The morning times., 1896-05-10
Copyright, 1896, by Bachelor, johnson
q Bacheller.I

Copyright, 1896, by Bachelor, johnson
q BachelIerl
In the town Of Strawtown, Ind. stand
four great 55O-horse power steam engines,
pumping night and day and sending out IN
all directions for twenty thirty, or forty
miles radiating streams 10 supply the cities
and villages OF a vast surrounding region.
And these are not streams OF water; they
consist OF natural gas. Strawtown has
the unique distinction of having once come
within one legislative vote OF being made
the state capital, but at present il is
chiefly noted as the location OF a great
gas-pumping station. being In the center
OF what is now the principal natural gas
region in the United states One by one
the other gas regions have failed. and that
even this one has not many years OF NE
before II. this great pumping station WIN
it's throbbing engines, is wltness-and by
no means silent one.
The region In question covers tract IN
Northern Indiana reaching from Anderson
10 Noblesville. perhaps eight miles wlde
and twenty-five to thirty In length. IL is
dotted with gas wells drilled down ABOUT
100 feyt into a porous rock. similar 10 that
from which petroleum is obtained IN OH
regions. In fact, when the pressure IN
well has become reduced the Wen oi'eh
ills with oil-oftener. however, Win salt
wster-wuicn has evidently Deen held
back bv the gas. These wells are ali lltted
with 6 or inch casing which reaches
down to the bed rock and is joined 10 IL
with a rubber washer or lhlmble-
Refore they furnish an adequate supply
or pas they must be shot that Is, blown
out with dynamite, which is flrst uroppeu
into the well in cartridges OF from forty
70 sixty pounds, and then exploded by send
ing down after IL 'gC-deVI - SlltiI y
crowbar fitted with guides When the go
devil strikes the explosive there J. lIsu
| hoarse rumble; and then, after what seems
IN the expectant listeners long wait
there is an eruption of stones, gravel water
and mud. followed by the gas After the
gas is flowing freely ii Is GOT under
control by means of valves, and allowed
to escape slowly through small pipe two
aud one-half to three inches in diameter
to a main. which may be as much as a
foot in diameter. These wells are not
placed nearer to each other than half a
mile. The privilege of boring is usually
leased from farmers at about $500 year,
aud the owner OF the land is given all the
gas he wants both for household and
for pumping use which latter operation
NAV be accomplished by using the simple
gas pressure or by means of device
similar to the sO-Called ''aIr lift, where
the water TO De raised Is 1IliGeu WIFI lne
gas and raised as a fOaming mass. The
objection to this plan is that the gas used
escapes into the air. where its odor Is
Objectionable: in the fiTStname ed plan
it is led away into the mains after its
pressure has been utilized.
The whole region is n network Of tubing,
haIf-inCh pipes being laid down above
ground along the roads for miles. This
system may he called the "Tramps De
light The traveller in the region Is often
puzzled by seeing at intervals along these
roadside pipes a blaCkened heap of stones
These are the remains OF the tramp :
natural gas camp fires. The ingens
ious but impeCuniouS Indiana pedestrian
flattens one OF the joints in the piping
with u heavy stone, just sufficiently Z"
let a little gas eSCape-a minute crack will
do, owing to tie heavy pressure Then
he piles Il heap Of stones over the break,
touches it off, and 10! a fire quite as good
as those for which in the neighbOring
CITY aristocratS are paying high toll to the
grasping gas company.
The chief cities supplied by this gas re-
gion are Indianapolis, Lafayette, Logans
mort, Frankfort and Fort Wayne. They are
| not in the gas belt prOper-the capital, fol
| instance being thirty to fifty miles distant
| All draw heavily on the supply Of gas, as
| the consumption is constantly increasing
! On the other hand, the pressure at the