The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-01-21
WHAT'S UNDER TOPEKA.
A State Journal Correspondents Dis
cusses the Possi Utilities.

To the Editor of the State Journal:
In view of the fact that not little in
terest is now manifest in the proposed at
tempt to exploit for oil or gas around To-
peka, it may be interesting to refer to
some of the probabilities of success if
pers have already reported the finding Of
oil in wells near Tecumseh and other
portions of the county south of the city.
Similar indications are also reported in
several instances in North Topeka, and it
IS generally known thaL movements are
on foot to organize a company to make q
test well in some point in or near the First
ward.
At some of the meetings held to consider
the subject various theories have been
advanced some with and some without
any scientific basis. It is said that Topeka
must be within the coal basin, lying as IL
does between the coal fields OF Ieayen-
county on the other. On the other hand
it is said that this condition does not
necessarily IoiloF Tor the reason ltlat 'lle
coal measures Of LeavenWorth, instead OF
being on q level. lie at an angle and at
certain points fail altogether, and that
very suddenly, no coal appearing peyola
such a point and none being found in
shafts or. borings sunk after such meas
ures suddenly fail.
Now truth is sometimes dogmatic It
is so IN this case. The above statements
are facts. But they are practically value
less without some scientific understand
ing. Now is there any scientific reason
why we may expect oil or gas to be stored
IN this SubterFane2n basin lying between
the Usage and Ieavenworth coal neidsz
And is there a reason why we do not find
coal in this basin when it does exist on
either side of us2
In answer it may be said that good, nat
uraI or scientific reasons exist in both
cases The coal measures on each side OF
this valley are the result of great upheav-
ais of the surface made ages ago, pos
sibly. even probably, at time when All
now, the Kaw valley was doubtless an
ocean valley, possibly an ocean current.
Ages before, previous 70 the existence q
the Rocky mountains, the continent was q
land of luxuriant vegetable growth and TINS
portion submerged. If submerged It was,
when the mountain districts We're up-
heaved Perhaps at that time or perhaps
at a later period came the commissions
that raised the coal bearing formations OF
o. &C - 80 ss zss75zs5orth While # did not
raise those of the Kaw valley And why
not? Simply because the valley lay win
its convex form below, therefore requiring
a vastly greater force than was sufflclent
to elevate the adjacent fields But this
force. was sufficient 70 leave lts marx;
which it did IN the way OF cracks ahu
crevices, in the everything measures Ct
rock. coal and earth
If this theory is correct we have purely
scientific reason for the presence OF oil
and other indications of subterranean de-
posits of oil and gas and the probable ex-
istence of coal measures even surprising
those of neighDorfng counties. bur far low
er down. perhaps not less than z,es feet.
that oil or gas finds its way through this
shell of rock beneath this valley and into
to ponute its soil and the water Of many
of our wells and to seep out through the
creek and river bluffs
It is n1Sre than probable that the coal
measures Of Leavenworth. and Usage are
vastly inferior to those that lie beneath
those now worked It is also quite proba-
bic that a well sunk deer enough in the
kaw valley after penetrating the aHuvial
deposits viii strike practically the same
formations that now exist nearer the sur
face on each side Of this valley and that
sim deeper down may be found the most
valuable coal formation and doubtless de-
posts of oil and gas in some localities.
The very fact that the coal measures
lying at an angle of . to 40 degrees more
or less. suddenly fail. is the best evidence
that they were broken of and thrown UP
part and which still remain buried be
low
But what did the old Topeka coal hole
tell? Well who knows7 We really know
less Of it than Sphinx tells Of the desert