Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1865-08-18
From the Mt. Vernon Republican.
A TRIP AMONG THE OIL WELLS.

no such manifestations as will justify the
assurance that oil in paying quantities
will be found, yet the experiments are full
of interest. Let us speak of them in
their order.
THE PIONEER WELL.
This well, under the energetic efforts of
Ed. Buckingham, had on Friday the 4th
inst, reached the depth of 720 feet 1t
is now being bored deeper. at the rate of
from two to ten feet per day. How long
it will be continued if oil in paying guam
titles is not obtained, is uncertain. The
expense has already been large, and the
experiment will be thorough.
i When at depth of about 600 feet oil
was obtained. The well was then tubed,
and pumped, and various experiments
were tried to see if the oil in paying guam
titles could not be obtained. After some
| time spent, without success, the matter
was abandoned, and it was determined
/ to bore 1t deeper. A About two barrels and
q half of oil have been obtained, of an
excellent quality. The drill is now in
/ bituminous shale, with nothing special in
its appearance This we'll is at the Cares.
about mile from Millwood, on the banks
/ of Owl Greek, and almost twelve miles
east of Mt. Vernon.
THE NEFF WELL.
This we'll is at the confluence of Owl
Creek and the Mohican, in the west bor-
der of Coshocton county, about eight
miles east of the Pioneer well of Buck
ingham, and about twenty miles east of
Mt v ernOn. 1t IS owned by company,
of which our excellent citizen, S. T. Tay-
IOr. is a member. and Of which Peter Neff.
Esq, of Gambler, is the active agent and
general manager. AS this well is now the
centre of extraordinary interest, we shall
Il -
to say that oil has not been obtained in
quantities worth attention. But the great
interest is in the marvellous display Of
power by reason of striking a strata from
which gas is evolved in immense quanti-
ties, and with effects that are truly won
derful
This well was. commenced this spring,
and was worked with vigor until the 25th
of June, when it had reached the depth
of 6l5 feet. At 33 feet, and 65 feet, the
drill struck currents Of fresh water, but
none appeared lower down. at about
midnight, while drilling in the ordinary
manner, the water was observed rising
and running over at the mouth of the
tube, Soon it was forced up a few feet
above, and it gradually increased in DOW
er until within twelve hours the gas had
increased so that it threw the water twen-
ty feet high. Still continuing in force, in
less than two days it reached its maxi
mum, and since then has been hurling
vast columns of water at least seventy
five feet high into the air
The discharges are lntermittant, and
the time between them varies from a min
ute and half to two minutes. The noise
of the rushing waters and the escaping
gas is heard to a great distance, and IS
startling. The first symptom is, the water
pouring out of the top of the-iro tube
hIf5h hElP ~ Il
ter. The column rises rapidly till it reach
es thirty or forty feet, when the lessened
weight of the column by the discharge
seems to give greater power to the con-
fined gas, and with rush the water is
thrown up through the top of the derrick,
which is forty light feet high, and into
the air above to the height of twenty or
thirty feet. The blowing continues from
ten to twenty seconds, forcing the water
from the tube with wonderful power in :
to the air. 1t then seems to have spent
its force, when the water recedes in the
tube and disappears for minute and
twenty seconds, on an average, when the
paroxysm again comes on, and the same
wonderful process is repeated For six
weeks this has continued in unabated
force, aA everything indicates that it
may dnue for an indefinite time to
come
The gas which forces the water up with
such tremendous power, is highly infam
mable, and burns with great brilliancy,
when torch is applied to it as it emer-
ges from the tube, it instantly ignites,
and while forcing the water seventy five
feet into the air, it blazes to the top of
the derrick. The effect in the night is
grand and beautiful
We had no conception before we saw
this, of the vast power of the gas as here
Al L n
water over 600 feetia height, and Al inch
es in diamater. not only being lifted up,
but portion of it thrown through that
single aperture to perpendicular height
Of seventy or eighty feet in the air. The
strongest steam fire engines would be
mere boys squirt guns by the side of it.
These explosions occur once in about a
minute and a half The amount of wa
ter thrown out each time is variously es-
timated at from five to ten barrels This
would make from 5000 to 10000 barrels
per day.
We unhesitatingIy pronounce this Neff
well as the greatest curiosity in Ohio, and
it is eminently worthy a visit from all
men of science, as well as all lovers of
wonders. 1t is designed to put down iron
tubes below where the water comes in
within few days, so that the boring can
be continued. Persons therefore should
visit the well this present week if they
wish to see it in all its wonderful power
It is thought that such a generation of
gas indicates the presence of large bodies
of oil in the vicinity, and the company is
anxious to test the matter by deeper bor-
ing. o
THE KoKosINa WELL.
During the past few weeks new well
has been commenced on the Ben. But
Ter farm, about three miles east of Mill
wood, in a very pleasant point The works
are up, and the well is already bored to
the depth of about 500 feet, with about
the same result as in the other wells to
that depth. The stockholders are sub
stantial men of Mt. Vernon, and the work
is under the energetic direction of Sam
uel Davis, Its prospects remain to be de-
veloped.
WHERE DOES ANDY JOHNSON sTAHDl
A correspondent of the Missouri Dem
ocrat answers the above question quite
n. .TsaN, NEwNNN YniNFt on ~