The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1907-02-07
STRUCK A HUGE GAS WELL.


petroleum. They both originated in
Pennsylvania; and Pennsylvania has
led all the States In the production
of both products ever since, until
1905 when California surpassed her
In petroleum.
Petroleum and natural gas are al
lied products. AS Pennsylvania had
the first and largest oil field she has
also the first and most extensive gas
region. says the Pittsburg Despatch
Like oil, 1t is controlled by the
few, and the enormous accruing pro-
fits rebound to increase the wealth
Of the already rich. And 1t seems i'm
possible now to carry on such ex-
tensive industries without great ag-
gregations of money. 1t would be
impossible for individuals of mode
rate means to pipe oil or natural gas
200 or 800 miles and distribute it In
small pipes or wagons to individual
consumers in a city.
An instance showing the truth Of
this statement occurred in reality
lately in Mexican county, Pennsyl-
vania. Two brothers by the name of
Keelor drilled a well 1856 feet deep
and struck the greatest gasser ever
known. 1t threw the two ton string
of drilling tools entirely out of the
well and its vibrations soon shook
the heavy timbers of the derrick to
pieces. The escaping gas roared like
heavy freight train dashing along,
the sound of which could be heard at
a distance of ten miles. 1t was COM
monty said that IL was producing
100, 100000 cubic feet per day.
Such exact measurements as could be
made placed the amount at 10000
900. But whatever the flow of the
gas may have been it was by far the
largest well ever drilled and the ex-
traordinary production served to at
tract great crowds of visitors.
The gas had been sold in advance
before the well was completed to
the Pennsylvania Gas Company
(Which is understood to be the Stan
dard Oil Company. There had been
no pipe line laid in advance to take
care of the gas. OF course it was un-
known whether there would be any
gas. Every well is a mystery until
the driller strikes the sand. But when
the sand was struck and the i'm
mense quantity of gas rushed out
there was no immediate attempt to
shut 1t in" Day after day 1t vast
ed from 100000 to 1O0,000,0OO
cubic feet, sufficient to supply the
domestic uses Of city Of $4,000 in
habitants. The gas was struck on the
22d of September, 1906. No attempt
was made to control it until the 10th
Of November, just fifty days, when
the first effort to shut it In was sue
cessful Why an earlier attempt on
the part of great company to save
the gas for two poor men was not
made is not entirely explained. Per-
haps they knew for a certainty that
It could not be done. They might not
have been able to have secured the
tubing any earlier The one thing
which they did, however, was to lay
an eight-inch pipe and carry the gas
200 feet away from the well and let
1t escape there. They could not turn
1t into a gas main for the reason that
they had laid no main in that inter-
val of fifty days. 1t Is said they could
not get the pipe. They laid that
eight-inch pipe off to the south.
There was a good reason for lay
ing 1t that direction. The Pennsyl-
vania Company owned adjoining
leases. They owned one across the
road to the north. And as they want
ed to drill there, there might be
some danger from the gas of the
Keelor well. The Keelor we'll is 800
feet south Of the road at the point of
the Pennsylvania Gas Company's
new well. And the gas from the
Keelor well was carried 200 feet
south from the we'll OF course, as
the gas from the Keelor we'll be-
longed to the Pennsylvania Gas Com
pany they had right to pipe 1t
where they pleased. But they were
not paying for 1t while 1t wasted.
The Pennsylvania Gas Company
drilled well as near to the Keelor
line on the north as possible All gas
and oil men know that gas and oil is
In veins or seams or belts of sand
stone. sometimes in pools. 1t is prac-
tically guesswork to strike these
veins. No man owns the seams of oil
or gas, except what he can strike In
the wells from his own lease. ANY
one. of course, who owns an adjoin-
Ing lease can drill as close to the line
as possible, in the attempt to strike
his neighbours successful pool. That
is part of the game. 1t is competi-
tion In the great industry. The Penn
sylvania Gas Company successfully
capped the Keelor well in their first
attempt, which was a few days be-
fore they struck the sand in their
own new well. but they did not turn
the gas into their pipe and begin to
use 1t. The gae Is safely shut into
the well waiting the laying of the
main. In the meantime gas in the
new well was struck. It Is n fine