BAILEV: NATURAL GAS AND COAL OIL IN KANSAS. Q 



city is no longer using natural gas." One well 400 feet deep was 

 quite successful and the artesian well (see Trans. Kas. Acad. Science, 

 Vol. PX), which was bored 621 feet, yielded a little gas. At Fulton, 

 in the same county, natural gas is used locally on a small scale. 

 There are about twenty-five wells within a radius of twelve miles, 

 and each of these furnishes gas enough for the use of a family. 

 The "sand" is struck at a depth of 270 to 300 feet. The cost of 

 drilling is not over 50 cents per foot. 



WYANDOTTE COUNTY. 



At Kansas City, Kansas, some wells were bored several years ago, 

 and enough gas was produced so that it was used locally for fuel. 

 Oil was also produced in small quantities (see Quarterly Report 

 Kas. State Bd. Agric, Dec, 1885). 



There are many other counties where oil and gas have been pro- 

 duced in small quantities, but the yield is at present not large enough 

 to consider that they are of commercial importance. 



NATURAL CAS: METHODS OF COLLECTING AND ANALYZING. 



There are numerous theories as to the accumulation and storage of 

 natural gas, but most writers agree that the necessary conditions are: 

 (i) a reservoir of porous sandstone or limestone; (2) a cover of im- 

 pervious rock so that the gas cannot escape; and (3) such an 

 arrangement of strata as shall allow the gas to collect in the upper 

 part of a natural arch of rock. 



The writer has visited all the important gas fields of the state and 

 collected samples of the gas and oil. The method of collecting the 

 gas was as follows: Flasks holding 300 cubic centimeters were 

 drawn out at about the middle of the neck to a small bore, and a 

 glass tube attached by a rubber hose to the gas burner, was inserted 

 in the flask and was pushed nearly to the bottom. The gas was 

 allowed to run at about full pressure for some time, the flask being 

 inverted till the air was thoroughly washed out by displacement. 

 The flask was then held in the same position, the glass tube was 

 withdrawn and the cork was inserted in the neck. After warming 

 the flask and removing the cork for an instant, by means of a small 

 alcohol lamp, the glass tube at the narrow part of the neck was 

 drawn out and the neck thus sealed. The gas was transfered to a 

 measuring apparatus at the laboratory, by breaking off the end of the 

 neck, beneath the surface of the water under a bell glass. For the 

 analysis of the gas, Hempel's Apparatus for Gas Analysis was em- 

 ployed. In this apparatus the carbonic anhydride was first absorbed 

 by caustic potash, then the heavy hydrocarbons were absorbed by 



