Tulsa daily world. [volume] (Tulsa, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1905-1919, 1911-11-26
PROBABLY IN MISSOURI
EXPERTS SAY GAS SHORTAGE is
METROPOLIS.
MUST CONSERVE SUPPLY
Gas Has Been Wasted Ever Since II
Was Pipcd in Kansas City
Years Ago.

other centers or the oil ana gas M
dustry, are agreed that the best fuel
known to man" is rapidly playing out
in Kansas and Oklahoma. While
there is no immediate danger Of a
decrease in tho supply for Tulsa,
Kansas City is facing a critical prob
lem. 1t is claimed that new fields
must be developed near that city
and that conservation must be the
policy, from now on, for every gas
consumer.
Robert w. Goodnow. city gas in
spector OF Kansas City, recently said
that he agreed with the experts I'm
every one of these particulars, He
said further:
There has been a waste of natural
gas ever since the first day 1t was
piped into Kansas City, and the
wastage will continue unless there
is conservation. That's what l have
been trying to tell the people. and [
particularly impressed 1t the other
night upon a druggist who was vast
ing gas without getting any direct
benefits. and deprivIng his next door
neghbors of their share,
Many Wasting Fuel.
THE druggist had the air chambers
o Z his burning appliances so ar
ranged that he was getting too much
gas for proper combustion. 1 doubt
not there We're thousands of other
consumers who were running their
appliances Just as this druggist was.
Careless use of gas is fast putting 1t
out of existence.
1T is impossible to estimate the
quantity of gas that has been vast
ed" said l. n. Knapp. who has drill
ed gas wells ell over the Kansas
fields. "In the winter of 19O1-1902.
drilled two wells east of Chanute
of about 1,5O0, 900 cubic feet open
flow capacity and 500 pounds closed
pressure. At that time Chanute was
willing to allow me SIS a day for the
use Of these wells. They were on
land l owned in fee. The city had
wells on adjacent lands and. so far
as / know, would drain the gas from
my tract anyway.
"I used this gas to blow oil out of
my oil wells and run pumps with the
direct well pressure. This use of the
gas was worth more than $40 a day
to me at the time. although / used
but an insignificant fraction Of the
total power value of the gas.
"Refore these wells were totally
exhausted | put In a gas engine air |
compressor plant to get compressed
air to work my oil wells with.
Injurious conservation"
Now, according to the dictionary |
conservation Is the act of keeping |
or protecting from loss or injury In
the case quoted, / protected myself |
from loss In using the gas as l did,
because ! was pretty sure to lose il
al II | did not wastefully use 1t;
therefore 1t was true conservation. so
far as l was concerned.
an 1898, l saw wells at lola drill
ing with gas pressure from nearby
gas wells. used rectly in the drilling
engines, thereby not utilizing the
combustible energy of the gas at all.
There was no market then for the gas
and the driller saved SO to $40 a day
over hauling water for steaming, II
he had burned the gas In an econo-
mical way under the boiler. This was
practical conservation for the driller.
Sees Good in High Prices.
81 see Prof. Haworth is making a
natural gas investigation for Kansas
city If he will ad ise his clients and
other cities to advance the price of
gas It will bring about whole lot of
That is, the price Will
be so remuperative that the gas pip
ing companies can go out and out
bid the brick, the cement and smelter
and buy the gas and hold
Il for domestic consumption. Then
L will be worth so much that IL will
nay the oil operator to save the gas
FOR the gas companies and not use 1t
jirect in engines or for blowing oil
wells.
81 believe that. II all domestic con-
5umers of natural gas could be taught
The actual conditions surrounding the
natural gas business, they would con-
sent to q price that would enable and
Justify the large companies prospect :
ng for buying and holding gas lands
10 prolong the life of this great COM
-ort for. the itaa of the home"