Rensselaer Republican, Volume 20, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1887 — Gas Well Matters. [ARTICLE]

Gas Well Matters.

The history of the boring at this place, since our last issue is not withoiit interest. On Thursday something got out of order with the engine boiler and caused a suspension of work for several days. The drilling was then resumed and continued until Tuesday evening, anil again suspended. The depth then reached was 942 feet, 52 feet of which was I in Trenton rock. Beyond this, boring is atdha option of the com- i pany. The directors met with the contractor, Tuesday afternoon; and paid him for 940 feet at the : rate of §1.50 per foot. He claims ; that he has lost money by the job! owing to the unusual hardness of the first 600 feet drilled through. The directors decided to call a meeting of the stockholders to be ; held Friday evening, and to them i will be refered the question of far-1 ther drilling. “ By the terms of the | contract the price for drilling be-: low the present depth, is §1 59 per foot, but the company is to pay for all easing needed hereafter, and as the well,i? now full of water, to within a.few feet of tlig tqp, it [ will be necessary to case clear ! from the top, with a smaller, cas- j iug than tin t now in the hole. This,will req u ire. about, S3OO worth of casing, before anything can be done/ The water which fills the well was struck since our last issue and is very strongly impregnated with sulphur and probably other mim era! substances. It may perhaps even possess valuable medical qualities. The flow of gas was not increased by the penetration of the Tr^n r ton rock, or if it was the pressure of the water in the well prevents its appearance Drilling will be resumed next week, if the stockholders vote to make the hole deeper.