The Gas Wells near Letts, Iowa

Authors

F. M. WitterFollow

Document Type

Research

Abstract

In the early part of December, 1890, Mr. T. L. Estle, living in section 3, township 75, north, range 4, west 5th p. m., sunk a well on his farm for water. In drift at a depth of about one hundred feet he struck gas, which burned readily but in two or three days the gas ceased to flow. Between forty and eighty rods west of this place, about the same time Mr. R. M. Lee bored for water. At about one hundred feet he failed to get water and stopped boring. In the evening he commenced to pull out his casing, and succeeded in raising it perhaps eight or ten feet. During the night a great roaring was heard and on approaching the well with a lantern the gas took fire and a great flame shot several feet in the air with a frightful noise. In a few days the flame was extinguished and the gas piped into Mr. Lee's house a few rods away, where for over a year it has furnished him light and fuel. This well now furnishes Messrs. R. M. Lee, T. J. Estle, J. E. Lee and Robt. Lee with all their fuel and light. Robt. Lee is a little over one mile from the well.

Publication Date

1890

Journal Title

Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science

Volume

1, pt.2

Issue

2

First Page

68

Last Page

70

Copyright

©1890 Iowa Academy of Science, Inc.

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

Recommended Citation

Witter, F. M. (1890) "The Gas Wells near Letts, Iowa," Proceedings of the Iowa Academy of Science, 1(2), 68-70.
Available at: https://scholarworks.uni.edu/pias/vol1/iss2/30