country,
but | prefer the United States, as it is
the only country on the globe.
RIo6a