The Democratic press. (Eaton, Preble County, Ohio) 1860-1865, 1861-12-19
Rock Oil.

Rock Oil. r,..
There is nothing in the indus
trial world at the present time
more remarkable than the produc-
ton of petroleum. That great
lakes of this valuable substance
should have lain Il few feet beneath
the surface undiscovered for thou
sands Of years, is one among in
Vulnerable proofs that the inteIIi-
gonce Of civilization is required to
enable man to bring to light and
render availabla the natural re-
sources Of the planet which we in
habit. One very curious circum-
stance in the development Of this
industry was the tardiness OF even
our enterprising community to di-
rect their attention to it after it
was discovered. In 1926 an ac-
count of the Little MuSkingum re-
gion, in Ohio, was published in
Silliman's JOunal, in which the
statement was made that in boring
for salt water vast quantities OF
petroleum were obtained, which
was beginning to be in demand for
lamps in workshops and manutac
tories. The writer says: ''It affords
clear, brisk light when burnt il
this way, and will be a valuable
article for lighting the street lamps
in the future cities Of Ohio"
Though the account was pub.
Iished in 1926, the discovery wa,
made in 1919, and yet this mine O.
wealth was suffered to lie unap.
propriated in the heart Of this
country for thirty-fve years. At.
teution was again called to it by
the success of the coal oil manu-
facture, and in 1854 two gentlemen
in New York, Messrs Eyeleth anC
BisscIl, secured the right to the
upper spring on Oil Creek, in Penn
sylvania, and organized n company
to search for the oil. The opera
tons were slow, and the first oi
was struck at Il depth Of II feet
on the Goth Of August, 1859. Th'
drill suddenly dropped into a cavl
ty, and oil rose within five inchc
Of the surface. A pump being in
troduced the company were soon il
the receipt of one thousand gal
Ions of oil per day.
This success created an intens
excitement i'll the neighborhood
and boring for oil became the grea
business Of the community. Th
petroleum was found not onl
along Oil Creek, but in numerou
other localities, extending fror
Virginia to Canada West, and til
supply has incresed so rapidly
to bring the article down to Il YER
f low price, and to make it a grea
t staple for domestic use and for eA
port. The Erie railroad has
large number of cars devoted eS
clusively to its transportation, il
| pungent and peculiar odor render
+, ing the cars thus employed unf
, for other uses. At the depot (
the company in Hoboken thor
; sands of barrels may at any tin
| be seen on their way to this cit
either for export or distribution
The peculiar power which the sui
stance has Of penetrating capillar
tubes covers the barrels with greas
: and fills the air with its odor.
Petroleum has just begun
play the great part which it
destined to fill in the industri
arts. 1t yields a good lubricatil
: material, and produces the whites
best and cheapest Of all artifci
e lights. A great variety Of hydr
: carbons result from its distillatio
- and these, in combination vii
= other compounds and element
81 produce thousands Of new substa
II ces for innumerable untried us
J. of the chemist and the artisa
:. We anticipate for petroleum
u more rapid extension TO a great V
J. riety Of applications than mark'
" even the introduction of india ru