Indiana State sentinel. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1861-04-10
The Discoveries of Mineral Oii---Ex-
Ctfeu.eFar in. virginia..

As much excitement prevails III some portions
of the country on account of recent discoveries
of a species of petroleum or mineral oil, as was
occasioned by the first announcement Of gold in
California ; and if the commercial results do not
prove az important enough is already known to
show that the subterranean deposits Of Luminous
oil are destined to enter largely into the channels
of trade The " oil region is very extensive
Boring is going on with varying success in Penn
sylvania Southwestern Ohio, in large portions OF
Western Virginia, and at several points in Ken
lucky In the region thus indicated, considera-
BILE tracts have been leased by squatteTs at enor-
nous rates.
But according to accounts given by gentle
man of our acquaintance Just arrived from es-
tern Virginia, the focus of excitement at the pres
ent moment is in the neighborhood of the little
/ Kanawha, about twenty eight miles from its
mouth near Pdrkersburg, Writ county. Specu-
lators of every grade, eager to stake out their
respective claims, have exchanged the refine
ment of civilized life for the hard usage OF
the backwoOds quite content to sleep on the floor
of a cabin extempoTiZed from few logs. Re
mote from any habitations people of all classes
had assembled in such numbers that 10 set away
Immediately was impossible; while to remain was
to be deprived almost OF the means of subsis
tence. Fresh arrivals only aggravated the case,
until other arrangements could be provided; and
without regard TO age or condition, ali were
melred with the black, fetid, mOlasses- looking
substance which formei the common object OF
pursuit. The accounts given are quite marvel
Gus. Our informant says:
lone well, bored by Lewelen Co, has pro
duced 1 900 barrels per day. There are two
other wells nearly as productive, upon the land
of Mr.. Rathburn. Hundreds of wells are being
bored in the vicinity. but these three exceed all
Others in the amount yielded. Still, twenty-five,
fifty or hundred barrels per day not I'M
-
ubricating Illuminating purposes. Many OF
the steamboats, on the Ohio using it on their
mackinery-and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad
Company understand, use It on their cars IN a
crude state-saving at the rate OF S50,OOO per
annum, compared with the lubricatng oils here
tofore employed Atpresent, the oil on the Little
kanawha sells for twenty-five cents per gallon
There are often 900 arrivals at the wells in a
single day One third interest in a tract of lI6
acres was sold few DAYS ago for 500, 900 bonus
the lessee paying to the land owner One-third OF
all the oil obtained over and above the amount OF
the bonus. Before the discovery of oil, this land
was worth FIVE dollars acre"
The oil mania is destined to have its day, like
all others which have precededit. A few large
fortunes will be made-chiefy in the sale OF
transfer of lands while many individuals will be,
and indeed already are, hopelessly ruined. For
Illuminating purposes, 1--WE informed by an
old oil merchant of this city who speak dis
interestedly.) the oil now coming forward so
plentfully, and which almost giuts the mlrket
even now, has no superior In Illuminating
power it compares favOrdby with gas, and emitS
no smoke when burning. 1t rapidly evaporates
which is a serious drawback of course and Is
liable to objection Oh account of its offensive
, odOr; but mechanical ingenuity is being directed
with earnestness for the discovery OF the most ap
I proved construction of lamps and thus far with
promising results Improved machinery fol-
purifying the crude oil is also being devised, so
that eventually may expect to be in possession
of substance much cheaper, and for many pur-
! poses more desirable than oils now in use.
It is obvious, however, that the manufacture
of coal oils will lie attended with uncertainty ant
risk, and will continue to be until the chemica
difficult Is experienced shall have yielded more
, fully to inventive skill. The great Kerosene Oh
Co., recently dissolved, established It's works at
cost of s75D,000 or 81 900 ,000 most of which
was lost beyond recovery and tie BreckinridG'
Oil Company proved anything but successful
. enterprise. The experience thus obtained, may
e however, be seful to succeeding companies.
One fact is specially noticeable in the history
: of oil discoveries Artesian wells are bored al
most everywhere to obtain supplies of water; anC
though the object Immediately in view was foileC
in many instances, the coil region" was uncOn
5 sciously mapped out ready Tor Developments heI
i enterprise should take the proper direction. In
, dustry seldom fails OF its reward.-N. y J0urnG
Of Commerce.