Cleveland daily leader. [volume] ([Cleveland, Ohio]) 1865-1873, 1866-02-13
Another Oil Excitement at PithOIe

City.
Pithole is certainly the enchanted land
of Oildom. Not only are its wells the
biggest and most numerous in the world,
but it is now discovered that there is oil in
the springs and gushing from the pumps
of the infant city. The Pithole Record of
Friday last tells a strange story of the
discovery of oil in the very heart of Pit
hole city. 1t seems that they had big
fire there on Thursday, and those engaged
in throwing on water presently discovered
that they were only adding fuel to the
flames. 1t seems that the demand for
water had exhausted the resources of a
shallow well, and oil and gas had begun
to flow therefrom. Two other water-wells
and several springs were soon discovered
to be in the same predicament. The ex-
citement spread, and the fire was left 10
rage as it chose, while everybody rushed
home to pump out their wells. Three wells
were found to be oil-prOducing, besides
several flowing springs. Its specific
gravity is AZ degrees. The ReeOrd gives
the following additional particulars:
The water of all these wells and springs
has been considered of very good quality
until about last Sunday, when disagree
able taste was noticed, which has been in
creasing ever since. Not the least strange
thing is that these new oil wells are all at
| least $50 feet above the flats Perhaps
| the frst discoverer of oil in quantity in
Pithole City, was Mr.. John Harris, of the
Bath House. who discovered several inches
of ell on the tank of the spring, at six
o'clock yesterday morning.
The first we'll "strusk belongs to Mrs.
Rickerts, a widow woman, who has here-
toftre earned her living by washing. It
is at the depth of sixteen feet, and was
only pumped at intervals, but the oil came
freely in answer to the pumping, and
would fill barrel in ten minutes. 1t was
not worked more ON account of a difficulty
in getting barrels to put the oil in. Mrs.
| Rickerts was offered at first 81, 900 for it,
and then $4,000, until at last a gentleman
secured the refusal at $1,000 until this
morning.
Mr.. L. L. Hills well was the favorite,
and was pumped very vigorously during
the day, much to the amusement of the
admiring crowd, who were used to
seeing a steam engine with its walking
beam and other apparatus pumping oil,
instead of one-man" power at pump
handle. It filed barrel in FIVE minutes
durtng the time it was pumped. OF course
it was necessary to stop the pump every
time barrel was filed. The owner re-
fused an offer of 81, 900 for the well. This
well is 2s feet deep.
The other belongs to Mr.. w. H. Dame,
of the U. 8. Laundry. who got some four
or FIVE barrels, and had to stop then be-
cause he had no place to put it in. This
we'll did uet attract SO much attention, as
it was in the house.
One of the springs is owned by Mr..
Blaisdell, who has just been burnt cut, and
he evidently thinks that his gain may yet
counterbalance his loss.
Much amusement was caused by dis
covery that the oil had created quite ri
valry among some three or four Irishmen
for the hand of the fair widow, who had
so suddenly ranked herself with our oil
princes.
Many theories are broaehed as to how
the oil got there, and the most probable of
them seems to be that the artesian well
has exhausted large quantities of the
water, allowing the oil to run out of crew.
ices, and flow into the wells and springs.
Some few thought that it might have been
caused by leak in the Meredith pipes,
but that is improbable, as the gravity is
different, and in that ease there would be
no gas.