Washington sentinel., 1898-04-23
Burning Fields of Ice.


E. B. Kgerv, iHthe Scientific .Amsyiean
It seems a somewhat surprising
statement to make that on the ice
covered surface Of Kansas lake
it is possible to build bon6res by
simply breaking through the ice
and applying a match to the sur
face Of the water. The flames will
shoot up as high as man and will
burn brightly tor minute or two.
This is what has been possible Tor
several winters on Doniphan Lake,
Kansas, and on one of its tributary
streams. The fuel for these fires
is natural gas, which bubbles up
through the water the year round,
but it is only during the very cold
winter nights that il is thus tenn
porarily stored under the ice in
immense bubbles or pockets, some
times ten to twenty square yards
in extent. PunctuTe these bubbles
with a chisel, apply lighted match,
and one has roaring flame before
which the skater may warm his
benumbed fingers. The expert
menter must be careful to sta1d
between the wind and the jet Of
gas as he lights it, or he will have
his clothing singed before he can
get out Of the way OF his i'm
promptu torch. There are places
where the gas supply is so abund-
ant as to prevent the ice from form
ing, except on the verv coldest
nights. When such places are
frozen over they remain covered
only a few days, for the gas, COM
ing from a considerable depth in
the earth, is so warm that it soon
melts a passageWay and ESCAPES.
The present winter formed ice Of
fifteen inches thickness on the lake,
and yet some OF the areas of gas
supply were not frozen over. Near
the entrance of one Of the creeks
into the lake the water is quite
shallow and the bottom may be
readily seen. Here the gas has
formed regular channels up
through the mud, and out of these
large bubbles ofgas are discharged
every few seconds.
Doniphan Lake is located about
four miles north of Atchison,
Kansas, and is a river lake; that is,
it was formed from a bend OF the
Missouri river BY the water taking
a short cut across the narrow neck
OF the bend, thus leaving the old
bed to be occupied by beautiful
horseshoe lake about FIVE miles in
length. This happened during the
high waters of the spring and early
summer of 1891. Because the lake
IS IhuS CUUIUaI atively a recent for
nation, some Observers have con-
tended that the gas which collects
under the ice is only marsh gas.
But the supply is too great to be
accounted Tor in that manner.
Were it marsh gas, il would rise
more equally all over the lake, for
the bottom is everywhere about
the same. On the contrary, the
gas is supplied only in certain
localities, and the eastern arm OF
the lake IS without gas. Besides,
the places of discharge are the
same the year round. On the Mis-
souri, side OF the river are three
other lakes of like formation; Mud,
Sugar and Bean lakes. These do
not show gas except in occasional
very small bubbles. 1t is not sur
prising that natural gas should be
found in eastern Kansas. A hor-
ing at Kansas City, about ffty-6ve
miles south of Doniphan, gave
small supply Of gas a few years
ago. Ninety-miles southwest of
Kansas City, at lola, Kansas,
gas well, in recent years, furnished
seven million cubic feet Of gas per
day. There is no doubt that the
Doniphan gas is true natural gas,
and comes from the interior rocks
OF the earth. The question IF
quantity can only be determined
by prospecting. Should a gusher
be struck here, it would be a great
find, for St. Joseph, Mo-, is only
sixteen miles to the north, Atchi-
son is practically on the field and
Kansas City is less than sixty miles
to the south.