The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1861-02-19
The Oil Discoveries in Western Virginia

The Oil Discoveries in Western Virginia.
The kanawha region OF Virginia, already
known to be the richest mineral district in
the United States, has given forth a new
treasure which seems destined to throw al
its others into the back ground. The Parkers-
burg (Fa.) News, in long article on the new
discoveries, notices two extensive land sales
last week. One of them was to q compauy
of gentlemen from Baltimore, who paid $50.
600 for tract Of land, and the other was tc
the Little kanawha Burning Spring Pctro-
leum Company" who, with Il capital stock OF
Sl00, 900, are about 10 commence operations II
says
These sales, averaging between fifteen hun
dred and two thousand dollars per acre, are
OF land which one Year ago could have been
bought for less than the hundredth part ol
their present price Astonishing as this NAV
seem it is yet deemed the grea test bargain
ever sold in this country, as, should the land
continue TO yield OIL even in moderate guam
titles, the rents alone for one year would be
worth much more than the purchase money
The actual value Of the land can hardly be
computed. The Lewellyn well, for instance
which yielded five thousand dollars worth oi
barrell,d oil in ten hours, and would pour out
II unobS tructed, over 4 Thousand dollars
worth of pure oil in all hour-Who can com
pute its value
Inc same paper, in an interesting article on
The discovery OF the oil wells, says:
There can be no doubt of the fact that the
petroleum or Carbon oil region OF the Little
AanaWha ana Its tribu taries, far surpass in
extent and productiyeness those of any other
section of the United States yet explored -
While the work of development of this region
Is but Just commenced, the few wells COM
p!eted, but six i'll number, already give a
larger yield of oil than the hundreds which
have been sunk in Pennsylvania; and will
probably never be surpassed except by other
wells in the same neighborhood
The presence of Petroleum oil in this region
has been known TOR years. A deposit of it.
found on Hughes River, i few feet below the
surface, In Il vein OF sand, has for years fur
nished the main ingredient of powerful lini-
1nenIs. 1t has also been found ooZing out oi
cletts in the rocks on almost every Tributary
OF the Little kanawha and especially in the
neighborhood of Burning Spring, on this
river, (oWned by the Rathbones,l has been
gathered IL considerable Quantities from OF
the surface OF the water. The Burning
Springs, which abound, proceeding from
stores of gas, efficient, perhaps, 10 light the
world, have been viewed mainly as curiosI-
ties, and the oil considered, until within the
past few months, almost n nuisance, from its
continual presence i'll the water, rendering ii
unpalatabie, and TO some extent unfit for 40
mestic use.
The first oil well in this region was opened
by Il firm from Pennsylvania. These gentle
men, SurmiSIng from the appearance OF the
country, the great uantlty OF surface oil and
gus, and other intaliible signs, that Il large
amount of oil lay inbedded below, leased the
Old Rathbone salt Wei, Cleaned II out, putin a
pump, anu commenced operations. For day IS
they obtained only water. Soon oil mingle
with water made its appearance. After ii te W
weeks barrel OF oil per day was obtained,
then two, three, and finally ten barrels per
day. Their Well yielded about this quantity
lor some time, but latteriy has increased until
IL now gives from twenty five to thirty bar
re!S every twenty four hours, and is still on
the increase. On another farm Well was
Doret, and, upon putting lii the pump, and
getting I;tirly TO work. it Was found to yield
from fco hna1re~ dn@ .hfty 10 MIee hHtt0reti
odfret$ OF oil ia twenty-iour hours.
This Immense product, far surpassiEg that
OF any other well III existence, was soon
noisc, abroad by means OF 3, notice III these
columns, winch was copied into other papers,
;tnd attracted 10 the spot Numbers tIOln Il dis
tance. Leases We're shortly il demand, winch
nave sleIdily .tnd rapidly Increased, not with =
standing the corresponding increase in terms,
untii now II perfect oil nani;l RACES, and oil
privileges cannot be ''signed, sealed and QeliN-
cred last eAouGh TO satisfy those desiring
them.
LeWellyn d Wilson also have a well from
which tie yield is perfectly tremendous. Il
hole eight or ten feet square was dug III the
ground around the mouth oi the we'll, and III 10
IL the OIL was allowed to 1low trCn tiit. CON
ductor, which ii did without spouting and in
Il quiet, orderly way. Boards were placed
over this pitt and as many barrels rs cou Id be
conveniently made room for set on them
tiiteen hands We're then employed, some III
taking out and replacing bungs, others in
placing and removing barrels, while five men
were busiiy engaged III dipping up the pure
lluid III buckets dHu pourIng 1t through large
box tunnels INTO the barrels. In this way
JC"F h""dFt3 t0TretS cs''e ftted {A ten hours.
During this period The wen was stopped up
nall the time, IN consequence of the inability
OF the hands 10 secure he oil us fast AS it
flowed, and even when running, a large iron
plunger, TWO inches in diameter, was kept in
the Well. Had this been taken out, the Yield
OF on from this single well must have been
full Il hundred barrels an hour.
incredible as these statements must appear
they are nothing but facts. Other wells will
probably be finished, and pumping in 4; few
days, which give full assurance Of yielding
fully as much as those described above Nor
is the Oil region confined to the immediate vi
cinity referred TO. On Hughes River, and on
every creek and run in the whole valley OF the
Little kanawha, there is an abundance OF oil
In the vicinity of Parkersburg, also and on
the creeks above, and below, emptying into
the Ohio, oil is found