The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-11-23

| something astonishing. These tests
were made at distances along the line
varying from 80 to 60 feet and during
the few minutes that the party were
engaged in this work no less than
seven holes were made with the crow
bar, and in every instance escaping
gas was found. and the application of
lighted match created a fame at each
leak sufficient in volume, to all appear
ances, to cook a supper with for
small family; and the reporter was in
formed that leaks of this kind and
extent were to be found all along the
line, and that there was hardly any
doubt but that every joint in the pipe
line was leaking.
At the station in this city, which was
visited by The Herald representative
Immediately upon his arrival, it was
found that the recording guage showed
a pressure of u pounds, being six
pounds less than the pressure at the
company's receiving station at Lake
Shore, which demonstrates the fact
that this is the extent of the loss be-
tween the wells and this city.
1t is computed in gas measurement
that 81 inches of gas constitutes
pound The guage at the station house
in this city, according to the statement
made to The Herald man by repre-
sentative of the electric company. was
u pounds, or 324 inches, and of this
amount the company was turning into
its city mains but two and one-half
10
pany is telling the gas consumers
of this city that the natural
gas fields at Lake Shore are
becoming exhausted and that it's
patrons will be obliged to use natural
gas hereafter at an advanced price,
when, in fact, there is a flow at the
present time that would and could
supply the city of London if desired;
as it has been demonstrated conclusive
~ to the satisfaction of The Herald
representative that the full supply of
the gas wells at Lake Shore have
never as yet been heavily drawn upon;
and, Furthermore, that if the pipe line
between this city and the wells was
free from leaks, at no time would there
have been any cause for complaint
from either the electric company or its
patrons.
According to all accounts a pound of
gas is all that this city could use at
the present time under any circum-
stances; and yet the gas companies
are now furnishing IS pounds and
could furnish four times this amount
if needed, ana at the same time the
Tuscarora we'll. with its 200 pounds
and over of pressure, is not being util-
lied, but a portion of the gas from
this we'll is being allowed to go to
waste.
To sum up the matter in a nutshell
would be to put it in this shape:
The Bryan we'll, test volume of
$50 pounds.
The Woodman we'll, 100 pounds.
The Johnson well, 14S pounds.
The Tuscarora well, 200 pounds and
over
Pressure at the meter-house at the
wells, Is pounds.
Pressure at the receiving station in
this city, II pounds.
Loss between this city and the wells,
6 pounds.
Reduced to feet, q inches equal a
pound.
One pound ample for all demands.
The company at $3.50 p. m. yesterday
was turning 215 inches into the city
mains, and yet the electric company is
claiming that the wells are exhausted,
that the supply is insufficient, and
that it will be obliged to supply its
patrons with artificial gas at from
s1.25 up to 81 per thousand feet in
stead of natural gas at 80 cents per
thousand feet.
This being the case, there is no Won
der that the electric company desires
to deal in artificial rather than natural
gas; but the question is, What will
the people do about it, and can they
be hoodwinked into believing that the
supply of natural gas has played out
when the fact is that the supply is
greater than ever?"
One of the greatest difficulties to be
met with by the gas companies is that
the people of this city do not begin to
comprehend the Importance of this
supply of natural gas, for if they did
they would not sit idly by and see an
industry of this character strangled
almost in its infancy. 1t would be a
revelation to the citizens of Salt Lake
if they would only visit these gas
fields, and even then they could not
conceive of the immensely of the en-
terprise nor realize the fact that in
these fields Dame Nature had endowed |
this country with one of her richest
gifts and blessings.