Cincinnati daily press. [volume] (Cincinnati [Ohio]) 1860-1862, 1861-01-07
COMMUNICATED rnI
OIL WetIa of NaatArn V1rot,,f.

To The Editors of he Ddily Press TaEaf .t +.
While theoretical demagogues and insane
traitors, unworthy and unmindful of the
civil and physical blessings which a kind
Providence would thrust upon them, are ap-
parently striving TO exhibit their contempt
for their wonted privileges, and fool awayI
the most Observation-Disclosures ever designed
by the wisdom of man for human govern
ment, generous Nature is exhibiting in some
sections Of our land unwonted developments
OF her rich resources. ! desire to direct
your readers to the most remarkable instance
OF this kind that has fallen under my obser-
Vation. ..
On Saturday morning, December 30, ar
rived at Parkersburg, Va, 600 miles east of
Cincinnati) just in time to miss the connec-
tion with the Marietta road, which would
have brought me home by night-fall The
next train would start at nine p. NJ, thus
leaving eight or ten impatient travellers off
the N. W. r. R.; ito chew the cud of bitter
regrets" and better beefsteak at the Swami
House for ten hours of good daylight. After
'cussin and discussion of railway delin-
quencies in general, and that of the b. & o.
To-, as administered on the Parkersburg
road, in particular, most of my fellow-suffer-
ers concluded that they had better stand it
and compose themselves to slumber after a
railroad ride from Baltimore. Your corre-
spondent, however, having had his curiosity
whetted by some marvellous stories of min
eral Goals and oils which were floating within
hearing, bid the drowsy god avaunt, and
betook himself to q general posting-up as to
the facts of the case. These latter are so re-
marksble as TO challenge belief; and yet,
when tidings of the Californian and Aus
tralian placers first reached England and our
Atlantic States, the plain truth seemed fully
as marvellous. 1t would, indeed. appear
that the cape made by the conhuent rivers,
Ohio and Little Kanawha, for distance
eastward of some forty miles, aud from an
imaginary line subtended between the rivers
to their point of junction, is swimming in a
sea of coal l-oil, or resting upon rocks of
black diamonds and carbonaceous huxesl
The existence of this deposit of unctuous
wealth has long been suspected but the dis
covery of the Pennsylvania oil wells, which
lie in the same geological line, more especi-
ally led to the development of those in Dues
tlon,. A "burning spring" on the waters of
Hughes River, thirty miles from Parkers-
burg, had long been wonder To the ignor-
ant and famous curiosity TO all. About a
year ago, the AlbsrtcoaL deposit was found.
l send you specimens of this. This de-
post exists in vertical position, as though
some internal force had Protected the
oil upward, widening the assures of the
rocks, and forming at first carbonaceous
muck, which in the course of time, has set
Ileu W lnJeIaulnouS coal. by Su0lectlng
piece of this substance to q gentle heat. IL
will melt like tallow and form an impure
coal oil, or petroleum. No doubt exists in
the neighborhood that an auguc sunk into
this coal to the depth of $50 feet would pen
citrate the liquid mass from which it was
originally projected.
In the same neighborhood arc the oil
wells of the Messrs. Rathbone, General Karns
and others, Here the highest degree of
placer excitement exists. Secession, coer-
cion, Major Anderson, Mr. Buchanan, aud all
the dread nomenclature of disunionism and
national tumult are here contemned or un-
heard of. Every human interest is tabooed,
save the oleaginous. The rough and rocky
surface is valued at fabulous prices. Lots
are put out, on twenty-year leases, at an in-
dependent fortune per frontage. Laborers
were in great demand. Spectators were
camping out, and living on bacon, hominy
and bad whisky, in view of the certain pros
pect of striking ile." Strangers are ar
irving at Parkersburg by boat and train, and
rushing off to the diggings by every possi-
BILE means of locomotion. "The oil excite
ment,",, said my landlord, lis keeping up the
town"
The Rathbone and Karns wells, thus far,
are in most successful operation. From the
former, was assured by many respectable
persons, 300 barrels, of forty-two gallons
each, can be raised per diem, and nothing
but the impossibility at present of procuring
the barrels prevents the feat Gen. X. told
me that his two wells would produce fifty
barrels per day each. One of the Generals
was an old salt WELL which had to be filed
up with bags of faxseed to within $50 feet
of the surface, before the oil could be advan-
tageousy raised. This circumstance fixes
the fact that the oil deposit is found between
the great Clarksburg coal aud the salt
rock. Our Western geologists have con-
tended that it is not in the Odrboniferous but
the DeUonidn system of rocks that we may
successfully look for petroleum. The Vir-
ginia oil-wells, and those recently discoY-
cred in Washington County, Ohio, (Which
are reported as yielding 100 barrels per day.
are found, it is seen, in the very midst of the
coal, salt and sandstones of the upper FORM
alton. . t.H Hr.4.
The rock. oil from Karns's old salt we'll. is
the purest ever saw, owing its excellence,
was told, to the facile separation of impuri-
ties from the oil ITSELF produced by the salt
water. However, a ready sale for all the oil
that can be brought to Parkersburg, at 25@
80 cents per gallon, and 50 extra for the bar
rel, is now realized. Iron-bound barrels for
filing with oil, are quick at So each, de-
livered on the wharEboats at Kanawha
mouth.
. AT the hotel most of the conversation was
on the subject of mineral oil--the principal
variation being made to curse the folly and
trehchery of South Carolina. / did not see a
Secessionist in Western Virginia, except
dilapidated journeyman printer, named Jen-
kins, who said he was born in Nova Scotia,
learned his trade in Richmond, Virginia,
had lived IN and worked through all the
Southern States, found little oil-region of
his own, away among the shining mount
aims, and is going there when Kentucky,
Tennessee and Alabama secede, which he
hoped would be soon.
This natural coal oil is used as a lubri-
Gator by the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad,
and obtains great favor. The distilled ar
ticle is, of course, excellent as an iliuminator.
trust Messrs. Editors, you will pardon
this prolix epistle, and give it place. What
with great and good Providence, the in
dustry Of our vine growing fraternity, and
the enterprise of our petroleum diggers,
there is prospect that our corn and wine
and oil will increase, though large portion
Of our countrymen, led on by Rhett, roombs
Il Co, insist on making themselves mean and
miserable. Yours truly X.
TIE FURY OF A SEArSToRM ExEMPLIFIRD.
AS curious evidence of the fury of the