Des Arc citizen., 1866-09-29
How Petroleum Was Discovered.
THE PENNSYLVANIA oIL REGION IN IS57


 The Titusvillc Penn.) Herald gives the following account Of tho discovery of petroleum oil:
 Colonel k. l.. Drake has for the past few days been visiting our city, the scene of his former labors us the origin al pioneer of the petroleum business.
 We have collected from him some "reminiscences of that great discovery, which may be of some interest to our readers. His first visit to Titusvillc
 was in 1857. This was before the buil-
 ding of the Atlantic and Great Western and Philadelphia and Erie Railroads. At that time there was a population of about one hundred and twcnty-fivc in. 1'itusvillc. no churches, and two hotels. Among the families here at that time
 were those of J, l.. and E. II. Chase, tho Tituscs, and Brewer and Watson--thc rlatter were engaged in the numbering 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, It
 was also used for lighting the mills. l While sitting ill the store Colonel
 Drakc's attention was called to the bot l ties of oil. and he expressed incrcdulity l when told it oozcd from the ground, and the next day, accompanied by Dr.
 Brewer, went down the flats to examine ] the phenomenon. He says when he i found their statements verified the idea l flashed upon him that there was abasin
 or spring of oil in the earth or rocks
 below. and that he then formed the
 resolution of sinking Il well. On his
 return to tho East lie 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 l in commerce and the arts. The popular < idea in this section, and even the scien-
 life opinions of Professors Sillimailaild
 Park, whom Dr. Drake consulted on l his return to the East, were that the oil was the drippings of coal iInbcdcd in 1 the contiguous hillsLthat it was idle to
 bore for it, and thai tho only method oi
 accommodating it was by digging ditchcs
 leading to a vat.
 l There were no books to be found ill the country which treated on the sub- iect, and Mir. Drake had never had any I practical experience in boring; but he E. was unable to divest himself ofthe idea
 which haunted him day and night. He I induced some men ofcapital ito embark
 with him in the enterprise, and entered 2 upon the experiments ill the spring oi , 1858. His first step was to visit the salt wells on the Allcghany, and observe f tho modus opcrandi. Finally he selec-
 ted a spot near Amcs Mills below
 Watson's Flats, and was delayed till , the spring of 1859 before he had secur. : ed a competent drillcr and the necessary : tools. His supposition was that ht would have to sink his well to the deptl . of one thousand feet. The same kinC . of tools were used then as now.-Tht enterprise was one of a good deal o7 [ ridiculc ill those parts, and many per sons made themselves merry at the ex' pense of the pioneer.
 MT. Drakc's assistant proposed tt
 crib to the rock, which was tho invaria ble practice in those days. MT. Drake , advocated the driving of iron tub tt the rock--an idea which the miner
 secuted, but having failed to crib, owing [ to the water, the tubing was tried anc proved success. This was an entire l new feature then, but is now the univcr sal practice. Indeed, it is now applied , to putting down fresh water wells , Had MT. Drake procured a patent t !, which he was justly entitled, for thu l invention, he would have realized ; ) fortune from if.
 l The pipe was driven thirty-two fee f to the rock, and then the well boret 9 thirty seven feet and six in the frs f sand rock. Not having any pipe, MT e Drake commenced pumping before h f had tubed the well. using common I iron water pump for the purpose, fas { tening the handle of the pipe to tn walking beam. Satisfied by this pro I cess of the presence of oil ill consider able quantities in this well, he the Il went to Erie and Cleveland for tubing = could obtain none there nor at Buffalo q and finally ordered it from Philadcl