The daily Evansville journal. (Evansville, Ind.) 1862-1863, 1863-05-19
Dhe 4 Aairu aaur,tar.
s.. t.- Communicated
Geological Tour IN the Pennsylvania
Oil Region.
MpAnyu1p p. Nav n 1S6s

To the Editors of the Egansrnle journal:
have just spent a week in
the oil region of Pennsylvania, on
the Allegheny River, and will give
you q few items from my observ-
ations while there. Three years ago
a well was sunk here, and considerable
oil obtained Then commenced the oil
excitement, and up to this time, five
thousand wells have been sunk. The oil
region is near and on the Allegheny
River, about one hundred and forty
miles above Pittsburg. At this point,
Oil Creek, stream about two hundred
feet wide, and flowing in a southeasterly
direction. emnties 'sftU-tiro zfitvshruy-
River The principal wells are upon
this creek, from the mouth up the creek
eighteen or twenty miles. The creek
valley is very deep and narrow, not
averaging more than FIVE hundred feet,
hemmed IN by very high hills On this
creek fat the wells are drilled as follows
: 4 frame or " derrick" is erected; an up
right or perpendicular drill is placed in
this, which is propelled by horse power
or an engine. As few have been down
five hundre d or a thousand feet in the
earth, will give the situation of things
there, as | got it from the 8 drillers.
Distance from surface to natural bed of
rock, from five to forty feet Strata of
rock in wells differ, although the wells
L ,,l l.,
certain depth, we find soap-stone, nearly
as soft as common clay; in another, at
the same depth, white sandstone, as
hard as granite. But there are general
rules giving certain kinds of rock at
stated depths, which apply to all oil
wells in this locality. The rock found
during the first two hundred feet is soap
stone or slate. at times soft, again very
hard. At about the depth of two hun
dred feet lies the first sand rock
generally about twenty-five feet in thick
ness-quality of rock same as the sand
stone found on the surface. Distance
from surface to second "sand rock
about three hundred and thirty feet
Between first and second "sand rock
Zone hundred feet), the rock is soap
stone or slate Second sand rock is
from thirty to forty feet thick, differing
from the first only in being much harder.
Al four hundred and fifty feet from sur
face. we find the third sand rock, still
harder than the second Between the
second and third sand rock we also have
soap-stone As few wells have been
sunk over six hundred feet, l can not
give the cOndIiinn of rnnk haIovu tho tAird
i he third
rock varies very much.
Tie oil appears to how into the wells
from crevlces in the rocks, leading no
doubt 10 vast reservoirs of this fluid.
Veins OF oil are found in all the different
kinds of rock, and at various depths; but
all permanently flowing veins are found
in the second or third sand rocks. Those
struck at other depths or i'll other strata
OF rocks soon cease flowing. There ap-
pears to be large amount of gas below
and with the oil; so when the well Is
drilled (Which is about four or five
inches in diameter), an iron tube
or chamber is placed in it and
bag of flax seed placed around
the tube a few inches from the
lower end. The flax seed becoul-
ing wot, swells, and fills up the space
between the tube and the walls of the
well. The gas exerting projectiie pow
er upon the oil causes it to rise to the
surface, and flow from the tube into
tanks or boats, where the well ID neal
the creek, as water from syphon
The amount obtained from these
flowing wells is almost fabulous
Many Of them flow 200 and 400, and 6
few as much as 600 and / 900 barrels, ir
twenty-four hours Some soon cease K
flow. others flow Tor six or ten months
and others again have flowed nearly two
wears, and continue flowing. Oil is OBJ
tanned generally from wells by inserting
suction rod in the tube, and pumping
it out with an engine. Only few wells
flow of themselves. Several wells hav'
been drilled on Oil Greek, where sucl
large veins of oil and gas were struck
that the gas rushed to the surface wit
such force as to flow 2On feet high, wit
: an explosion and roar-like artillery. 5
> much gas being in the oil, it is as lnham
4 mahe as powder, and when a fowln
well like | have described, takes hre,
( often burns for many days with beaut
and brilliancy seldom seen elsewher'
= When they do take fire, the flames al
:, communicated TO surrounding objects 6
;, quick, that persons near them are otte
!, burnt to death before they can get b
y0nd the flames.
/ The oil business is now the great l
= terest of western Pennsylvania, but II
impression, from observations and co
:, versing with those engaged, are about
=" follows: About one well out OF thir
), gives oil. The rest prove dry wells
Is cost from 81 500 to 1900 each, and al
10 dead stock to all concerned in ther
nd OF the paying wells, some only tic
enough to remunerate those engaged
~ u, pumping, while others render all co
cprned in them independently rlc
From three-eighths 10 one-half OF the
" goes to the owner of the land. Grou
NJ to sink a we'll on is leased and SON
a, times a well is sunk or drilled by co
lg pany and sometimes by an indivldu
%, Wells have flowed enough to make
whole company happy and wealthy, q
serr! an entire company have spent tn
er. money and time, sinking perhaps
h.a dozen wells. and got nothing but
ar, wells for their pains; yet the amount