The tri-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1866-1868, 1866-08-11
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HOW PETROLEUM WAS DISCOVERED.
THE Z: rrsss 81 on REGION NJ 1857

| Stant gives the IOllOWlHS account Oh INC ulS-
covery of petroleum oil:
Colonel E. L. Drake, has, for the few past
days, been visiting our city, the scene of his
former labors as the original pioneer of the
petroleum business We have collected from
him some "reminiscences of that great discov-
cry. which may be of some interest to our
readers. His first visit to Titusville was in
the year 1857. This was before the build
ing of the Atlantic and Great Western and
Philadelphia and Er1e railroads. At that
time there was population of about one
hundred and twenty-five in Titusville, no
churches and two hotels. Among the fami-
lies here at that time were those of ]. l.. and
E. II. Chase, the Tituses. and Brewer &
Watson-the latter were engaged in the lum
bering business. The stages ran twice a
week from this point to Erie. AT that time
the oil was collected from the springs ON the
Flats by means of blankets or cloths, and
| bottled for medical use. 1t was also used for
! lighting the mills.
While sitting in the store Colonel brakes
attention was called to the bottles of oil. and
he expressed incredulity when told it oozed
from the ground, and the next day accom-
panied DR.. Brewer down the Flats to exam
inc the phenomenon. He says, when he
found their statement verified, the idea flash
ed upon him that there was basin spring
of oil in the earth or rocks below, and that
a
we'll On his return to the East he told his
friends of the experiment he wished to make,
and expressed the belief that oil would yet
be found in immense quantities in this region,
and become used extensively in commerce
and the arts. The popular idea in this sec
ton, and even the scientific opinions of Pro-
fessers Silliman and Park, whom Mr.. Drake
consulted on his return to the East were that
the oil was the drippings of the coal i'm
4 Il i'll %l,,4r
idle to bore for it. and that the only method
OF accumulating it was by digging bitches
leading to vat.
There were no books in the country which
treated OF the subject, and Mr.. Drake had
never had any practical experience in Dor
ing: but he was unable to divest himself of
the idea that this was the true method an
idea which hunted him by day and night
He induced some men of capital to embark
with him in the enterprise, and entered upon
his experiments in the spring of 1853. His
first step was to visit the salt wells of the
Allegheny ani observe the neOdus Oper0ndi-
Finally he selected spot near Aden's Mills,
below Watsons Flats, and was delayed till
the spring 1859 before he had secured a
competent driller and the necessary TOOLS
His supposition was that he would have to
sink his we'll to the depth of one thousand
feet. The same kind of tools were used then
as now The driller charged one dollar and
half per foot for boring. The enterprise
wss the subject of good deal of ridicule on
those parts, and many persons made them
selves merry at the expense of the pioneer.
Mr.. brakes assistant proposed to crib to
the rock, which was the invariable practice
in those days. Mr.. Drake advocated the
driving of iron tube to the rock-an idel
which the miner secuted, but having failed
to crib, owing to the water. the tubing was
tried and proved a success. This was an en-
tirely new feature then, but is now the uni
versal practice. Indeed, it is now applied to
putting down fresh water wells. Had Mr..
Drake procured patent to which he was
Justly entitled for the invention, he would
have realized fortune from it.
The pipe was driven thirty-two feet to the
rock, and then the well bored thirty-seven
feet and six inches in the first sand rock
Not having any pipe, Mr.. Drake commenced
pumping before he had tubed the well, using
a common iron water pump for the purpose,
the handle of the pipe to the walk
ing beam. Satisfied by this process of the
presence of oil in considerable quantities in
This well he went to Erie and Cleveland for
tubing; could find none there nor at Buffalo,
md finally ordered it from Philadelphia
After tubing the well it turned out a COM
olete success, pumping twenty-five barrels
lay, and continuing when in operation to
,ield about this quantity for the period OF
wo years.
Mr. Drake was then in the position of the
nan who drew the elephant at the rattle, and
lid not know what to do with it after he
rot it-oil being comparatively good for
lothng. Then there was no home or foreign
demand for it, no refneries in existence, and
IS illuminating and lubricating properties
we're not then discovered. The parties en-
aged in the manufacture of coal oil were
low to acknowledge or discover that petro-
eume possessed equal illuminating qualities.
The first refincrs who commenced refining
ctrolcum were James McKeown and Samuel
lier, of Pittsburg.
From this period it came rapidly into COM
nercial USE stimulated Development and
ose in value in corresp onding degree"
The Portland Press says that last week
ONE men fishing for porgies off Seguin with
cts. captured huge turtle of the African
pecies whose fiippers had become entangled
a the net. He was take, on board the vessel
nd brought to Portland. 1t is Judged that
e weighs more than twelve hundred pounds.