Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1864-12-14
CLARIFIED SALT WELLS.

O1GAAl lbbD GaLl " tLLSs
The search for petroleum now in pro
gTess IN this county, has awakened consider
able interest In the salt-welis bored many
years ago along the river. and on Ciearheid
creek. The existence of salt is indicated at
many points along our streams by the natu
raj ticks, or places where the deer and
cattle come to drink on account Of the salt
ness OF the water We do not know when
the first Efforts were made to procure salt in
quantities. but as early as ISIS i well was
bored by Dr.. = Z. Hoyt and job Packer,
about one mile aud half above Curwens-
vile. The site selected for their experiment
wa at the foot of a high hill, and about
thirty feet from the brink Of the river The
Steam engines were not in vogue, and the
necessary power was obtained from lever
worked with treadle by two boys. The
drill was fastened 10 the end Of pole or
rod, TO which other rods were screwed as the
well increased In depth Some idea of the
tedious character Of the experiment, and the
patient perseverance requisite in prosecuting
II, mag be formed from the length OF time
required TO draw out the whole length Of
rods every time II was Necessary TO sharpen
the drill, or discharge the ground-up trag-
ments that collected at the bottom Of the
hole. 1t had to be done with every few
inches sunk, and it was necessary after thus
drawing out all the rods to which the dill
ii J L
a sand pump and bring up the fragments
This was then lifted out, each pole unScrew-
ed as it came up, and then the whole re-
turned with the drill to recomnence the bor-
ing. Slow and tedious as tn method was,
however, they persevered until they reach
ed depth OF four hundred feet. Alta dis
tance Of nineteen feet from the surface they
struck the sand-rock; at twenty-four feet
passed through nine inch coal seam at a
bout forty feet below the bed Of the river,
after boring through slate, soap-stone, and
s.nd-fock, they penetrated coal seam six
feet in thickness, the last through which
they passed, underlying which was about ten
feet of slate and soap-stonc (probably fire
clay; they then entered a sand-rock which
continued for about three hundred feet, va
rying in texture and hardness, with occa-
sional thin bands Of iron ore at about three
hundred and forty feet they passed through
red slate about FIVE feet thick; then into
sand-rock again, in whirh at a depth Of four
hundred feet from the surface they found
salt water. The salt manufactured from it
was dark and unsatisfactory, \ stream now
flows from the well strong enough to turn
mill. 1t IS impregnated with salt, and de-
posits red oxide Of iron
Another well was bored about twenty
years ago. on ClearfeId creek near the Cam
bria county line, by a company organized
for the purpose. Jonathan Boynton, Esq,
Of this place was one Of the officers The
site selected was about five miles above Glen
Hope, and the whole depth bored, five hun
dred and eighteen feet The strata passed
through may be stated as follows Earth
and gravel 24 feet; black slate feet inch
es coal inches; fire clay l3 feet coal and
slate feet; hard sand-rock II feet black
slate feet inchcs; coal feet black slate
inches coal 4 feet 6 inches; sand-rock II
feet; coal and slate > feet; fire clay 81 feet
sand-rock l35 feet; fire clay feet; sand
rock 26O feet. Salt water, very strong. was
obtained in abundance But the well hay
ing been bored without ''reamers, the hole
was SO crooked that they could not get the
tubing down, and the project was abandoned
Other wells were bored at Salt Lick, be-
low Karthaus, where salt was manufactured
in considerable quantities. We have no au-
thentic account Of these, however. and can
mot record their history, until some of our
friends in that vicinity are kind enough to
furnish US the data
There are certain important and interest
ing deductions to be drawn from the facts
established by these old wells, together with
the one now in progress here. We do not
intend to do more at present, however,
than to put these facts on record for future
reference
The United States Supreme Court.
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