Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1865-01-28

4 nev National Bark he. been started at
Evansville

he Lt4atfAt s'aElaA -fFr &c - -
Thomas Wood, Eco, warden Of the northern
state prison. does rot expire for two years yet.
and remarks. Slso, that Gov. Morton compli-
ments very highly biz management OF The state
prison
Col. Cobufn, who weut to Washington on a
mission for the purpose. received assurances
from the officers connected with the exchange
bureau that the officers and soldiers of the 5lst
and 731 Indiana regiments. which we're captured
at Rome, Georgia, near two years since, and are !
still held IN confinement. shall be among the
first exchanged. This will be gratifying news
TO the relatives and friends of these men, and
we sincerely trust that their release NAV be
speedily accomplished.
William Rockhill of Fort Wayne. an old
and prominent citizen died on the 10th. The
Gazette says
"He died ia the seventy second year of his
age, having been a resident Of this city f~orty-two
years. He WAS engaged for many years in the
discharge Of various responsible public duties.
Ia the cause.of education he was an Jealous advo
cate. He served the Fort Wayne College AZ
President of the board OF trustees from the time
VI Us oISlLlL-bitut pil1t0 oNhVoto VI WIS
city shared largely Of his favor both as a citizen
and trustee.
He served FIVE years in the Legislature OF
the State Of I~ndiana-two in the House of Re
presentatives aud three 10 the Senate. He was
elected to Congress In 1854, and served his full
time with honorable success"
Ii is estimated that the oil product of Yea
ango county, Pa, il at least 10 900 barrels eai!y
This, ct the average price of ten dollars at the
wells. which j. a low average, will give one
hundred thousand dollars a day, or over thirty
one million dollars a year. The number of
wells on OIL creek, in July, 1862, was seven
hundred at that time. the number Of wells
down and going down in the country. is es;i-
mated between three and four thousand.
-PETReLEuM IS.CLAY CoUSrY-MEssRs. ED
IToRs: Enclosed find a green back Lincoln dol
lar, for which continue The WEEKLY SENTINEL
for such term "a il may pay for.
Here |, perhaps. should apply NV autograph
and stop, but ! feel symptoms of the petroleum.
fever, now go prevalent in "tEe west" Wehaye
some excitement on the subject in Clay county.
/ write not to get I'd a furore that might lead to
i'll advised 'borings" Ny object is to get mp
inquiry aud proper Investigation of all the facts,
anu boring. II facts and geologic truths warrant
So far as | am advised, all The oil wells are with
in, or on the verge Of the 'cosl fields" Hence
the name coal OIL" Whether it is of animal OF
vegetable origin. or, like water. a combination OF
gases, is not known. 1 have not seen an expose
oil the geologic strata bored through, ROr "A posi-
tive statement a. 10 whether il il invariably on a
given strata when found | am inclined 10 the
belief that it il ;onnd in, or on, the strata of the
Divonian geologic age. The eastern verge OF
this formation is near indianapolis, dipping TO the
southwest at 2 rate of, perhaps thirty feet TO the
mile.
Next above this is he {" mountain limestone"
seen at Greencastle. Close above it comes the
"a conglomerate" (' milestone grit'), at the base
of the . coal series" This work is at the east
ern line Of Clay county, on the indianapolis and
TeIre Haute railroad Ii the petroleum in any
wise is connected with the coal formation, or with
the animal or vegetable life of that age of the
development of this planet of ours, then inves
~tigators should make note of this fact. Several
coal beds found in Pennsylvania, Virginia. and
Ohio, are wanting in Indiana. The Indiana coal
is Of the latest coal formation. as shown by the
fossil timber and ferns. The coal seams occur,
and are mined on the railroad above named.
thus frat bed at Brazil second at New Berg f;
third three seams jointly at Stanton fourth
at Cleveland.
So much for the geologic facts. Let the scien-
tiic, who have visited the borings. Judge If they
warrant the boring for oil here.
The surface indications are these Petroleum
comes 10 the surface on many OF our springs. Ii
is troublesome and offensive on mine. When
gathered, ard fire applied, il burns readily. /
doubt not that Clay Co is rich in oil If oil be
found in Crawford, Perry. Parke, and Pulaski
counties. then it may DO safely averred to exist
in all the coal region of Indiana.
| afix INV real name. and will gladly receive or
give any facts that will aid in giving iighi on the
. OIL question" lour obi %sery'ts
JAMES FERGUSON
Near CENTRE PoINr, Clay Co, Ind,
January 90, 1865.
AT JEFFrRsoSvILLE.-We copy from The Louis
vile Press the following statement of the ex-
penditures by the government for Improvements
in the city of Jacksonville:
The buildings erected at Jacksonville for hos
pital purposes, for warehouses;, and the other
improvements there by the government. have
been on a scale of expenditure of which few of
our readers perhaps have anything like a correct
idea. In constructing the hospitals and furnish
ing them with every modern appliance of con-
v~enience and comfort, the government has not
shown itself niggard of its means in looking to
the welfare of the sick and wounded of our gal
liant armies. The Jefferson general hospital will
accommodate two thousand patients, ard is sup
piled with gas. hot and cold water, steam laun-
dry. steam cooking apparatus. baths, steam
pumps, fire apparatus, &c, all upon the most ap
proved modern plans. The cost of the plumbing,
materials. pipes, &c. was S33 900; of the water
works, SIS, 900. The cost of the whole struc
ture was 5000 600.
The Joe Holt general hospital. in one OF
the most eligible locations for n hospital in the
whole west, near the falls of the river. will ac
commodate one thousand patients, and was
erected at an expenditure of Sll0 600. 1t is also
arranged and furnished with reference TO the en-
tire comfort and well being of its inmates.
Twelve large government warehouses have
been erected, capacious enough TO contain thirty
million dollars worth of supplies. These are
required TO transact the immense business con
nected with supplying our armies in Tennessee
and Georgia. OF these there are two ordinance
warehouses, $50 by $50 feet each; FIVE commits
sary warehouses, 300 by 100 feet each, with eel
lars under each: one quartermasters' warehouse.
$50 by 60 feet. The total cost of these build
ings was Sl25 900. Switches of the Jefferson
vile railroad extend 10 each of them, and the
five furnished with cellars are provided with a
stationary engine. hosting app aratus, and train
way. by which boats are loaded and unloaded by
steam. A Worthington steam pump and fire
apparatus have been provided for these build
ings.
Barracks for the accommodation of six humid
red men and twenty officers have been erected
at a cost of SIS 900; and four stables 90 by "a
ieet. accommodating 400 animals. at a cost OF
81 600.