Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1909-03-25

different subject from the other, We
got up to the rim of the crater, which
is about 400 feet across, saw lake of
mud about SO feet to 60 feet below the
surface, and flame much wider than
the dry we'll, but not so high. At the
surface of the lake the fame is about
90 feet in diameter and wider as it
goes up with the mud 80 to rs feet,
mud and fame mixed, and it makes
you think of Dante's Inferno. The
we'll throws up salt water and gas
the fame burns out the salt and evap-
crates the most of the water, hence
the mud. The flame is never less
than 80 feet and flashes carry it up to
rs or more feet. 1t is very interest
ing to watch its moods, as it flashes
every now and again. The pressure
here is 450 lbs. also, but the water and
mud choke it some and the ground does
not tremble as at the other well. We
went from here to where they were
drilling, about mile away, which in
terested us very much. They have a
high derrick about rs feet, heavily
constructed and heavy machinery. two
large steam pumps and heavy drill
ing machine. The drills are inch
tubes working inside of an s inch
tube, the water pumped up and con-
veyed by heavy wire wrapped hose
into the top of the hollow drill, which
goes down to the bottom of the hole
and brings the mud out at the surface.
We stayed there about an hour and
they went down about 25 feet. There
is no rock of any account here, but
some very stiff mud they call gumbo.
This we'll was down 1000 feet. They
expected to have to go from 900 to
200 more. We then walked on to
Mooringsport, crossing the lake on an
embankment into the lake for about a
mile, and then on trestle work one
fifth of mile to the town. We found
lot of drilling material lying around
the depot and spent an hour learning
all we could about the lake and oil
wells. Several wells are in sight from
here, some on full work and others fin
ished and capped ready for work when
pipes and tanks are ready. There are
some pump wells, but mostly flowing
from ten bis. to 5000 that were
brought in last week. However we
will say 500 instead of 5000. When q
we'll is brought in there is generally a
good deal of excitement and some wild
guesses are made. We are told there is
a standing offer of $40, 900 to anyone
who will stop and control the wet wild
well. Think it has been tried twice
but given up-as impossible par
ties think. Those who don't want them
controlled, have more money to spare
than the owners, hence the impossible.
"A wheel in within a wheel. p" SeeI
There are some few wells that are duff
fers and gwen up, but capped and held
ready to try again. There is % mil
lion feet of gas wasting every day al
each of those wild wells, besides all
the gas wasting at the different flow
ing oil wells, which is estimated tC
amount to so million feet more, max
ing 100-million cubic feet per day
Enough to light and heat and manu-
facture all New York and few Chat
tanoogas thrown in, and two gas wells
brought in few days ago with pres.
sure of 460 lbs. each giving more gas
than is wasting in the wild wells.
They are going to pipe this to New
Orleans, 300 miles away, and, OF
course, supply all the towns between
Shreveport and New Orleans, begin
ming with 16 inch pipe at the wells
and increasing in size up to 20 inches
at New Orleans. / have tried to talk
coal here but it's no use-all you hear
is oil, oil and gas, gas, boil wevil,
corn, peanuts, hogs and diversified
farming in general. We have been
talking of a packing plant here. Now
we are talking of glass factory-fuel
gas at SC per 1000, is big inducement
to manufacturers. Am surprised there
is not more manufactures than there
are. There are men here every few
days looking the ground over, but see
what blow, gassy blow to the coal
mining interests, and the end is not
yet. Once we would not get gas with
out coal. Now gas is supplanting coal
and oil is first assistant to gas, both OF
them much less expensive than coal.
The first cost in well is nearly the
only cost and very few men are re-
quired to manage a 300 TO 500 barrel
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