Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1865-10-26
Notes of the Excursion to the
Oil Regions.
Wonderful Growth Of PithOIe City
and Flowing Wells.
Oil Prospect of the H0lmden Farm.
Inch and Six Inch OIL Pipes.
Plank Roads and Railways.

SAAA wv. 4Oj loOOs
Pithole City must be seen to be believed.
1t is mainly located in the old fields of the
Holmden Farm, upon an elevated and
browning bank o Pithole Creek. Mr.. Pra-
ther, one of the late proprietors of the
farm, informed US that he made the first
lease the 18th of June, ls65-that the
buildings of various kinds already exceed
one thousand-and that at least twelve
thousand people now get their letters at
Pithole City Post Oficel The two prin-
cipal streets are quite compactly built up,
many of the hotels, stores, restaurants,
billiard saloons, livery stables, etc, large
and snowy, and all of wood. There are
no cellars or fences yet in Pithole, but few
chimnies, and except platforms in front Of
buildings, no sidewalks. Water is scarce
save in mudholes, and a fire once
raging would sweep away the finder
box town. Streets are of reason
able width, but mere beds of mortar and
boulders from side to side, go where you
will. The stores and shops are well filed
with goods-hotels, saloons and shanties
with peoplc-and streets with teams and
eguestrisns. On adjacent hills and farms
the city suburbs are already extending.
Of four months growth-away from rail-
roads or other facilities of travel or transit
of property except the primitively old
fashioned over highways and through by
ways most execrable-Pithole is the mar
vel of marv0ls, the born giant of industry,
enterprise and energy. But its founda-
ton is oil and oil only. Dried up wells
dries up Pithole; yet the petroleum
multitude invest their thousands and mil
lions as freely as if certain that the newly
found channels of sudden wealth would
never become dry ~and.dusty. The many
thousand abandoned derricks in VenangO
county are unheeded monitors in the haste
and waste to get rich.
Following the principal street down to
Pithole Creek, derricks and engines be-
come mixed with business buildings, and
a big sign of mo SMOKING ALLOWED"
stretches across. The valley, deep and
narrow, is now the great oil centre of ac-
tivity and speculation. The whole forest
for a mile or more is filed with gas and
grease-pumping wells, flowing wells,
wells being tested, and wells being bored.
To give the excursionists opportunity to
to see the biggest of the wonders, steps
and platforms had been erected at the
tanks of the great spouters. Petroleum
pours constantly from pipes of various
sizes at the different flowing wells, ac-
cording to copiousness of yield, the lar
gest pipe being two inches in diameter.
From this the oil is thrown by
gas with the force of water from
the nozzle of a steam fire engine. At
regular intervals of a few seconds the vol
ume is increased with a wheezy sound as
if blythe breathing of Earth. Thesurface of
the nearly full tank is much agitated by
the stream of apparently boiling petro-
leum, but a test with the hand shows that
the temperature is very low, and it is
stated that at some of the wells particles of
ice have come up with the mixed water
and oil. Gas steams up pungently from
the tanks, and inflammable as gunpOwder.
To guard against explosions the tanks of
the flowing wells are either housed or pro-
tected by a railing at some distance, bear
ing frequent warnings of mo SMOKING"
Despite every %precaution two disastrous
fires have already occurred at the Pithole
wells, Involving great d-estructIOn ct prop
erty and three lives. The great Grant well
was destroyed but a few days ago, and
an acre of tanks and wells burned over.
Within two days the Grant tanks were
rebuilt, the other damages repaired, and
the well yielding as before the fire. New
derricks, &c, now cover the burnt district,
the scorched trees being about the only
trace left of the disaster. Such is Pithole
energy. Where the necessary materials
and men are obtained, puzzles outsiders.
1t is estimated that the wells on the
Holmden Farm alone yield daily over
six thousand barrels. The present pro-
duction is stated as follows: -