The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-12
TOPEKA STATE JOURNAL
Information Bureau
FREDERIC j. HASKIN, Director.
Washington, ID. G.
TAPPING THE EARTH FOR HEAT.


recent address in London Sir Charles
Parsons. the well known English
scientist, advocated the sinking of a
twelve-mile shaft into the aarths crust
to investigate the possibilities of tap
ping natures secret Storehouse of
heat. Already thru his efforts bore
holes have been sunk at Lardarello,
Italy, thru which large volumes of
high pressure steam have been OBJ
tanned. the motive power being used
to generate something like 10000
horse power tEru the agency of the
Parsons turbine. A similar project is
on foot at Solfatara. near Naples, and
both experiments promise to be sue
cessful.
In the Lardarello venture the steam,
at first tapped from under ground,
having a temperature of nearly 400
degrees Fahrenheit. was fed directly
to a small engine used for driving
dynamo in a boraX plant The aka
line character of the steam corroded
the engines and machinery, threaten
! ing to put an untimely end to the
utilization of natures power. How
ever, the difficulty was surmounted
finally in a simple manner. Bore
holes were driven into the rocks\to
depth of from 900 to 500 feet, where
the steam reservoirs were tapped. The
steam obtained was then circulated
arund boiler tubes containing pure
water. which in its turn was converted
into steam and fed directly to the en-
CINE. In both of these experiments,
however volcanic conditions made the
matter comparatively simple. their
chief value being the demonstrations
of the possibilities of natural force.
1t is estimated that a shaft twelve
miles in depth-similar to the one re-
Gently suggested, outlining scheme
whereby the natural forces of the
earth might be utilized in industry
would cost about $25,000,00O, and re-
uuire about eighty-five years to bore.
d i Id bn
comparatively small compared to the
cost to England of one day of war,
while the value of the knowledge
gained would be incalculable.
His contention that a twelve-mile
| shaft would be entirely practical has
| been sustained by Prof. Frank D.
Adams, of McGill university, in Mon
treal and various American scientists
| Professor Adams after exhaustive eX-
periments declares that a shaft might
| be sunk to a depth of fifteen miles
in limestone, and thirty miles in gran
/ ite.
| Investigations as to temperature
conditions mile and half below the
surface of the earth have already
been conducted by c. f. Van Orstrand,
of the United States geological survey.
| Mr.. Van Orstrand is credited with be
ing one of the leading experts of the
world on the measurement of deep
well temperatures, and his methods
| and results are Regarded by scientists
as most reliable.
His experiments were conducted
| chiefly in the Lake and Golf wells
of West Virginia - the two deepest
wells in the world, and a source of
great pride to American scientists.
Until the Golf well in Harrison
county, West Virginia, was sunk,
Czuchow, in the heart of the Silesian
coal fields, in Germany, enjoyed the
undisputed distinction of possessing
the deepest well in the world. The
German drillers succeeded in reaching
depth OF 7,34S feet at great expense
| and after many years of work. The
expense and length of time required to
drill the CZuchOw well served as eff
fectual deterrants to other oil and coal
men from attempting to break the
record well drilling, and for many
years the German record was undis-
puted.
| But petroleum and natural gas have
a compelling lure for the oil man and
scientist, lure that leads both of
them TO delve deeper and deeper into
the earth's crust with visions of untold
wealth and knowledge to lead them
on.
For many years DR.. I. c. White,
state geologist of West Virginia, and
his brother scientists, had commended
that the rich oil-bearing sands of Ohio,
known as the Clinton sands, could be
found in West Virginia at a depth of
about 5000 feet.
Encouraged by Doctor White. and
anxious to break the record, held so
long by the -Czuchow well in Ger
many, John G. Pew, president and
general manager of the Hope Natural
Gas Co, determined to make an at
tempt to reach these sands. The result
of his ambition was the Golf well, lo-
Gated about eight miles out of ClarlIs-
| -1,a
tions were completed, had reached a
| then unheard of depth of 1859 feet
breaking the Czuchow record by
twenty-one feet, but failing 10 produce
any OH
: When the Golf we'll had been COM
ipleted and the Czuchow record broken,
the Hope Natural Gas Co. might have
been excused from any further attempt
I to reach the Clinton sands, but after
: Mr.. Pew had resigned. his successor
determined to try for a new record
believing his efforts would be amply
repaid if the longed Clinton sands
could be reached
s The new president of the company
2 was John B. Corrin, an oil man OF
many years experience who knew the
business thoroly. He selected as the
field of his venture the Lake FARM 8
T few miles out of Paramount, w. Va
I The boring of this we'll continued I'M
til a depth of 1879 had been reached
the deepest hole ever driven into
= the surface of the earth, the neares
: man had ever come to the heart of tbs
[ world.
The sc entistS and oil men We're en-
, thusiastic. their objective was only All
t feet away, the Clinton sands of Yves
/ | Virginia seemed about to be touched
: But at that moment when Vict'rl
seemed almost within their grasp, tn
sides of the we'll caved in, covering
the tools at the bottom of the shaft
l and breaking the steel cable at poin
/ about $500 feet below the der-icl
floor, thus effectually putting an enc
20 the drilling.
| MIR. Corrin believes that had TIL
walls been lined with pipe, there would
1 have been little difficulty in carrying
the Lake well TO an ultimate depth o
1900 or oven 10000 feet.