Cleveland morning leader. [volume] (Cleveland [Ohio]) 1854-1865, 1865-03-07
DAILY LEADER.
PrOducf in PemnsyI-
-anfa and Abroad.

Although It is not one of the purposes
this account to enter into any scientific e1
PLANTATION or theory concerning oil, the ide
that any great lake or river of oil exists 8
the source Of supply to oil wells, Is sllude
to as being pretty generally disbelieved IL
That the oil exists in veins Of certain d
rection, and of greater or less magnitude
is shown by every oil borer's experience
If there is sny lake, or river, or reservoir
It exists below, cut OF reach Of any wei
yet bored.
These who examine the brief and i'm
perfect illusions in this letter thoroughly
or who are at al acquainted with oil op
erationS will have observed not only tha
there are many instances of the foW o
good wells having been reduced by tn
tapping" Of their sources of supply b.
other wells, but also thst other wells AaVl
been sunk close by good flowing and pump
ing wells, and even to q greater depth thar
their successful predecessors, without strik
ing oil at slL This latter fact involves
terrible disappointment. While Brown
succeeds, Smith sees failure stare him In
the face. Day unto day shows no nearer
spprosch to the great fountain which, if il
does not like Ponce de Icons, give eter.
nal youth, at least gilds the finders de-
clining day; srd Smith at last withdraw
his tubing, sells his derrick, and is about
to start for the East to form company on
the basis of 'ia well now being sunk.n
Jones, meanwhile who, on the strength
Of flowing well, has already laid the
foundations of s brown stone folly, with
plate-glass windows sees the glittering
stream slowly, but surely failing. Mrs.
Jones once more bows to Mrs. Smith on
meeting in the street. Misfortune present
or sure TO come, is a great leveler. The
two poorer ladies have st least the conso-
lstion of knowing that they are no worse
off than half those who have been indulg-
ing in the like pleasing snticipstions.
Suddenly the aspect of things changes.
Yankee ingenuity comes upon the scene,
and Smith learns with Joy that he can yet
be saved. The inventor, as is always the
case, must save the capitalist, and the Rob
erts' torpedo, together with the Rir-pump,
yet remains. An iron chamber charged
with powder, is let down the hole that
Smith has for weeks been fondly calling
his swell" An explosion so managed as
to throw the whole force Of the powder in
q lateral direction, follows, the earth on all
sides gives Wsy,snd the long-sought stream
is reached. Mrs. Smith cuts Mrs. Jones
but the successful application of the same
torpedo tonic to the debilitsted system of
the Jones well cut short her triumph. The
happy proprietor of the latter sends word
TO continue the work on the palatisl resi-.
denee of the future scions of his house.
The average actual yield of oil in the
oil region is, of course, great
ly exaggerated in the estimates and imRg-
nations of most parties who have read Of
the subject and heard it talked of In gen.
ersl way.
It is presumed by those who have most
closely watched the development of the oil
product from the first, that whereas the
Weld in 1862 was from ten to twelve thou
sand barrels per day, it is now not more
than six thousand barrels. It is probable
that the former yield even exceeded the
amount named, as during 1852, all the
lsrge flowing wells then struck we're pre-
vented from running their full quantity,
owing to the merely rominsl price of and
demand for the oil. Now, sll the wells IN
the region are permitted and aided to de-
liver to their utmost capacity.
This decrease in the yield Of s territory
where, for more than four years. the num-
Der of oil wells has been increasing, ap-
pears, at the first glance, quite inexphca-
BE upon any other ground than that the
supply of oil is becoming exhausted a
subject 50 important merits, OF course,
more thorough consideration than can here
be given to It; yet brief history OF OIL
mining from its commencement Will suthce
10 show that the decrease Of the supply
has been chiefly owing to causes which
Have no longer any terror for those per
iectly acquainted with the business.
The mining of petroleum began IS bu-
iiness in 1860, but did not prove very sue
,essful until 1861. The first well was
Junk in 1859, by Everett and Bissell, near
ritusville. 1t yielded eight barrels per |
isV. In the summer of 1881 q number Of |
lowing wells were opened on the Buehan- |
N, Blood, Tsrr, McElheny, and other |
arms on Oil Creek. The consumption Of |
he article was yet very small, while the |
PRODUCTION was suddenly increased from |
bout hundred and fifty barrels daily in
February, TO some two thousand five hun
lred barrels daily in August, and more
han six thousand barrels daily in Dscem-
yer of the same year. The spring of 1888
vas signalized BY much larger increase.
The price of crude oil was reduced from
twenty-five cents to less than one cent per
,sllon in the same time. But excessive /
heapness forced consumption; both in this
,ountry and abroad, with unparalleled "a
,idity, so that, in the latter months of 1862, |
here occurred large but spasmodic rise |
n the value of oil The unremunerative |
rice which hsd hitherto prevailed checked
causing all small wells and in
erests to be abandoned. The year 1868 |
Gw rising, although heavy huctuating, |
,rices. This state Of the market contin-
led, merging into more even, upward
radiation Of values, through the year
s64, when crude st one time sold as high
8 $3.50 Der barrel at the wells.
The large flowing wells have generally
topped after twenty-five or thirty months
oW. Some few have continued, with
Unfinished volume over three years. The
jumping wells have averaged about the
ame duration. In 1868, and until the latter
art of 1864, comparatively few new wells
7ere sunk. During this period many
7ells gave out and many we're abandoned.
{ was never sscertsineo, until within the
est eight months, that wells which had
eAsed to produce oil could be made to re-
ume their yield. This fact is now estsb-
shed. A great many wells that we're con-
dered exhausted have been resuscitsted,
nd are now yielding considerable guam
ties of oil. Among the noted instances
re the Empire well, on the McEIhenny
lrm, now flowing, under the pressure of
n air pump, q hundred barrels per day;
he Buckeye well, on the same farm; the
Id Sherman well, on the Sherman farm;
nd the old Phillips well, on the Tarr farm;
Ihile the great Phillips well, on that farm,
as spontaneously resumed its flow, after
ceasionalinterruptions, since October, 1861.