The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1865-01-26
Oil intelligence.

Since our last jottings Of current local
news OH the oil question, says the Kan.
awha County, West Va. Journal, the ex-
citement in regard to which is still even
on the increase here, several quite impor-
tant items have come to our notice, and
! the indications of oil' have taken the
character of almost positire eridencr
An association of New York capitalists,
representing an actual working capital
of $4,000, have agents hero buying fee
simples and taking leases, in which they
have already spent nearly the entire
amount Among others, they have bought
tract Of land on Blue creek, where, -
substantiated by an affidavit, astreamo of
pure crude oil, as large as a straw, issues
from the rocks Beyond this, in Nicholas
and Clay counties, the indications are
represented to us by gentleman direct
from there, as being equally conclusive
| and the excitement immense. He says
there are thirty or more agents at work
in Nicholas alone, buying and leasing
the lands. A friend of ours having =
tract of land in Nicholas, for which he
could not get $4,000 before the war, has
shown us an offer by man in Philadel.
phia, of Sll5,U0O for the land.
We are also informed that Mr. Hope
the largest shareholder of the most ex.
tensive refinery in Pittsburg, left hero a
couple of days ago, having determined
| TO sell out his interest there and bring
his capital here.
Four derricks have beeu raised, or arc
now raising, since onr last; tho woll at
the mouth of Big Sandy is still progress ,
sing. having reached about 100 feet
Prof. Evans thinks oil will DO found at
about $50 feet deep.
A Titusvillo correspondent says the
Pit Hole well, recently struck by tho
United States Petroleum Company, will
il is thought, yield 800 barrels per day
when cleared of distractions. A new
well was recently struck on the Watson
Flats, which is now flowing at the ratio
OF 500 barrels per day. There is in the
office of g. NJ. Mowbray, at Titusvillc,
a specimen of the work of the Dimond
drill, being piece of core four inches
in diameter and three III length, taken
from the Dmond well on Oil creek. This
system of boring is not the fable IL was
supposed To be. The same correspondent
says: "A gigantic enterprise is now on
foot here, and one which will settle
many questions now in dispute IN
regard TO tho oil theory. A company
of reliable capitalists, with II. W.
Potter, Esq. as President, has been organ
lied for the sinking of u shaft at some
point not yet determined upon, for tho
full and complete development of tho
geological pecularties and facts Of tho
oil stratilication. The capacity of the
| proposed shaft is to be by 10 feet, and
il is supposed that the drippings Of tho
rock, as the shaft progresses, will nearly
if not quite fully compensate for the la
Dor and expense of the undertaking.
This undertaking will involve greater
degree of mining skill than any now
practiced, as appliances will have To DO
made use of To keep the work free Of tho
petroleum gas, which do not come within
range of he ordinary class Of yentilators,
and these appliances will have TO be so
complete and efiectual in their operation,
that 10 ordinary skill can invent them
Of course, after the shaft has reached
proper depth. to fully carry out the plan,
il will be necessary 10 run leads and
drifts at angles from the main stem,
which will eventually create courses or
SUGGESTIONS Of caverns, which become re.
cepticles for oil, 10 be raised TO the sur.
face either by means of pumps or hydrau.
lie pressure. The we'll known persis-
tence of Mr. Potter argues for the success
Of his plan, and if IL is among the posi-.
bilities to accomplish the work sought
for, he will accomplish IL"