396 Scientific Intelligence — Geology. 



The existence of large quantities of gas at various points through- 

 out the whole extent of the salt region on the Kenawha river, was 

 known to the first White men that explored this beautiful valley. It 

 appeared escaping through apertures in low grounds, and springs of 

 water. As a company of the earliest explorers encamped on the 

 banks of the river, one of their number, in a dark night, took a torch 

 to light his way to the spring near by the encampment, and in 

 waving it over the spring, to his great consternation it took fire, the 

 gas burning upon the surface of the water. It was thence called 

 the " Burning Spring," and is the same that is mentioned by Mr 

 Jefferson in his Notes on Virginia. It is still there, but, as we saw 

 it last week, a mere mud-puddle. The water agitated by the gas 

 resembles a boiling pot. It readily ignites, and for a short time it 

 burns with a blue blaze on the surface of the water ; even when the 

 water is dried up, the gas will burn brilliantly between one rain and 

 another. 



When, in process of time, the salt-manufacturers, either from a 

 failure of tho salt water above the stratum of rock, some 15 or 20 

 feet lower than the bed of the river, or for the purpose of procuring 

 the water in greater abundance, sunk their wells by boring far below 

 the surface of the rock, the gas, in various quantities, made its ap- 

 pearance in the wells, in some instances jetting the water into the 

 air, when being ignited, it spi-ead the flame about, to the no small 

 amazement and terror of the workmen. When this happened, they 

 used to say " the well is bloived." The stream of gas, however, soon 

 subsided, or acted only with suflScient power to force the water up 

 into the gum or shaft, which is part of the trunk of a sycamore tree, 

 about four feet in diameter, hollowed out so that the shell is not 

 more than 4 inches thick. From the gum it was pumped into the 

 cistern or reservoir. 



Our salt wells are commenced near the edge of the river at low 

 water. The gum is sunk down to the rock, a distance of from 15 

 to 20 feet, the lower end resting tightly on the rock. The other 

 end is usually a few feet above the groimd. This excludes the fresh 

 water above the rock, and serves as a reservoir to receive the salt 

 water, when it is reached by boring through the rock and the various 

 strata of earth. 



Three years ago, William Tompkins, Esq., first obtained a steady 

 and permanent stream of gas, of sufficient power, not only to force 

 the water up from the depth of a thousand feet into the gum, but to 

 carry it into the reservoir elevated many feet above the bank of the 

 river. This saved the expense of a pump, which is worked by a 

 steam-engine. In a short time, it occurred to him, that this gas 

 could be turned to a still more useful purpose. He therefore erected, 

 over the reservoir or cistern, a gasometer, which is simply a hogs- 

 head, placed upright, in the lower end of which is inserted the pipe 

 that conveys the water and the gas from the wells, the water run- 



