Peoples Gas Light & Coke Co. v. Buckles

This matter involves a suit by the plaintiff gas corporation to condemn a subsurface geological strata under the land owned by the defendants for the purpose of storing gas underground. The condemnation suit did not seek the fee-simple title to the property but only the right to inject and withdraw gas from the St. Peter geological formation lying under the 160 acres of the defendants’ land. The trial court directed a verdict awarding the defendants the sum of $4000 as just compensation for the taking of this underground strata. From this judgment defendants appeal directly to this court.…