The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-08-04
EXPLORING THE RUSSIAN orr FIELDS
Pennsyivaninn. Digging for Petroieup, at
Rnku.

Several months ago delegation Of four
young men from Beaver City set ont for the
Russian oil Held. having secured employment
with parties largely Interested in the produc;
ton OF OIL in that country. The party consisted
OF Mcssrs. John BCnninger, Lee Heron. nete
Newsletter, and j. r. Adams OF Oil CITY, Tho
boys huye reached their d Situation, md devote
some of their leisure hours to writing letters
home. The following one, received by Mr.
brother. contains much valuable information
concerning the Russian field:
the 18th Of June We loft Baku on the. 18Th.
and took up our quarters in the town oil Balla-
COMMA wien r. iho .cntre on tho OH pnouu9ang
and put the first well down AT this place. Hands
are now ut work pulling the drive pipe from
we'll which WINS found To be dry ut dcpth pi
31G feet. Their method of drawing pipe il
somewhat slower than TINT used IN Pcnnsyl-
vania. they having worked WHOLE dhy m RUS
We are To- drill will be- located within ten feet
Of this dry hole They were over year in
parcd with the quick work in America
they have a slow nnd very poor way OF driiling
here. They use iron pole tools one ana threc-
quarter inches in diameter, qhd makn an clshl-
inch hole by putting II kind of hollow rHamcr.
which IL made something after the style OF the
bit Of mn. augur. 1t cuts and pushcs me earth
weight Of the tools IL supported by tho bt.
which Is twisted around, A. often as siH inches
Is bored the tools are drawn und the drlllings
taken from the hit in the form OF cylinder six
inches long. and pressed hnrd as stone. The
lrllltuEa show tnut the rock II u klnu OF DlN'k
slate. which will cut like cheese with our sharp
edged tools On some OF the wells they use
kind Of beam. To which they hitcn the tools with
u kind OF temper screw. a group 81 coolies
pull it down and nllow il 10 fly hack II pulls 30
hard and the motion Is So SLOW TINT they make
In less than n year and those over 500 feet in
depth generally take much longer.
In this field there are large number on wells
down and n great many drilling. The dCrricks
are M thick rs they were around Petroleum
Centre in liz, palmy days Some o. the wells
other morning that only flows twice week. and
four hours at "A time. She flowed ut the rnte ~
10000 hurrcls day. There was stream OF oil
running from her a. large ns Hays Run. A
solid stream Of OIL Tree from gas nnd iroth.
was forced into the mir to height OF seventy
Ave feet. They have no connections with the
wells ut all. but allow them To flow on the
ground. bitches dug around the wells conduct
the oil to holes made in the ground which sorve
wells which do not flow. Some flow every half
hour on being agtated with halcrs. The bailer
Ia the only means they have OF getting oil from
we'll which does not now. II many OF these
wells mad tubing and casing in them they
would pump 800 barrels per day There seems
to bc any amount of oil in the ground. but their
methods OF getting It out Will admit oteNtcnsivc
Improvement. They have engines at some 81
the drilling wells hat only use them Tor draw
ing tools. Much more time IL spent IN drawing
tools than I'm drilling. Where no engines are
used they draw tools ~ they used tu pull rods
in PENNSYLVANIA in IA" Oldsn time. Bun wheels
are Unknown simply n shaft with poles ~ rough
it Is used. The dcrricks are dwarls compared
a TbSy orc wh 6at G@t , 4 hs
thu first fifteen feet being built NJ stone. The
wood portion is placed on the stone foundation
Will" when they start a well
Thus far there is free and open competition in
Transporting tho crude oil Their way of haul
INK the oil to the refinery strikes an American
~ queer. They carry u large part Of II In hog
skins, and the remainder In barrels iive icrt
long. The carts used nave wheels ten iect in
diameter. and are drawn hy single horse. one
barrel or six hog skins can be loaded on each
cart Early IN the morning you can see rtrinEs
oi these carts. some OF them mile iuuE. nud
ouch one OF tho many making more nois"
thon n thrcshing mnchlne. A pipe line has
been laid from the fields 20 the refinery hut M
the present the pump will not work II il gen
orally conceded that there Will be row II the
machine can be made 10 do It's work MS the
transfers will bc thrown out 81 employment.
Tho line was torn up twice while II whs being
laid The teamstcrs arc not slow T. see that
their vocation will b" gone NJ soon as d can I've
successfully operated. Should W. be- ns SUI
cessful with our tools In this field as We antlcl-
pate. the American style of drilling will lie in
troduced. and many n man VIII De- without
work. IL only takes sixteen OF them Ia run
double tours. Their pay II proponionalb
small as the number employed AT well Is
| suppose you know that DR.. Twccde OF
Franklin. or somewhere IN that neghiorhood
| ordered the hrst lot ot took ana we'll fixtures
that we are to use. He ordered things which
never can be used on amy well For instance.
ten heavy brass two aud ihrre-auartrr inch
working barrels. The timber Tor tho rigs is
what PLAYS the devil with us. In all IN" timber
/ Whirn has tftn sent nero tHtrt ~ not u ttifk
cut rs II should be. We will have a hard time
To- get u rc out OF II. as 4 Is cut every way but
the right WAY We cannot get a STICK when vi j
stand he three and a half inch tools. hni Will
/ bc obliged to have them cut of and use the
! threc-inrh. The largest stick Of timber
is only fourteen inches square, AMI an tho lum-
/ Der il pine. Tho only way to build any Kind NJ
/ rig il TO make II double. The empire of AL
/ the Russians did not afford any better timber
/ and what we get is brought thousand miles
/ They are expecting great things ~ MS. and II
! we iail 1t VIII be- bad 90 on them y Goof
! house has been built for US at this place. and
/ they are building another for us two milo,
! further To tho front II has been furnished il
| better style than We expected. We have goOt
| beds now -hottomed chairs, and baiNt
covered tables. and all that men need foi
comfort. We can order anything cooke,
! that we want, aud II u IL in the country w. gc
| H. The supply of drinks n ample aud luXu
| rious. We are served with two kinds Of wine
whiskey, tea, and coffee. The water il drawn
! long distance in barrels. aud Is warm and very
| poor. The natives here can beat the jews max
| ing good ten and coffee. | shall bring on" o
! their arrangements home when | come. anG
| shame all the old maids in the country 10y drink
| ing more tea than they can. We All drink tire,
| or four cups at u meal. ana the kuss lans drinl
| from eight TO ten. II II IL good day and m,
| weather is not too warm. THIS is a bad place
| for hcas
When a fellow looks around and secs barrcI
| waste without n tree or Vcstgc al Shruhbery
then comes over him the remembrance ot nom,
among the green hils with thor cooling springs
| ] shall send our pictures which we had taken a
| Baku. with that OF the Persian who had the kind
ness to show us around the city. Your brother
PETE kERsTETrER