Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1864-12-05
ConcernIng OIL In Richie County.
CAIRO, RlFoHlE COUNTY; WBsT Va. I
November gath, 1864.
Editors IRtelligeReeT:

Editors IHtsliigeHeer: r
DRAR SIRs-Thinkiug that in these days
of oil excitement, O brief, account OF the. vast
mineral resources of this county might
prove acceptable 10 your, readers, and
having had ample opportunities of aequir
ing practical knowledge OF them, through
being engaged here for the last four months
in engineering, / venture to send you
description of the "Vertical BituweuLode,"
which must be, when generally known, one
of the scientific wonders of the world, both
on account Of its singular vertical position,
and Its being the only instance at present
discovered Of so large a deposit OF that
mineral. Thislode is situated on McFar.
lands run, which is small tributary of
the south fork of Hughes river, and is
about eight miles In an air line running
south 40 west from the Caire station
on the Parkersburg branch of the Bali'
more and Ohio railway, making 1t about
twenty miles south east from Parkersburg.
The mineral has been traced for one aud
d A'halt miles ID line rauntug south I69
east, aud outcrops on McFarlAnd's run,
where it was first dicoVered. The lode 10
nearly ave feet wide, and lies between tw2
vertical yellow, sandstone rocks it ts,Eit
out the least trace Of impurfty, and ie dt-
1fasd snto ~ q "a istiuct para. lhg Aasi sisfeg-
ular vertical Joint or seAunJ one porti5n OF
it being hbrons and the other granuleted.
The mountains on the two stdes OF MeFar-
land's run rise with a gradual slope about
four hundred feet high, and the tissurs in
which the mineral Is deposited extends
right through them, aud to within from
fiTe to eight feet of the top surface.
A pump or wire shaft was sunk in
the rayine with the idea of testing the
depth of the deposit, but after going down
nearly forty feet, water came In so rapidly
that it was suspended, but enough was
seen to prove its entire uniformity. or
course there are numerous theories broach-
ed to account for the production OF 80 re
markable mineral deposit, but the most
reasonable one appears 10 be, that 1t is
the result of the gradual oxidation OF
LIQUID petroleum, that has been forced up
and injected into this fissufe by some VI
oleut conyuIsion of nature. II this be the
correct theory, land believe It to be so,)
beneath this substance there must still ex-
lat an enormous deposit of petroleum yet
| in a liquid state, aud such being granted,
il would not be unreasonable TO coDJec.
ture that the petroleum found In the
neishborhood of the Burning Springs, on
the Little Kanawha river, which lies south,
together with those on Bull and Cow
creeks, so near the Ohio river, lying north
of this lode, vast and excessive as they
are, will be found to sink into insignih-
cance with those of this county. and to be
merely the dr;ppinSs from tbs the fountain
head. / am not singular in this idear for
some of the soundest and most practical
oil operators are rapidly securing the
lauds adjacent to the Bitumeu Lode, and
steam engines are already upon the ground
to test the matter.
There is now almost ready for opening .
branch railroad from the Cairo station to
the mine, aud as the mineral has been
found to contain one hundred and sixty
gallons of oil to the tuu, even should the
lode be NO longer or deeper than at pres.
ent proved (Which is highly improbable
there is still enough ofthe bitnmen to yield
a million barrels Of petroleum.
IfIwere not afraid of making this com
munication too lengthy, ] copld mention
in detail the magnificent timber and Vaiu- :
able deposits of iron ore that exists In this
region. as also o famous saltpetre cave, from
which in days gone bye, large quantities o.
that material was collected, and whicn
should think in these gunpoWder times
could now be worked to advantage, but
\ enough think has been said to prove that
in no portion of this favored continent can
capital or industry be brought TO bear bet
ter than In this hitherto neglected part ol
what was once portion OF the "OId DO
minion." Respectfully yours,