The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1910-05-05
Big Party Driven to Swamp
By Roar and Heat Of
the Flame
PROMINENT MEN SPEAK
At INFORMAL MEETING
One Well Alone Is Now SpOuting About
Five Times as Much Gas rs Is Used
In Greater Birmingham
Every Day
BY WALTER HARPER

| = both to Birmingham and Columbus, =
| = Miss.
= No. well gives five times as much =
= gas as now used by all birmingham =
One hundred and thirty-seven OF 'ne rep
resentatiye business men of Birmingham
and the Birmingham district visited '"e
gas wells at Fayette yesterday. 10 Say
that every man in the party was aston
,sb.a ~ what he saw is expressing II
mildly.
Two wells have already been brought III
with a total daily capacity of more than
| 4 ooo noo feet of gas Another well no"
beins dug more than half mile from inc
other two, and which Is oniy oo"h I.
900 feet, is already sending up eooo
| flow of the valuable element that seems
destined to make the Birmingham district
more famous than it's most optimistic pro-
| phets have ever yet dreamed
Ten or IS more wells will be sunk I'M
mediately. That there is gas, and plenty
| of it. in the Fayette field seems to be nc
longer question Men of experience in
gas and oil fields declare that there is
every evidence here of an abundant sup
ply of gas, and maybe oil.
Natural gas means cheap fuel of the
very best quality. Cheap gas fuei WIFI
its economic method of handling means
the establishment in the Birmingham dis
trict OF numberless small industries ano
plants for the manufacture OF hne arucies
that require the peculiarly efficient heat
produced only with natural gas.
Means Much to District
Leading manufacturers who VISITED the
wells Yesterday declare that the discovery
Of ras in reach of the Birmingham dis
trict means more to the district than the
first iron furnace. These men are en-
thusia site over the discovery and the al
| most positive certainty of permanen
suppl y Of natural gas. ~s, :.
After an inspection of the wells and thu
gas fields in the immediate section OF the
| wells the party was treated to mos
sumptuous barbecue This was one o.
| the features of the day. The meats were
| he rbecued with gas direct from one Of
the wells and every one present expressed
his full appreciation in action that spoke
| louder than words.
Following the repast a number of shor'
! speeches were made in which the leading
men present expressed their delight al
| the discovery, speculated on the grea
benefit the discovery will give to the Biz
mingham district and also their apprecia
ton of the energy, courage and foresight
of DR.. G. B. Grove, president of the
Providence Oil AMI Gas company, who Is
the leader in this development.
On Special Train
The party left Birmingham yesterday
morning at o'clock in a special trair
over the Southern railroad. The trair
arrived at the wells, two miles this side Of
the town of Fayette. at 1890 The party
returned to Birmingham at 4:SO yesterday
afternoon, leaving the wells at $780,
The party was in charge of DR.. G. B
Grove. president of the company; j. p
Lee, one of the principal directors; II. j
Falls, vice president, and James L. Dav
idson, secretary and treasurer.
Gas Ii Lighted
| Immediately after the arrival OF tn
party at the gas fields No. well, thu
last one to be brought in. was lighted, ant
go pounds of pressure turned on. TIT
exhaust pipe from this well is horizontal
about 80 feet long and feet from tn
| ground. The fame presented most spec
1 tacular scene and impressed every on
with the powerful pressure from the res
ervoir underground. The roar and hea
| from the immense flame were terrifi
and drove the spectators back into tn
swamps with awe.
This we'll shows a, steady pressur'
of $50 pounds to the square inch. /
is 14O0 feet deep. No well, which
has been blowing since December 20
shows slightly lower pressure, blu
has not decreased in any degree sine
it was first opened, nearly six month
lago, Notwithstanding the fact that NOR
i than 100000 feet has been escapin'
every day since that time. All tn
engines used in the boring of othe
wells, cooking stoves, heat and ligh
used in the camp are fed from thi
we'll. The supply seems to be mex
lhaustible.
Well No. o
The flow of gas from No. 8, nov
being sunk, indicates that that ma
give even stronger pressure tina,
either of the other wells. There ar
also strong indications of oil in thi
we'll.
!, After the dinner which was serve
on improvised tables near No. Z, Ma
r. Y Anderson was called upon t
, introduce speakers. After a few in
Introductory words expressing his de
hight at the opportunity of WITNESSING
the marvellous demonstration and re
l. viewing briefly the great things tina
: natural gas means to the district. h
appointed a COMMITTEES to draught reso
buttons of thanks and appreciation t
Dr. Grove and his associates. H
named the following committee: Rober
Jemison, Sr.. Frank Nelson. Jr., an
!, lJere c. King. He then introduced ID
G. B. Grove.
DR.. Grove said he was notaa speak
err. that he was a worker. IT wi
let No. s over there talk for me,
:, said the speaker, pointing to wher
q this well was blowing and roarin
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