Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1901-11-21
INDICATIONS OF 1T C0KE WITH
THE SALT WATER.
Contractor Thinks Abilene Has a
Bonanza and Gan Make It Pay
What Southeastern Kansas Com
panies Have Found.

"If the people Of Abilene 40 no
make some money out Of the sal
well even in its present condition
this is not the town l take 1t for,
said Contractor Nickerson today. ID
has been watching the well closel..
and thinks it has great promise. III
visited the well this morning and say
that while the flow Of salt water II
about the same as yesterday, there ii
a change in conditions and what hi
takes to be gas seems to be coming
up with the water. II this is so th'
gas supply may increase. -
1t was reported on the streets tha
the well had this morning spurted II
feet high but those who visited it Al
II a. m. say there was little change
in the amount Of flow from yesterday
This afternoon work was being dont
in extending the piping to see how
high the water will be forced II con
fined in pipes.
Secretary Edison today received from
F. B. Gregg, secretary Of the Eureka
Cas-. Oil and Mineral company al
Eureka, Kas., the following letter;
ii see by the press dispatches thai
you have struck salt water in your
gas we'll and think Of stopping on &C.
count o: it. From experience here,
should not consider such action
proper. We went 1886 feet, through
250 feet salt sand, and at last there
stood in the hole about 1000 feet salt
water that bore an egg. At the bot
tom we struck gas sand, producing
oil and gas to burn some, when we
encountered difficulty, collapsing Of
a joint OF casing at the bottom OF the
we'll. This prevented our further
drilling. If you can case out the
water on solid foundation and 90
ahead, you stand as.good a show to
handle your product as il no salt had
been encountered, ifgas is below you
"Remember that in three fourths Of
the heavy gas wells Of southeast Kan
sas they went through salt water. 1t
is rather a better than poor indica-
tion, we think"
Contractor Nickerson left for st.
Louis at noon to purchase some need
ed machinery to 60 down 1900 feet
according to contract. If, however,
it is decided by the subscribers that
it will be best to dig a new hole and
keep this one, or il something de-
velops in the hole that now stands he
will be notified.
The work already accomplished
shows that there is something val
liable beneath the surface and the de-
velopments Of the next few days may
prove very interesting.
II the well is put deeper there will
be necessity for more careful casing
and some Of that already down will
have to be replaced with larger and
stronger pipe. The probabilities are
that the salt water supply is large.
The pressure needed to raise the water
!, l,2eO feet is about 700 pounds to the
square inch. A similar instance is
seen in q well which has just been
bored by the city at Wellington. The
well was tested by two pumps, with
. three-inch jet each, and it was
iound impossible to lower the water
1T all. When the engines stopped,
The water would rush to the top Of
The well in thirty seconds. Two
pumps at work on the well are giving
/ thorough testing. Eighty gallons
! minute have been taken from the
we'll and in no way affected its supply |