Polynesian. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu], Hawaii) 1844-1864, 1860-02-25

climax the Coal Oil Question. Il must be tremen-
dOus bore to the whaling interests of New England to
artesan wells Of such character in the coal regions
of the Middle States The mountains of sugar and seas
of rum of the old in the sailors yarn nothing
to it What with the cO(a)ld shoulder which S. NJ.
PImperatrice Eugene has turned on whalebOne and its
accompanying crinOlne, it really to verify the
old prOverb, in regard to whaling that misfOrtunes
never come single"
Startling DiscOVery---GreaG Oil ExcitememG.
To the editor of the Boston Journal:
The people of Western Pennsylvania, as you already
know, have just made the exciting discovery that they
walking streams lakes of coal o richer in
wealth than the best gold mines of California. From
intelligent persons the spot, who magma pdrs Of
the whole matter, and from personal knowledge have
gathered the following reliable ticts:
There is subterranean coal oil in Crawford and Ven-
ango Counties Pa, in very large If not exhaustless
quantities. When recti6cd it pure translucent
ticle clear strong burner, wholly unexplosve, does
not CONCEAL in the least at IL 20 degrees below zero
is, of the best known Oil for light houses Ships
&c. and is the most perfect lubricatOr Of machinery
it does not gum thcken like other oils The dis
cOyery is confined to the banks Of Oil Greek. This is
a stream of some SIZE which issues from small lake
in the north part of Pennsylvania south
Southeast through parts Of Crawford and Venango
counties and emptes into the Allegheny river about 70
miles above Pittsburgh. On this stream, about IA
miles above its junction with the Allegheny stands the
village of TsUiAe, the chief Of the oil discoveries
and operations.
From the most ancient times il has been well known
that there less petroleum oil in the bottom
and border lands OF this 1t floats the surface
of the stream, and collected by the Indians and
poor people for lights In places, it drps Of the
rock banks in very pure state and hence is called
rock oil Hundreds Of large and deep pits were dug in
the most ancient times for the OIL which pits are still
traeeabe, though trees growing the earth thrown
up in the digging frum 200 10 25O years old The
petroleum still largely into pits of any DEPTH dug
in the bottom and border lands of the creek.
The discovery came in this way: The lands on Oil
Greek are chiefly owned by company who manufacture
llmber at Titusvie. One of the partners gave some
attention to the oil matter company was formed in
New York called " The Pennsylvania Rock Oil Com
pany' They bought piece Of oil near Titusvie to
work for oil. Some Of the p-petrolium was anyized
by Prof Silman Of Yale College, who fund in Il 80
per cent Of pure coal oil This company went through
changes nothing done TO work for oil, and finally
Of the stock fell into the hands Of man residing
in New Haven. Conn.
In 1858, Mr.. Drake took q lease Of the New Haven
Company for working their oil lands at Tusville as
he pleased, and at his expense for ffteen years.
only givning them II l-2 cents for every gallon of
oil obtained
Under this lease, in May last, Mr. Drake commenced
sinking aresian well for SALT oil anything which
might turn up. Boring through forty-seven feet Of
OCCASIONAL
small apertuTes in IT, he struck, in August, large
opening, not yet explored to depth bot filed
with coal OIL somewhat mixed with both water and gas
small pump on hand brought up from 400 to 500
gallons Of oil day; an explosion soon blew it up
One Of three times its size and power put in is
place, and during the first ou- days threw up 5000
gallons Of oil, 1850 gallons per day, gallon per
minute for twenty hours fifty minutes each day. Ths
oil raised worth so cents gallon, which pro-
duced the large income Of $1,000 per day for four
eesSe days, and the matter goes on, yielding about
one gallon per Minlae during working time.
Of course, there was sma2 stir. hundred stran-
gers daily arrived at Ttusve to see to wonder to buy
oil lands HALF third, quarter rights in land, enough
to sink artesan WE'LL with real estate generally,
to very high figures Many poor people, owning little
land, became suddenly rich The New Haven swamp
lands, formerly regarded worthless sold for taxes, then
for a COW, we're now marked 500, 900 per scre.
The oil in Mr. brakes well is wdimiaished by any
amount of pumping. Capitalists areOn the alert Ten
companies are already boring twenty-five more
making haste to begin. A large company called the
a. Consolidated Rock Oh Company" with q capital Of
81 900 900, has been formed in New York to buy and
work the oil lands
This matter presents deep questions for the his
torian, the geologist, and the merchant.