The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-11-26
TO LOOK UP
GAS WELL
Council Men and Business
Men to Go to Winfield Today.
MAN WITH EXPERIENCE
Says Flow May Not be Big
but Shows Where Gas Is.

This morning at SIS the committee of
counciimen appointed by Mayor Mclean
will go to Winfield to see the gas well
opened at that place last Saturday night.
The committee, which consists of c. L.
Davidson, J. Giles Smith and James Bur-
ton, will be accompanied by consid-
cradle number of business men who wish
to see the well. This committee will
make thorough investigation of the we'll
and win make a report at the council
meeting Monday night
| OF the well the Winfield Courier says:
, Gas has been struck at a depth of
| 60 feet at o'clock. and the well tan
eight-inch hole was giving forth strong
| few of natural gas, which, when lighted,
| blazed up to varying heights of from ten
TO twenty feet.
Immediately on striking gas. a driller
was sent to Chanute to secure somt
smaller sized casing for the well in order
| to case it clear down TO gas sand and
shut out the salt water Owing to the
| fact that they were not expecting 10
strike gas as at so small a depth, there
We're only POS feet of casing in the well.
Had the drillers expected gas at 500 feet
| the well would have been cased to that
depth, for the casing was already on the
ground and it was the intention TO put
it in after 500 feet depth had been reached.
1T viii take from half to whole day
to put in the casing which in all probab-
ility will be done tomorrow BY the mid
die Of the week the capacity of the well
| Will be known.
The well is located on the Harris farm
down in a valley, one-halr miles east and
a few rods south of Observatory mound.
1t is in the lowest point in the vicinity,
and WAS chosen by Mr.. RACES after
fashion of time-h onored belief of his
the forked stick. People laughed at him
when they found ne had located gas
well in this manner, but it seems from
the results obtained that RACES stick was
not so bad after all. At any rate, the
elated people are glad that his stick led
him TO choose the spot it did, for it is
very seldom that natural gas is found
on the firsta tempt"
The expert who superintended the drill
ing Of the well believes that when the
6riil goes a little further a flow of half
million feet will be secured. He does
not think the well will produce that mucn
gas just at this time but they will have
to go deeper They have found the gas
sand, however, which SHOWS that Win
field is in the gas belt and little more
prospecting will show wnere the largest
amount of gas may be obtained.
Mr.. Lincoln McKinlay. of Newkirk and
secretary Of the Newkirk Gas and Min
eral company, was in the city yesterday
on his way home from Newport. Ark.
where he has purchased a standard rig
drilling outfit for use at Newkirl1 This
machine viii reach that town about De
cember l. Newkirk put down well $50
feet last spring and are now at work on
another one They had a contract with
some Coffeyville parties, but the company
was compelled TO move IT'S drills and now
the company will Go its own drilling.
Speaking of the Winfield we'll yester-
day, Mr.. McKinlay said:
Il have read the newspaper accounts
OF the strike very carefully and believe
that Winfield has found about the same
thing that We did, possibly a little bet
ter strike. The gas in both wells made
a blaze about twenty feet high The
Newkirk well has pressure or $50 pounds
and I expect that this one has the same
pressure. The quantity is about the same
enc hundred thousand cubic feet a day
That has little commercial value in Itself,
although if close in it might pay fair
profit
THE main thing in this strike is that
Winfield is in the gas district. There is
gas under the town and even il this we'll
has little commercial value, Il clearly
demonstrates that there is gas around
the town and some more prospecting VIII
show just where the largest flow may
be obtained.
The strike Of light flows of gas at
New5irk. Blackwell and Winfield. show
that these points are in the gas belt and
all that is necessary TO develop the field
is TO dfin several more wells nearby in
order 10 ind the greatest row. This How
is certainly not very big. as it would blow
ont that water in hurry and keep well
clear all Of the time
Mr. McKinlay has visited the gas dis
tricts in the southeastern part Of the
state and has talked with many men
familiar with the gas driliins in that
portion Of the state. They were Of the
opinion that the strike al Newkirk and
Winfield were Of about the same quantity
and same pressure. Neither would run
- present over ane hundred thousand
fcet OF gas per day and at a pressure Of
possibly 90 pounds per inch. Even IN
going deeper the well may not produce
sas Of any greater amount but BY pros
pecting around the city the gas pocket
may be tapped ard good aow secured
Wright wrongs nc man Wrights old
fashioned buckwheat -four is pure.
AN ENJOYABLE AFFAIR