The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1865-04-11

board box, from four to six inches
square, inserted, through which the bo-
ring is prosecuted. .d a
The pipes being driven, the work OF
boring commences. The pileldriver is
removed "A cable, about two inches
in dian ier and from five to six hun
dred Get in length, is wound upon a
cylinder between the back timbers OF
the derrick, passing thence through a
pulley ih the top Of the derrick, and
down. to the well. The tools consist
first of two heavy rods of iron about Is
feet in length and weighing from 300 to
$50 pounds. One, end of each of these
rods is divided SO as to form link of
! about three feet in length, and the two
being connected through these links
have that much play, breaking the force
Of their fall in boring. A Ghiscl of
about so pounds in weight, with a bit
threeinches in width,is attached to the
lower rod, and to the upper q temper
screw three feet in length, by which the
tools are paid out as the boring pro-
SicoSSo. All oheoC ~ oScuiSiy idsIeh-
edto the cable. A heavy rope of iron
rod four or five feet in lsngth, descend
ing from the end Of the walking-beam
is also fastened to the cable Immediate
ly above the tools, by means of a heavy
clamp, the walking beam is raised, and
the apparatus.is is ready for work.
lorg THE BORING PROCESS. Il
The tools rise and fall with the move,
ment of the walking beam, the person
in charge ofthe boring occupying such
a position as to have them under com
plete control, and so turning them at
every descent, this way and that, that
the chisel cuts circular chamber of its
full width, the temper7screw enabling
him to pay out the tools until they have
sunk to the full depth of three feet
The tools are then withdrawn, sand
pump about six feet in lengthis applied,
and all the loose earth and gravel in the
well removed. This process is repeat
ed until the well has been sunk Through
the iron pipe. After each withdrawal
of the tools, portion Of the cable equal
to the distance bored is paid out, and
the same process again gone over
When the iron pipe has been passed,
after each application of the sand-punp,
a reamer is attached to the lower rod
in place of the chisel, and Being slightly
larger than the latter, the boring is trim
med so as to giveit uniform and even
surface. The work of boring, howev-
'er, becomes more difficult as the well
increases in depth, a longer time being
required for drawing the tools, aud also
for pumping. Both the tools and the
pump are raised by machinery. tn
| The time ordinarily consumed in bo-
ring well is from 80 to 100 days, the
progress made being from three to ten
feet per day in gravelly formation, and
from one 10 three feet in rock. Con
tracts for sinking wells are made at
three dollars per foot, engine and tools
ing provided; but wells of $50 feet
! in depth, cost, 1T the present price of
labor, not less than $500 or $4,000,
making the total cost of the well and
fixtures about $4,000. I
Pd It is believed that the cost of sinking
wells can be materially lessened and the
work performed in much less time by
the use of newly invented drill. This
drill is circular and hollow, and set with
diamond teeth Of hardened steel. 1t
cuts its way down, leaving central
core standing, which at intervals is cut
of and taken out by clamp.
In sinking the wells they are con-
stantly filled with ater. The chief wa
ter courses are generally found between
the surface and the first sand-rock,
which lies at depth of about 100 feet.
This rock is from 20 to 40 feet in thick
ness. A soft rocky formation Of some
hundred feet is then encountered, and,
at depth of $50 feet, the second sand
rock is found, about the same thickness
as the first, after which comes second
soft, soapy rock, with other formations,
until at depth of 500 or $50 feet, the
boring enters the third sand, which is
blush, slaty formation, or shale, of 40
to so feet in thickness, and in the crew
ices of this, oil and gas are found. 1t
is seldom that much gas is found in Oil
Creek wells above the third sand, but
after entering the third sand, the evi-
dences increase, and frequently the
force of the gas is so great rs to throw
the water from the well tc distance OF
so and 40 feet, much resembling the
Iceland geysers, where steam is stbe me-
tive power. H
Ordinarily wells are sunk into the
third sand from l5 to 30 feet, but if a
strong head of gas is encountered, the
work is extremely difficult, the tools
themselves being sometimes thrown
from the well by the force of the gas
notwithstanding their immense weight
The presence of this gas affords unmis.
taxable evidence Of oil, even where the
water thrown up is not manifestly mi
pregnated with oil, las is ,iostly the case
and Of a strong saline taste. If oil is
! found in the water, the well is at once
regarded as i success, and further bo
r,Ig is relinquislicd.
he5o THE TUBE AND sEED-BAG."
The next step is to tube the welland
prepare it for work. Until that is done
large quantities of water mixed witt
Eoil continue to be discharged by til,
force of the gas. The tubing consists
of iron pipe two and a half inches in di
ametcr, in sections of about go feet
which are screwed together and pu
down into tho wcil'to within o few inch
es of the bottom. AS yet, the watel
4 courses above the first sand rock has
Leen constantly running into the well
\ finding its way into the, oil veins, anc