The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-01-30
From the Parkersburg Gazette.
West VIRGINIA OH rtceto,,s

Tue oD)cct OF this article; IN 1t we will con.
line our notice to, the oil tracts at petro.
leurn, Volcano, and Gales Fork; other
points hereafter. But d few years since this
entire region was an almost unknown will
j delness, dotted only here and there By log
cabin and Its patch of corn. The land IS
| billy and broken, mostly sandstone, and in
/ general only moderately fertile. The wealth
Is under the ground rather than on the ton
of 1t, yet the agricultural productions would
be much greater if there was more careful
and scientific farming. But in the exciting
hunt after the hidden treasures beneath the
earth the cultivation Of the surface seems to
have been universally overlooked. Farming
is not one Of the cXnct sciences in the oil re-
gions
| To stand on one of the elevations over
looking Volcano and hear the Inccasine hum
Of industry which continues night and day.
| and to see the hills, as far as the eve can
| reach, studded with derricks, in what but n
| few years since was a vast solitude. reminds
one Of the tabled creation of the lamp of
Aladdin; and to witness the great volumes of
smoke and steam issuing through the tops Of
the trees, up the slopes Of the hills and to
their highest submits, brings to mcmcry our
early pictures of 4Etna and Vesuyius pre-
ceding an eruption.
Large amounts of money have been made
and lost in oil operations in West Virginia.
The tests of scienccarc being rapidly brought
into rcquisition, and it is certain that before
long many of the mysteries which envelope
this whole subject will disappear. One Of
the marvellous things to be seen in the oil
regions is the improved mode of transport
ing oil from numerous wells to storage tanks,
and from these to the railroad stations.
Both oil and water are conveyed through
pipes III all directions over the territory, not
only along level valleys, but over the tops of
high hills.
The West Virginia Transportation Com
pany was organized under several acts of the
Legislature. The work it proposed to do
being an innovation upon the old, slow, and
costly mode of transporting oil, met with a
combined and vigorous opposition in 1867,
when it applied for its charter. The oppo-
sition lme no tly from boatmen, teamsters,
and classes connected with those who looked
upon the new method Of conveying oil to its
destination as fatal blow to their business,
and they so fur succeeded, by amendments
to the charter and by other obstructive legls-
lation, as to render the chartered rights OF the
company Of little avail. But the projectors
of the enterprise, not daunted by the oppo-
sition, commenced operations by placing
line of tank cars upon the Baltimore and
Ohio railroad, and with tue partial right Of
way, which they secured by purchase, they
built line of tubing from Oil Rock, in Writ
county, to the kanaWha river, a distance OF
three and onc-half miles, and at cost OF
$4,000. This, however, proved an unfortu-
nate investment, for the line had been in
operation but single month when the oil
on this tract entirely rallied, and OF course the
large amount put in this investment was
nearly 4 total loss. There being 10 other
oil district at that time in West Virginia
which required transportation facilities, this
sumo company put down line of tubing
connecting Cow run, Ohio. with the Ohio
river, distance of five and one-haf miles,
and at cost of about $4,000. This line is
still in existence; and has proved Il more for
tunate investment than that made at Oil
Rock. We believe it hts proved rcmunerl-
tive to the company.
When oil was struck ut the Gale tract, in
Richie county, the company laid its tubing
and gave facilities for getting out the produc-
ton of that territory. We learned from the
general agent that the company has eN-
pended upon this territory for tubing, sto-
rage tanks, machinery, &C.. about $4,000,
and that all the facilities necessary to aid the
producer III getting his oil to market are fur
nished. This investment is just now begin
ming to pay. Whether it Will continue to do
TO will depend upon the quantity OF oil pro-
duccd hereafter.
at various points on the oil territory the
com: any have stations" at these they
have engines Of great power, to which urea
| tichcd dorbie-actid9 force pumps, anu other
| fixtures necessary for collecting and trails
| a., t,,, md oil
| turks in which both these liquids are stored
| temporarily. From these stations, which are
generally in the valleys, both oil and water
are forced through iron pipes to the distance
| Of several miles. In dry seasons, such rs the
past summer. the water at numbers of the
oil wells fails altogether, while many others
have 10 water near them at any time. Both
these glasses of wells are supplied even i'll
the dricst seasons with IN abundance of water
| from the siatioiS Of the transportation COM
pany. The first station is four miles from Pc
troeum. At present this station Is used en-
clusiyeiy i'll supplying water, The oil territory
near it not yielding sufficient 10 justify pump
| ing. Forty wells, from one TO two miles dis
| tant, are supplied from this station. The
water is first pumped by machinery from
| denth of 400 feet. and attefWard forced
| through pipes 10 the wells ut the rate OF
], 900 barrels day, and at very low rates.
| The second station, known us "Church STA
ton" is three miles from Petroleum and one
| mile from Volcano. The oil from thirty or
forty Gcl!s is collected through the pipes OF
| the company at this station and put into
tanks holding 500 barrels each, and is after
wards transported through another set OF
! pipes to the railroad station at Petroleum or
/ RI Volcano. ihe lit station. called HBladish
Station" is four miles from Feirolelliii s:'"
one mile from Volcano. From this station
both oil and water are collected and trans
ported. The machinery here is of very
superior kind: indeed. all the machinery oftilc
| uolI.ljallT Is Of the very bcSf,that can he OBJ
tanned. The water-wells at this station arc 200
feet deep, and 100 barrels per hour arc COLI
veyed to the wells on top Of the hills, 4 mile
and more distant. At Volcano the company
have six tanks, holding 800 barrels of oil
each, or 5000 altogether. They also have
tanks at Petroleum holding the same number
of barrels. OF course the current expenses
OF operating an Improvement extending over
so large n territory must be very great. and
| the incidental expenses arising from the
breaking of machinery, the bursting and
freezing OF pipes, and consequent loss OF oil
| aud the waste Of time, cannot be an incon-
siderable item: The wonders of the oil re-
| gions are not 4 few, but certainly one Of the
most striking to us was that to learn That oil
| can be forced three and & half, and some
| times five and hall, miles through tubing;
| and some times at an elevation from where it
starts of from fifty to three hundred and fifty
| feet.
Strange Discovery OF Ancient Coin In
| Philadelphia.
| Several curious ancient coins were found