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The Gas Wells Of Ohio

The Gas Wells Of Ohio image
Parent Issue
Day
24
Month
November
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

Painesviixe, Orno, Oct. 26, 1871. Whili: visiting this pleasant city on the shores of Ltke Erie, tho attcntion of your oorrespondent was attraoted to the important disoovoriea of natural ga.s in v irious loculitics in tho vieinity. Geol" have oftenprophesied thnt there were immense gupplièa ot' natural gas under tho Burf ace of tho earth, extending over ;i gn;:it spaoe along tiie lako ahores. Their predictiuns havo been lately verified by the discovery of this natural product in at loast a dozen loc vlities neat Lake Brie, and spreading from New York Btate as far west as Detroit. Gas, as a natural product, luis been knovvnin various oountries for penturies, and is probably the result oí' tho deoomposition of organic substancias. It h;is beun Bupposed that its source is in beds of coa!, bui in tliese inst nosigns of öoal in ■ ishh's have been found vhere the diaooyeries have 1 ■-n made, and it {roes far to disprovo thu supposition. The supply seems to bc inexnauëfciblc, anti it issues forth in great quantitius ; so largo that in soiue inetaaeea whole towna ure lightod by it. Tho town of Fredonia, in tho western part of tho Stata of Now York, nas been thus illumiuatod for many yeai's - I thmk noarly as long as your city. TWO WELLS AT PAINESVILLE. At Painesvillo tho gas was first discovorod during tho present year, and is the constant thema of eonversation. Two wells havo boen borod - ono on tho farm of Mr. C. C. Jennmgs, and tho other on the Serainary grounds, and both are yiolding a constant and abundant supply ot the gas. Senator John O. Caseincnt, the son-inlaw of Mr. Jennings, was tho first to commenco oporations. Ho had n indications that he would find gas, but ho was possosaed with the idoa and proceodüd to oarry out his intontions. The well was commeneed last season, bilt for suvontl reasons little progross was mado. It was borod through the various stratd of earth and stono, and is lined, liko oil wells, witli WTOUght iron pipes. Drilling was Commenced in tho spring, and at three hundred and iifty feet below tho suvface gas was found in suffleiont quantity to run the ongino. At ÖÖO feot a largo vein was struok of such powor as to stop work. Tho boring was continuod to tho dopth of 700 feet, whieh is tho present depth. Tho volumo of gas is so groa't that goöd jwlgos estímate that it is sumcient to supply a city ag largo as Cleveland. It eomuí through a pipo with a loud rush, and is of great purity. Tho well has beorí visited by thousands, many oomisg from a great distanco to witnoss its burningi It is conveyed to tho dweUing houso sovoral liundred feet distant, and is used not only for illuminating pnrposes but also for heating. The eutire coat was about $'2,000, and tho supply is suffieient to repay the entiro cost in a shjrt time. In com pany with a friend your correspondent visited the place and was kindly reseivod by Gen. Casemcnt and liis wifcj who showod U3 overything connectcd with tho well. now tiie GAS IS USED. Tho marnier in which the gas is used for heating and cooking in the dwelling ïouse is very flütoresting. In the library was an opon firo-plaoe, and what seemod :o be a rousing hickory fire, but in f act ;he logs of wood on the andirons worc admirable irnitations made of terra cotta. - By turning a small fauect near tho fireilaoc the blaze was inere.isod or diminshed at pleasuro. To show ua how easy jt v;is to light it, the gas was turnad otf and a lighted match thrown on tho logs. Fhe gaa was turnad on and in an instant we had a beautiful iire. It leaves no dust or smoko, and in every room in tho house ires can be tigbted at any moment with ■is mueh facility as the chandeliers. In the ranges in the kitchon, and in all the stovos, nothing is employed for heating aut the gas. Ilundreds of oubic feet are laily coiisumed, and tho saviug in coal ind wood ainounta to a considerable sum. It is so eimvenient, too, and so perfeotly under control that it jiroves tj be a very económica] fueL The grounds which surround the house are illuminated niglit ani lay and remind ono of your city parks. Axorin:'.; WELL. The well at the Seminary, which is located at. the opposite end of the town, and over a mile from Caseincnt's well, has just proved succesiful, and the professors and gcholara are vory jubilant about it. The drilling was done by Waaa & Brother, who also bored tho well just alluded to. fSmall veins woro struek about 50 feet below tho surface, and a large ono was reachcd at .'00 f. et. The largest vcin, which they havo just roachcd at i depth of 700 feet, is so powerful that the water in the bore was thrown to a great height, :i:ul with such force that tho rootiug over the works was in danger of being destroyod. Tho volumo cannot bc determined, but it is more than suffieient to supply tho Instituto with light and heat.

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Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus