Williston graphic. (Williston, Williams County, N.D.) 1895-1919, 1904-03-17
OUTPUT OF NATURAL GAS.

Thousands Of Wells Throughout the
| Country Produce Millions Upon
| Millions Of Cubic Feet.
! Official figures about the production Of
natural gas in this country for the year
1902 have only recently been published.
According to returns collected by the
United States geological survey the to-
tai amount was valued at $50, 754 1857. On
the assumption that 10000 feet were
equivalent to ton of coal, and that the
price of gas averaged Is cents thou
sand, it may be said that the output of
natural gas took the place Of 10,250, 900
tons Of coal. The value Of the gas was
more than half as great as that of the
crude petroleum III the United States
that year. r s,-73a7f, vs.. ~
There were 14,349 wells, producing
natural gas at the close of 1902, Of which
number IS were shut in and not in use.
leaving 14,254 wells that were in use.
There were 2,722/new productive wells
completed during 1902, $40 wells were
| dry or unproductive, and 1888 wells
! were abandoned. At the close of 1901
there were 1866 producing wells, SO
| that 1902 shows gain of 1,4S4 produc-
tive wells. In 1902 there were laid 1902
miles of main line pipe from two inches
up to 20 inches in diameter. The total
miles of main line in use at the close of
1902 were 24,850, sufficient to girdle the
globe. f+<
There was an important increase in
the number of companies supplying gas
In 1902, and also in the number of in
dustrial establishments employing the
fuel. On the other hand, there was a
continued diminution in the pressure in
the principal fields.
The Washington correspondent of the
Iron Age, in summarizing the report Of
the geological survey, refers to the ap-
palling waste of this precious COM
modify after the latter first came into
general use 20 years ago. Pittsburgh
was the earliest consumer, great pipe
lines from the wells supplying her glass,
iron and steel factories In 1886 the
great Findlay field in Ohio began to be
prominent factor, and was followed
soon after by the development of the
vast Indiana field. With these remark
able and sudden discoveries of such
quantities of natural gas that were be-
fore unknown, the general impression
was strengthened that the reservoirs of
this remarkable fuel were practically
inexhaustible. Northwestern Ohio and
central Indiana We'd with western Penn
sylvania in consuming the greatest
quantity of natural gas in the shortest
time by almost turning night into day.
The climax was reached in 1888, when
It has been estimated that not less than
750, 000, 900 900 cubic feet of natural gas
were consumed and wasted. For this
immense quantity only }22, 630, 900 was
paid. This includes what was received
for all the natural gas consumed in the
United States that year, at an average
price of three cents per 1000 cubic feet.
If sold for only 10 cents per 1000 cubic
feet, the gas would have yielded SIS, OO0,-
600. It took the place of about 18,OO0,-
600 tons of coal. The total value of the
petroleum produced in the United States
that year was only $18,O00,OO0.
Ten years or more ago natural gas
came to be used for the development of
the necessary power for pumping oil.
Then 1t was quickly introduced into fac
tories, where gas engines of from to
500 horse power were employed for in
dustrial purposes. Many of the consum-
ers have their own gas wells to-day,
while, as already indicated, a large
number buy from the gas companies
The industrial establishments supplied
during 1902 numbered 1904, including
SIS iron mills, So steel works, $50 glass
works and 1883 other establishments
The iron mills were located as follows:
Pennsylvania, 30; Indiana, II; Ohio, g.;
West Virginia, 3; Kansas, /, and Ken
lucky, l, while steel mills were distrib-
uted as follows: Pennsylvania, 50; In
diana, Z; Ohio, 8; West Virginia, 8; New
York, l, and Kentucky 2. In addition
to the consumption by industrial enter
prises there were 505,5S3 domestic con-
sumers supplied in 1902. and it is asserted
that not less than 3,S5O,0OO individuals
are thus supplied with light and fuel
Wanted 1t Like Papa's.
Josephine was having her hair cut
at real BARRIERS. 1t was hot, and
her father sat tanning his bald head
near the window, and wishing for once
that mis- TOsenhine had heen a how 50