The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1904-04-30

BRIGHAM CITY was lighted by a
= 1oo-fOOt torch of natural gas last
night. and the illumination bids
fair to be continued for an indfnite
length of time The source Of supply
came from a bore on the Knudson
Bros property, about half a mile west
and little south Of the center of the
town. 1t was sunk i'm the center Of q,
meadow for water for stock and irri-
cation purposes. At a depth of 2IO feet
dry gas was encountered in such guam
titles that the castings had TO be drawn
When match was applied to II TO as
certain whether IL would burn. there
was a loud report and a roar. accom-
panied by flash of flame which shot
more than 100 feet into the air.
With urabated fury the gas continued
10 escape all night the force being suf-
ficient To- enlarge the bore. and the
glare from the pillar OF flame. although
half mile away from the town. light
Cd II. and attracted the attention Of
passengers on the trains which passed
through the place.
The first news Of the strike reached
the city by the evening train from Lo-
gan Passengers reported that the
blaze could he seen distinctly from the
depot. They We're told at the station
that oil and gas had been struck.
Tells How Strike Yves Made.
Shortly after O'Clock G. w. Knud-
son had long talk over the telephone
with his brother. J. G. Knudson. who
told him Of the strike. The former is
n witness i'm suit i'm the federal court.
"A little after s o'clock J. G.. called
me up and told me about the gas
strike he said last evening. Il was
never more surprised i'm all my life. The
well was being bored for water. We
placed the derrick i'm position at
o'clock Wednesday afternoon. I was
there when they began setting il in
place. They told me that if they got
il up I'm time they would start boring
that afternoon.
My brother told me that yesterday
afternoon. when they reached a depth
Of 2lO feet there was a rush of gas
up through the water. which caused
them 20 draw the casing. We were
sinking a two-inch pipe by the water
and seTewing process. Water is forced
down on the outside of the pipe or
casing. making a hole about four inches
IN diameter. in which is the casing.
Had we known that we were liable
20 strike gas or oil we would never
have used that method OF boring. But
such "A strike never entered our minds.
although we have known from child
hood that oil and gas were 10 be found
In that vicinity.
My brother told me over the tele-
phone that after the casing had been
drawn the gas. which is dry. and not
hog gas. came up with considerable
force. He was not certain that it
would burn. but decided TO try il. TAX
ing his wife. his children and several
Yeople. he went down 10 the viii last
evening. He applied match. and
AWAY she went with a report that
could. judging from what he told ne.
lie heard for some distance.
FiPme Leaps High in Air.
In an instant n sheet OF flame shot
UP into the air for a distance Of more
than 100 feet. tt burned steadily at
that height for some time. and then
gradually settled until the flame
reached only about sixty feet into the
air. At times. he said, the flame would
shoot 100 feet into the air, with a roar
en- keeping with the extra force which
impeUed the gas upward through the
small hole in the earth.