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

hour"
Let us read it them" said the re
porter.
This was agreed to. and after Mr.
Drake had made his readings and
noted them down, a watch was timeo
for ten minutes, when the readings
were again made, the result showing
that during this period of time $40
cubic feet OF gas had passed through
the meter. and into the pipe line OF the
electric company, or at the rate OF
5,S6S. feet an hour, or 14O,SS2 Tor Gay
of "A hours.
The recording guage at the meter
house was also consulted and the read
ings on this made it plain that at
a. m. yesterday morning the pressure
had been "a pounds; that at noon 1t had
been 10 pounds, and that at 1880 p m-'
which was the time that the visit was
made to the works, that the pressure
was is pounds.
A visit was also made to the Old rus
carora well, owned by the New Ameri-
can Gas and Fuel company, and II is
with this well, in connection with the
Fairview, that the company has been
keeping up it's supply of gas for the
use of the electric company.
This well, as is. generally known IN
gas circles, has been a marvel and a
wonderful producer. A short time pre-
vious to the 5th of the present month
the Tuscarora well clloked up and the
Fairview became so choked that 1t
failed to register a pressure greater
than 20 pounds 1t was at this time,
The Herald is informed, that the Amer
lean company made arrangements with
the Driver company to furnish the
electric company with gas while it (the
American company continued sinking
its new well On the 18th of this month,
however, the American company moved
its machine over to the Tuscarora and
cleaned it out, and now the flow in this
well is greater than ever and on the
suage the indicator has passed the 2OO-
pound mark and is resting against the
pin, so that it cannot be determined
just what the pressure is, but 1t is falr
to presume that it would be nothing
less than $50 TO 300 pounds.
Since re-opening this well the gas
COMPANY UdS l6CtlNCo q
from the electric company that it has
rescinded its contract with it, and the
gas company has been prohibited from
turning the gas from the Tuscarora
into the mains of the electric COM
pany 1t would be ruinous to the well,
however, to plug it up, and so, to keep
il in good order and give it vent,
small portion of the volume of gas is
carried off in a four-inch pipe for
distance of 500 feet, where it has been
ignited, and the roar of the escaping
gas can be heard for a distance of
a quarter or half mile; while the
light from the flambeau can easily be
seen for a mile or more.
AS a matter of fact the American
company has not furnished the electric
company with any gas since october
90, but during this time the Driver
company has had and still has all the
gas, and more too, than the electric
company could utilize if Salt Lake City
was four times as large as it is and the
electric company had a proportionately
Increased service to supply. The Amer
lean company, however, is sinking its
new well as rapidly as possible. With
its four-inch pipe the well is. now down
a depth of 500 feet. and from this level
there is a very encouraging flow of
gas, which, as it is ignited as it comes
from the pipe, makes a good showing.
The 215-inch pipe, which is incased in
the larger pipe, is now down for a dis
lance of ]. 200 feet, and from this depth
there is also a flow that would indicate
that it will not take long now before
the real gas strata is reached. and
when this is accomplished this new
well will make the greatest geyser in
the field, and there can be no doubt
but that this well alone viii be able to
furnish all the gas that this city will
consume for some time to come.
Returning to the period when it was
alleged by the electric company that
the supply of natural gas had failed,
the records of Driver 6; Co. show that
on the evening of Nov. 6. and on the
morning of Nov 7, the company turned
1S4,2O0 feet of gas into the mains of the
electric company; that on the Sth
volume of 100000 was turned in and
ever since that date the electric COM
pany had received at the Lake Shore
end of the line from 22500 to $50, 900
feet of gas per day: and The Herald is
informed that the Driver company
could furnish 4OO,O 0o feet daily with but
little trouble and that if necessary it
could furnish half million.
Before proceeding further on this
subject it is no more than right to say
something regarding the efficient man
ner in which Mr.. Drake is performing
his duties at the gas wells, which he
has in perfect control. In the first
place. Mr. Drake has the gas business
down TO a fire point and he remains on
the premises day and night so that if
there is any trouble at any time he is
there to attend 10 it. and to assist him
in his work he has installed a small
electrical plant so that at any time in
tie day or night he can be apprised if
anything has gone wrong at the wells,
either in the pressure. or the presence
of water in the separators. and by the
tinkling of a bell ne can tell just what
the trouble is and at what well. The
wells have also been well housed and
everything is now in ship-shape for the
winter. It is also well to state the fact
That it has been ascertained that the
extent of the gas field at Lake Shore
liz all of a mile square, and, that in the