The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1895-04-09
THE NATURAL GAS SUPPLY.

TIE discovery OF natural gas, the rapid
and enormous development OF the sub
ferraasan supply and It's utilization in
lighting, heating and manufacturing. ars
matters O. recent and interesting his
tory. First discovered In Pennsylvania,
it soon displaced the use OF artificial gas
In many sections. and stimulated iron
and other manufactures prodigiousiy by
reducing 70 a minimum the cost OF fuel.
Pittsourg. In particular. proAted wonder
fully by It's use. and gained a leader
ship In me manufacture OF iron and
steel which Is not likely TO be riyaued
for many years TO come
In the twenty-year period which rep
resents che era OF natural gas .n Penn
sylvanaa, the years OF It's largest use
were from lsS5 to ISs3 1t Is estimated
that the value Of the product obtained
aud utilized during that time was 500
eeoeoo- The greatest product. the cui-
mination Of the era. 50 10 speak. was in
the years 1887 1SSs and 1883. during which
time nearly one-half the above amount
was obtained. Since the latter year II
has been rapidly diminishing until most
OF the manufacturing establishments in
thu Pitesoarg district have abandoned
its use and returned TO the cheap btu
minous fuel. upon which the manufae-
turing industries were originally based
Piitsburg Is fast becoming again the
smoky city OF twenty years ago. The
last great firm 70 abandon the use OF
gas as fuel. by singular coincidence.
was the flrst 10 sabstituts 81 exclusively
for coal.
While the figures for the nine years
noted give approximately the value of
the gas consumed. they convey little
idea OF the vast amount wasted during
the earlier years OF It's use. 80 that Ii
Is practically impossible TO arrive at the
real quantity or value OF the twenty
years product. Until the supply began
TO show signs OF diminishing the guam
tify that was uselessiy burned or al
bowed TO escape was many times greater
than that probably utilized. Iron works
we're charged so much per furnace. or
on the basis OF the amount OF iron pro
daced. without regard 20 the quantity
OF gas actually required. and because 20
allow Il 10 burn continually was less
trouble than 20 shut q of. the former
wasteful practice prevailed. Reason
able economy" says the Philadelphia
Record. in the use OF ths gas during
the period OF It's greatest abundance.
undoubtedly would have doubled the
length OF is career
Following the discoveries In Pennsyi-
vanla came those in Ohio. where also
the supply has iatterly been falling even
more rapidly than In Pennsylvania TIE
maximum consumption IN Ohio was IN
fSa, when 1: amounted 20 s. Ss, 90.
while In 1898 Il hal fallen 70 $3.50 go
The rapidly with which the supply has
been diminished has worked much hard
ship upon manufacturing Industries that
had been established since the discovery
and depended solely spon Il fer fuel Bat
while the supply OF natural gss has been
RAPIDLY diminishing n the states 20 the
eastward. a new productive region has
come into prominence n Indiana. where
interest Is now een;ered The surely
lnsreasea from sSaeeo IA lsSs 20 s. Is. %
81 lisa. and the effect has been 20 stlm-
ulate in marked degree the glass. tgou
and steel Industrial Warned by the
experience IN ohEa an4 Psnnsylv anla.
there = comparatively uttle waste. and
tire great reservoir. although cerssla 20
be anally exhausted. viii doubtless eon-
sIaue - yield up is stored treasure for
some time - come