The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1861-03-27
Implements Used IN Boring OIL wells.


As OIL is the absorbing topic at pres
ent, the following description will be read
with interest:
The derrick consists of four upright
poles. from thirty to thirty-6ve feet high,
made to form square at the base of six
to eight feet, while at the top, (the poles
slanting) the square is reduced to about
FIVE feet. Ca the top Of the deSick, d.
l'rectly ever the well, is wheel around
which runs an inch rope, used for hosting
the tools out of the well whenever their
removal becomes necessary from accident
or the accumulation of sand
The 'windlass' attached to the derrick,
about three feet from the ground, affords
an excellent leverage in hosting the tools
from the we'll, which weigh. when screwed
together for boring, from three to five
hundred pounds. e 2lt- oe
The Spring pole is made of straight
hickory tree, about thirty.fve feet in
length, one end fastened in the ground,
while the middle is breced up with stout
upright post, and the other end extends
directly over the well, to which the rope
is attached that sustains the augur, stem
and drill A foot board is nailed on the
end of the spring pole, upon which man
stands when boring. supported in his po-
| sition by strip running from side to side
of the derrick, three feet above the pole,
which answers for hand hold. A tread
board, forming an inclined plane of twelve
ic al 20 81, r.
the pole. which keeps one man constantly
busy with one foot, while along side of
the well the borer sits on stool; it is
his business to twist the rope at every re-
bound of the pole, in order that the drill
may strike the reek crossways alternately.
The boring tools consist of round
iron augur stem, twenty feet long and two
inches thick, and Eve bits, two feet long,
the same thickness as the stem, which are
made so that they can be readily screwed
on the stem at pleasure. The first bit
Cor more properly drilD used is chisel
shaped, and makes the hole. which is two
inches wide. The other four, (generally
styled reamers,' and made bell shaped,
two being three and two four inches
wide,) are intended to enlarge the well
and smooth off the rough edges of the
rock.
The operation in boring consists SIM
ply of anaap and down motion, with a
fall of the drill of from one to three
feet.
The "sand pump" is composed of q
copper tube, five. feet in length and tive
inches in diameter, with leather valve al
the bottom, which opens as the pump de-
scends in the water and shuts as it il
hauled up. The tubing is made in sec.
tions twenty feet long, of cast iron OF
copper, fastened together by means o
brass screws.
The ''seed bag" is intended to proven
water from running into the well, it il
made of leather cut to fit tight arount
the outside Of the tubing, perhaps a foo
above the oil; the bag, three-fourths of ,
yard in depth, is filed with aaxseed, ane
the top tied closely around the tube. II
this manner the tube is lowered into tn,
well, the water in few minutes swelling
the seed to such a bulk that the space be
tween the tube and the walls of the vel
is entirely closed and rendered wate
} proof. The pump inside of the tubing
has two valves, which work alternately
J the lower one being shut while the uppe
one is open.