The Sun.
London, England, 1861-08-29 00:00:00

OIL SPRINGS.

Numerous advices appear to confirm the great
value of the oil springs lately discovered in the
United States and Canada. The question as to the
duration of their yield remains to be settled, but it
seems probable that, owing to the extent of the
regions in which they are found, the supply will
last many years, and that a proper organisation of
railway facilities will alone be needed to cause the
production to be among the most important in
modern commerce. In the United States the princi-
pal deposits are understood to be close to a station
on a new railway—the Atlantic and Great Western
—which will render their conveyance to New York
comparatively inexpensive. In Canada they are
about 12 miles from the Wyoming Station of the
Great Western of Canada Railway, and some ar-
rangements will be necessary for the transit over
that distance, the existing roads being of the worst
description. At the site of the principal wells the
ground was two years ago covered by an almost
unbroken forest. Now there is a resident and
constantly increasing population of upwards of
500. During last winter the coaches took an
average of 50 people daily to the spot from Wyom-
ing, and many bought land and remained. There
are several inns filled to overflowing. Two good
hotels are in course of erection. Houses and shanties
are rising on all sides, and the greatest activity
is everywhere apparent. At present there are
about 100 wells in full operation, all yielding oil.
The land is held in large blocks, the owner leasing
acres and half acres for 99 years, The term
usually are 300 dols. for the privilege and on
third of the oil drawn from the wells. The well
are sunk and cribbed to a depth of from 40 to 60
feet till the rock is reached. In many cases surface
oil is found before reaching the rock, but it is of
rather inferior quality and doubtful yield. After
arriving at the rock, the wells through the earth
being from 4 to 7 feet square, they drill to a depth
of from 40 to 70 feet, between which distances oil
is almost sure to be discovered. Wooden tanks,
varying from 500 to 2,000 gallons capacity, are con-
structed close to each well. The oil is pumped into
these, and afterwards drawn off into barrels to be
sent to market. The cost of a well is very small.
Parties ave in the distriet making contracts for sink-
ing wells. Their charge is for sinking through the
earth 21 dols. per foot, and for drilling through the
rock 21- dols. per foot. A well after being com-
menced usually yields oil in less than 30 days. At
these prices a well can be sunk, a tank for 100 gal-
lons made, and a pump and all necessary appliances
provided for a sum equal to about £lOO sterling.
When oil is found, one man at 45. a day can readily
pump 100 barrels, or 4,000 gallons a day. The
csst of the oil, including every expense, and cal-
culating the reimbursement of every outlay in-
curred in one year, and also calculating a yield
of 15 barrels, or 600 gallons a day, is, it is
alleged, absolutely less than a halfpenny sterling
a gallon delivered into the tank alongside the
well. Very few attempts have yet been made to
pump by steam at the place where the oil is
most extensively found, nearly all the labour being
by hand. This is partly to be attributed to the
badness of the roads, preventing the possibility of
getting heavy loads into the district, and partly
to the yield of the wells being on
an average about
equal to the quantity a man can easily pump in a
day.
A moderate average yield for all the wells now
in operation (100) is 15 barrels, or 600 gallons, a
I day. At the rate at which privileges are being
disposed of and parties are preparing to sink wells,
there will be 500 in operation before Christmas.
Taking the present 100 wells only, however, the
result is extraordinary. Thus-100 wells yielding
600 gallons give 60,000 gallons per day, 360,000
per week, or 18,720,000 per annum. A trustworthy
observer remarks :—" Such a yield seems almost
fabulous, and yet I believe, from personal observa-
tion and inquiry on the spot, that it is within the
truth."

SOUTHAMPTON, Wednesday.—The Hamburg-
American Company's screw steamer Hammonia, Captain
Schwensen, sailed hence for New York this afternoon,
taking out the usual mails, upwards of 300 passengers,
20,000 f. in specie from Havre, and a large cargo. She has
no specie from England. The Royal Mail Company's
steamer Avon, Captain Reeks, left this afternoon, at four
o'clock, for St. Thomas's, to be placed on an intercolonial
station.

THE STRIKE IN THE IRON TRADE.—The ex-
tensive strike among the puddlers in the north of England
has not been arranged. At the monthly meeting of the
ironmasters, held at Middlesborough on Tuesday, it was
determined not to allow the men to go in unless at the full
10 per cent, reduction. On Saturday, in consequence of
the continued depression in the iron trade, the Bishopwear
mouth Ironworks will close, and this, combined with the
bankruptcy of Mr. Oswald, the iron shipbuilder, will throw
2,800 men out of empleyroent at that place.
The Lord Chief Justice has appointed Thomas.
Hull Terrell, Alfred Hanson, and Henry S. Maine,
Esquires, of the Chancery bar, to revise the lists of voters
for the metropolitan boroughs, the city of London, ani the
county of Middlesex.
A MEM. FOR LORD NORMANBY.—The Turin
correspondent of the Temps relates that during the provin
cial government of the .a.'tnilian provinces in 1859 Colonel
Frapelli, on officer of remarkable energy, was engaged in
raising with the utmost despatch a national force; but the
question was how to dress and equip the recruits as fast
as they were raised. In this emergency a contractor sent
in a tender to fit out the whole force at a very moderate
figure. The contract is placed among the official archives.
The contractor was the Duke of Modena himself,
treating with the usurping Government through the me-
dium of a well-known banking-house. Nor was the specu-
lation a bad one ; for either the usurping Government
would last and pay its way, or the Duke would have his
own again, and sink the clothier and contractor in the
sovereign.

PAINFUL SCENE AT A FIRE.—A fire took plate
on Tuesday
morning at the premises of Mr. Pritchard, in
Conduit-street. Eleven persons were at one time in great
danger of being burnt to death, but were saved by a fly :0-
escape, under Conductor Bailey, who behaved with g" teat
courage.