El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-13
"A BOON TO
Ell PASO
The Natural Gas Project In
the Nature Of a Double
Header
And ARTESlAN WATER
Liable To Be Struck Even If
Gas Is Not Found
Under the

The natural gas project. published
exclusively in THE HERALDyesterday,
lisa sort Of double-h eader. If the at
tempt to find gas fails. it is expected
that artesian water will be found. Per
haps both will be found in sinking the
we'll. Either would be boon of i nes-
timsble value to El Paso.
DR.. II. N. Warren, of New York,
on gas and artesian wells, is confident
that both gas aud water are to be found
here in great quantities, and has Or
ganized company to bore a we'll.
The project is taking definite shape
rapidly and will probably come before
the city council at its meeting next
Thursday night. DR.. Warren purposes
asking the city for the use of the old
srtesisn we'll machinery. If this can
be secured it will save the company
considerable expense. If it cannot,
machinery will be brought here from
an eastern city.
The we'll is to be dug on the mesa.
DR.. Warren says the city threw money
away by boring for water in the brok-
en- rock formation of the river bed.
He is confident that the mesa is the
place to bore for both gas and water.
DR.. Warren came out here last fall
to examine into the mineral resources
OF the Mescalero reservation, for New
York capitalists. He is now here on
mining business for New Y ork parties.
During his stay in Ell Paso he has
carefully studied the geological forma-
tion of this vicinity, and his convictions
as to the existence of natural gas here
are based on his observations.
DR.. Warren declared a few years ago
that there was natural gas under Salt
Lake City. He WAS. laughed at, but,
just as be has done in this case. he sue
ceeded in interesting a few people in
his project of trying for it, and gas
was struck.
While DR.. Warren was in the city q
few days ago be secured from the city
clerk a report made in 1890 by Prof.
Robert T. Hill, the eminent geologist,
upon the "Conditions for procuring
artesian water in the city of El Paso,
Texas.' DR.. Warren was much inter-
ested in the report. and says it fully
confirms his own judgment.
The HERALD secured the manuscript
of the report, probably never in print
before, from the city clerk land now pre-.
sents it IN full to its readers.
An artesian well was begun on the
mesa near the waterworks, by Mr..
Satterthwaite, three or four years ago.
The we'll was sunk nearly 1000 feet
and the drill was still in granite when
the work was stopped.
In 1885 or 1886 a we'll was sunk to a
depth of 1,SOO feet by the city In
Washington park. Gas and oil were
struck in small quantities. enough to
pollute the water, but not enough for
practical purposes. The water rose
to the surface and ran from the we'll
at first, but was unfit for use owing to
to the oil in it.
The report will be of interest and
value to all. It follows:
PROF. HILLS REPORT
10 the Honorable Mayor and City
Council.
GENTLEMEN: The requisite con-
ditions for obtaining artesian water
for any locality are as follows: First, |
the given locality must be of lower al
titude than some more or less adjacent
region which serves as q receiving area |
for the rainfall which ls the ultimate |
source of the water. Second, the |
structure of the rocks composing the |
receiving area must be porous in order |
to imbibe and transmit moisture, and |
must occur in slightly tilted, unbroken |
or little broken strata in order to con-
duct this water beneath the surface |
where the artesian water is desired. |
Third, there must be sufficient rainfall |
upon the receiving area to supply the
water.
These three conditions must always
exist; let US see if they are present In !,
this vicinity.
THE TOPOGRAPHIC POSITION OF Ell
PASO
Is favorable. Although occupying a !