UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
FORM 3
INITIAL STATEMENT OF BENEFICIAL OWNERSHIP OF SECURITIES
1. Name and Address of Reporting Person
Kropid, James J
5241 Spring Mountain Road
Las Vegas, NV 89103
USA
2. Date of Event Requiring Statement (Month/Day/Year)
7/15/97
3. IRS or Social Security Number of Reporting Person (Voluntary)
###-##-####
4. Issuer Name and Ticker or Trading Symbol
Southwest Gas Corporation
SWX
5. Relationship of Reporting Person(s) to Issuer (Check all applicable)
(X) Director ( ) 10% Owner ( ) Officer (give title below) ( ) Other
(specify below)
6. If Amendment, Date of Original (Month/Day/Year)
7. Individual or Joint/Group Filing (Check Applicable Line)
(X) Form filed by One Reporting Person
( ) Form filed by More than One Reporting Person
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table I -- Non-Derivative Securities Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1. Title of Security |2. Amount of |3. Ownership |4. Nature of Indirect |
| Securities | Form: | Beneficial Ownership |
| Beneficially | Direct(D) or | |
| Owned | Indirect(I) | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Common Stock |549 |D | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
Preferred Stock (2) |1500 |D | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Table II -- Derivative Securitites Beneficially Owned |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
1.Title of Derivative |2.Date Exer- |3.Title and Amount | |4. Conver-|5. Owner- |6. Nature of Indirect |
Security | cisable and | of Underlying | |sion or |ship | Beneficial Ownership |
| Expiration | Securities | |exercise |Form of | |
| Date(Month/ |-----------------------|---------|price of |Deriv- | |
| Day/Year) | |Amount |deri- |ative | |
| Date | Expira- | |or |vative |Security: | |
| Exer- | tion | Title |Number of|Security |Direct(D) or | |
| cisable | Date | |Shares | |Indirect(I) | |
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Stock Option |(1) |7/14/07 |Common Stok |1660 |$19.125 |D | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
(right to buy) | | | | | | | |
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________|
Explanation of Responses:
(1) The option vests in three annual installments of 664 in 1998, 498 shares in
1999 and 498 shares in 2000,
beginning July 15
1998.
(2) Southwest Gas Capital I - Trust Originated Preferred
Securities.
SIGNATURE OF REPORTING PERSON
/s/ James J. Kropid by Faye J. Ringler, Attorney in fact
DATE
7/24/97
