The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1900-06-12
THE STATES PRODUCTS
EXTRACTS FROM GEoLOGIsT
BLATCHLEY-S ANNUAL REPORT.
Indiana Stands Well at the Head in
Natural Resources-Some Per-
tfnent Points.

completed his annual report Tor lSyS. 1t Is
said to be one Of the best reports ever got
out by this department. and contains over
a thousand pages relating to the geology
and natural resources of the State. While
the report contains in part information
which was published in the twentieth and
twenty-first annual reports. ii gives. in
addition, much which has been gathered
since their publication.
Under the head of 1.-The Natural Re-
sources of the State of Indiana" Mr.
Blatchley says: Ranking in area Of
square miles but ,thirty-fourth among the
forty-five States of the Union. Indiana. on
Jan. l. 1899. stood sixth in the production of
coal. fourth in the production of petro-
leum. second in the production of natural
gas, seventh in the production of building
stone, and sixth in the value of her clay
products. According TO careful computa-
ton the value of the five leading mineral
resources In Indiana produced in 1898 was
as follows: Petroleum, s2.22S, 276; coal.
s5,l0044; natural gas, 5000, 969: stone,
N.ISl,914: clay products. s3.2l1.5l2; making a
total of s17.40s,715. The total production OF
petroleum in Indiana in the year 1899 was
of size per barrel. amounted to 1894, 374.
Compared with 1898 this was an increase
in production of 67,4O6 barrels, or 40 per
cent Owing. however. to the much higher
average price the amount received was
s1,11309S. or, approximately. so per cent
more than in 1885, and s341,374 more than
in any year since oil was discovered in the
State. The greatest production heretofore
was 4.6SO,732 barrels in 1896. This, at 63
cents-the average price for that year
amounted to s2,954,411.
There has been greater activity in oil
operations in Indiana in 1899 than in any
4336 wells producing oil in the State. as
against 3.62S on Jan. /. 1899. a net gain Of
70S for the year. The table also shows that
697S wells have been sunk within the State
for petroleum, so that 2.642 Of those COM
pleted have either proven dry or were
abandoned previous to Jan. /, 1900 The
prospects for 1900. at the present time, are
very bright. While new territory of i'm
portance may not be opened up, the high
price of the liquid, IL maintained. will
stimulate the sinking of many new bores
in territory already productive. There is
yet room for thousands of wells in the ter
ritory known to contain oil. AT present
prices ten wells, pumped by one power and
yielding on an average but three barrels
each per day, will prove paying invest
ment.
NATURAL GAS.
Natural gas, the cleanest and best nat
or less quantities in an area approximating
=
part of the State. 1t is now almost uni
versaliy admitted that the rock pressure
in any oil or gas field is nothing more nor
less than water pressure, in artesian
wells. Hence the deeper the well the
greater the head of the water and the
higher the rock pressure. The pressure
does not tell anything about the volume
or, amount of gas stored in the rock, but
the rate of diminution of pressure furnishes
an excellent index of the rapidity with
which that amount is being lessened. The
salt water usually overcomes the gas pres
sure and browns out or cuts off well long
before the rock pressure has been reduced
to zero. In the Indiana fields the average
pressure in 1880 was 325 pounds. On the
1st Of January, 1900, it was 155 pounds. The
average well is drowned out-that is, the
supply of gas is shut off-at about 40
pounds. From this il will be seen that the
promising one. During the year 1899 there
was great increase of activity in the
coal regions of Indiana. The output from
the mines was far greater than in any
previous year. Many hundreds of acres of
the best coal deposits changed hands, hav-
ing been secured by parties having large
capital to invest Much of this land will
be held for future development, but in
number of places extensive mines are be-
ing established, and the coal output bids
fair to be doubled within the next three
years. The coal deposits of Indiana cover
about 1900 square miles. of which between
5000 and 1000 square miles are underlaid
by coal. All told, there is estimated to be
40. 000, 600, 900 tons of coal in Indiana, of
which one-fifth. or 5000 900. 600. is estimated
to be workable under present conditions.
1t is estimated that 100. 900 tons have al
ready been mined out. Assuming that the
past rate Of increase of production is main
tanned. it is estimated that the field will
last not less than 300 years. The report of
State Mine Inspector James Eperson shows
that 5,S65, 123 tons of coal were mined in In
diana in 1899. This was an increase of $685.
079 tons over the output of 1898, which was
the largest in the history of the State.
OUTPUT OF STONE.
For its output of ornamental and build
ing limestone Indiana is the most important
State in the Union. The production of
limestone in the State In 1898 and the uses
to which it was put is as follows: Build
ing purposes. S.OS3.51; paving and road
making, s253, 7s1; riprap. $16,0ie; made into
lime, $l95040; flux. sl3S.1s4. making a total
of S1.6S6.572. The sandstones of the State
are of excellent quality and in commercial
quantities occur at a number of localities in
western and southwestern Indiana. The
output of this stone in 1898 amounted to
$45. 342.''
Among the other natural resources of the
State mentioned in the report are the differ
ent kinds of clay which are used for manu-
featuring purposes and are of great value.
Millions of tons of shales and underclays
we'll fitted for making the best grade of
paving brick, sewer pipe and other vitrihed
products exist In the coal-bearing counties
of Indiana. and in the northwestern part
of the State are extensive deposits OF silly
clay which is peculiarly fitted for the MAX
ing of terra Gotta lumber. Other clays
found are the fire clay of Vermillion coun-
ty the potter's CLAWS, which are found in a
number of localities In the coal-bearins
counties and the clay for ordinary brick
and drain tile which are found in almost
every county in Indiana The report says:
THE cement industry in Indiana Is 4
growing one and promises much for the
future. Two kinds OF cement are manu-
featured in the State. Hydraulic rock ce-
ment is made in large quantities in Clark
county. and lust across the river at Louis
VILE there have been 100000 barrels, valued
at $SlS. O0O produced in this district i'm 1895
With the exception or New York this was
more than double the amount produced I'm
any other State and was one-fourth the
entire amount produced I'm the United
States The Portland cement industry
promises even greater results than that of
the hydraulic cement In 1898 there were