The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1866-02-22
From the Oil Regions Highly Interesting



Particulars.
The Pithole Record Of Saturday has the
following additional details Of the remark
able surface oil strikes in the city, brought to
light during the late fire there:
|" The oil.well excitement still continues,
and the presence of oil has been found on
nearly all the side Of the hill above Holmden
street, and there are numberless springs
which are yielding oil freely. People from all
for the purpose of seeing these flowing Oil
springs, which are considered by all TO be one
Of the greatest curiosities yet seen even here,
where orr wells flow forth freely from one
hundred to one thousand five hundred barrels
per day.
To see a common wooden pump bringing
forth its full volume of oil, worth three dol
lars and fifty cents per barrel, convinces us
that there is more money to be made In Pit-
hole than anywhere in the oil regions. Inc
whole ground seems saturated with oil. One
man dug hole in the ground about foot
deep, and in few minutes got pailful OF
oil for his trouble. The ground is now being
riddled with shallow holes, in which large
quantities of oil ooze up and the scene forcibly
reminds us of gold digging. Mr.. l.. l.. Hliis
well pumped out twenty-five barrels OF Oil in
fifteen hours, and he is now erecting tank
for it's reception .
AT one of the springs belonging to the Buffalo
House, the proprietor had gathered four
barrels of oil with tin dipper, and there are
many others who have been equally fortunate.
Oil was found in a great many cellars yester-
day Mr.. Bernard Morahan filled large
wash tub with oil from his water pipe.
At the first discovery of the wells, the
excitement began to increase, and man who
had heard of the various fractions used In the
oil trade, offered to pump all day for one
thirty seventh of the oil others were more
selfish. for they would pump all the time, but
wanted half the Oil, and were willing TO take
the washerwoman into the bargain.
An Irishman, who had q small spring, was
highly elated at the turn fortune was taking
said he, yesterday wasn't worth clint, and,
be iabbers, to- day I'm worth me thousands
upon thousands"
Curious and interesting phenomena in the
Pennsylvania oil region, briefly noticed in tele-
graphic dispatches q few days ago, are thus
reported by q correspondent OF the MeadVille
Republican:
Z Having heard so much within the last few
days about the burning oil well, party OF
we'll Taking the ice on one OF the small
ravines which are SO numerous along the
banks of the Allegheny, we, afterreaching the
mouth of East Sandy creek, which empties
into the Allegheny some seven miles below
Franklin, again took TO the road, and after
walking and riding about five miles further,
came to Mayes's Hotel, whence we started on
foot for the great burning well, which IS nearly
two miles from the hotel, down by the steepest
and narrowest path that can be imagined
until we reached the fiat land, or bottom and
after going through a short piece of woods, a
most magnificent sight met our gaze"
Imagine space Of perhaps forty feet square
sending up n solid sheet of flame nearly sixty
feet in height. 1t lights up the country for
miles around, so that one can see to read a
newspaper at distance of four or five miles.
The heat of the fire has started vegetation to
growing, and grass can be plucked there as
green MS that found in summer time. The
we'll is owned by parties in Rochester, n. Y.
and was struck some four weeks ago. 1t COM
menced flowing oil and water with very
strong force of gas, and the owners were conf
dent they had a good well but two weeks
ago last night, the men going to supper, the
well took fret is supposed, from the engine
and has been burning ever since.
The fame, when first discovered, was coming
out of the driving pipe, and was not more than
three or four feet in diameter; but after burn
ing two or three days the driving pipe was
melted off two or three feet, and thus allowing
the gas and oil to separate before reaching the
top spread over a surface of thirty or forty
feet square. 1t has burned ever since with 10
cessation.
Sometimes the flames will reach to height
of one hundred feet, and livening the trees
which crown the SUBMITS of the surrounding
hills and the reflections against the sky pro-
duce an effect which no pen can describe or
pencil do justice to.
Is this in1iammable article to bring about the
latter end of the world