The Springdale news., 1915-03-26
SHOT THE GAS
 WELL NEAR
 MT. COMFORT
Mason.)

A number of interested spectators from Fayetteville, Springdale and the surrounding neighborhood witnessed the Shooting" of the gas we'll this morning over on the Thomas farm, a mile west of Salem school house
 A charge of forty quarts of nitro glycerine was discharged in the well, at a depth of 246 feet, and a great white geyser of debris and smoke shot up over two hundred feet high as a result Of the deep underground explosion, which was discharged by means of an electric battery manipu- lated by J. E. Douglas.
 The we'll was capped, and Messers Douglas and Boyer will begin work this afternoon to remove the debris which, as result of the explosion, obstructs the free egress of the na- tural gas. The flow Of gas, before the well was shot, exceeded that Of both the other producing wells near by, and experts predict that this test shot will increase the production of this well. This find was made some two weeks ago by Douglass and Boyer, of Joplin, Mo, and is the third producing well found in that immediate vicinity by these drillers who are both experts, who have had many years experience in noted gas and oil fields of other states.
 The first discovery was made last winter in Earl Weir's yard where he was having a well drilled to furnish a supply of water for household pur- poses The gas strike was made at a depth of 235 feet, and MT. Weir had the gas piped to his residence where he has had an ample supply for all light and heat purposes. Some time later the drill was moved few hundred yards southeast to the home of John Thomas. who wanted water supply near his home, and a fine supply of gas was found at about the same depth Mir. Thomas had hls well cased and the gas piped into his dwelling where two stoves and .hree lights are furnished with natur- al gas The pressure from each of these wells is stronger than when the strike was made, and dozen or so homes could be easily supplied by them
 These two strikes of gas caused quite a bit of local excitement, which soon attracted outside attention, and two companies of oil and gas seek CTS sought leases over in the Salem and Mount Comfort districts. The McGoos Oill and Gas Company, of Springdale, Ark, are sinking a test we'll on the Walter Curtis farm. a half mile east of the Thomas farm. This company controls q large acre age of leased lands, and important developments are expected by them. Messrs Douglass and Boyer are in- terested with Fayetteville parties who are very sanguine of great devei- ophiCbl Ol liictI pleoVHt iti" VI SN' and both companies are going to spare no expense towards bringing in new gas and oil field up here in tht Ozarks Several experts have visit ed the new strike, and all have rem dered a favorable opinion of the prospect which is beginning to look fn of lDN1l doubters who have been "of the opin- ion that there ain't,a thing in it. . The prospecting work has been con- fined to only a very small area, and then to only these few shallow holes which barely pierce the upland, whief Is some 1900 feet above sea level in that locality. Down in Franklin Crawford and Logan counties more than 100, ,000 acres of land is now leased by a half dozen or more com- panies in a great search for oil which Is supposed to exist in that section o1 Arkansas. A recent test we'll at Ozark city of that section, brought in nat ural gas. Early development work will begin at once at various points in that extended belt of exploration Those people down there are expect ing a field of oil similar to that of Oklahoma. so with three wells of nat ural gas already producing over1here by Salem. on the K. C. & NJ. Ky, To- cal folks are wondering if there is not fine prospect of Washington County becoming future producer of the product which Is so plentiful west of here in Oklahoma. The op- ening of spring will bring renewed ac