The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-02-14
OPENING 4 NtRRow GaUGK RAILWAY.
\ Novel Route 10 the Upper Oil Country-Nn-
turc's Lamps Rapid Building.

BRADFORD, Pa, Feb. 1.-The new narrow
gauge railway from Oloan 20 Bradford was
Opened this morning. The distance between
these points in Il straight line Is about twelve
miles. The railroad between them is twenty
three miles long, owing 10 numerous curves.
some of them on trestle work and steep grades.
The line il Gougcd ont Of the steep hillside. and
il curved around the head of every gullcy that
II meets. All gulies are crossed On treaties. In
many places the rond turns upon itself TIL II
forms n complete hOr-cshor-nOticpably at Red
Rock whore they call II the " zebra shoe" Here
the distance gained il 800 feet and the dis
tance travelled 10 gain II Is 5000 feet. Tho
curves here have radius OF about 100 feet; at
one point the engineers appear To- nave made n
reverse curve 10 get round Il stump.
Tho rOnd was huilt in ninety days, and Is only
partly ballastcd; ana the lateral motion on the
thr"--icrt track was n thing To be remembered.
The seats in the ears were arranged as usual.
on each sid" OF the centre aisle. and gave two
persons very narrow quarters.
" one point tue track climbs for four miles
l3j feet 10 the mile. When you consider that
this climb IL made on Il side hill. standing ut an
angle OF forty-nNe degrees aud much of itmade
on curved trestle that looked like match wood
you can form some notion Of the enterprise.
the ruilroad track soon from the rear PLATFORM
looked like sled track In the mountains und
was az crooked as nm exaggerated Letter >.
Along the line oil derricks are very numerous.
Land purchased 10y the old settlers for lumber
ing purposes at $40 an acre. is now paving
cases The land. in nearly all cases, is leased
10y operators from the owners. The aver
age yield 81 the wells on the territory through
which tho Narrow Gauge Railroad runs may be
st down NJ ten barrels u day for earh we'll
These wells were In all cnse~ heretofore
pumped twice a day. and the oil taken ont to
within twD MY feet Of The oil-bearng rock. or
the sand 90 a. IL T. called here. Recently the
owners hay" adopted process called pack,
INK. which ~ putting a thick rubber band
around the tubing Just above the sand rock. and
then driving In" tubing funnel, pointed N It's
lower end. INTO this rubber IN such n manner ~
t. expand it against the sides oi the tlrill hole
90 as 90 prevent thr "s'npc OF the gas, which is
found combined with the oil in the third sand
rock. The gas that has heretofore escaped
around the two-lnch pumping tube, that stood
upright IN the drill hole. that is five and n half
inches IN diameter. il now confined, and must
escape through the pumping tube. This makes
the we'll what II here called a flowing well. and
enables tae operator 10 take away for other use
his pumping engine. and utilize 1t in drilling
another we'll.
Tine pnni." liberated by the conversion ~ n
pumping INTO a nnwing we'll, II worth 81 200
mo small item hrrel. The wells thus converted
need no attention whatever, but flow into wood
en tanks holding about $50 bnrrels "nch. some
oi thohi cul up queer antics. ana stop How ing
for two or three days. then rccommcncc and in
II dny make up tneir average daily quantity.
The first wells in this section were pat down
IN 1860 10y Mr.. Job Moses OF Limestone. When
ilrst struck they gave about twelve or fourteen
barrels u day each. They now ARE yielding
about five. There have hrrn n few wells struck
her" that gave great yod OF shale or an infc-
rior OH TheS" ran only ior "A short tino. aud
produced ninety to ono hundred barrels - day,
gave ont they were bored dc"urr into the sand
re- +, ana were E'nHfallN ldlf VOLS.
There l. usually g9S enough struck in the
first well t. dri the next. II II sometimes taken
halt a mile To the boiler ut the second well. Ii
makes u ilrst-cN-S steam generating iurl.
Sometimes n r. stru X al thr top of th" S"cund
sand rock. In this caso the drilling urrdrd 10
complete the we'll AMI al SUBSEQUENT pumping
- uuuc 10y Ms u~r rs mel. Tins town IL l.lit"d
with lnS procured from well IA It's centre.
Great turcnllglis ot 1t nr" burning on the
street corners. white ON the mountain side
hoHcuns arc namin. oN'rywhrrn Stoves ar,
Soi up meld" many wells, 1t serving Tor fu"l.
In one hptrl | RAW Il h"ini. burned iu Hli or-
binary las" burning stove. 1t Is proposed tp
lay, lhrrs "ni furnish '.ouscs with both iucl and
light AT "a very low rate.
This town is alive with men Of all Kind. and
conditions, rom tlc mrd-il-ted drillcr t. the
man with ile dyed mou-lu 'h", Wuo is Always
Son 10 mining camps, Great sl"iGh~, lu.ti' Il
nor>'- are huTyinI through Tine ~trHi-.
Every one IL anxious To got ma 'hinrrN ana SUP
Plies maui II b"ipr' IN" frost hrruks ul II r.
said tp hr tine muddi,~i section nn th" earth rs
Horses hay" been drown 4 IA Tho mud, and for
two months nnuur Ncuturcs on the road with "a
| wheeled vehicle.
They haNeU spoedv method ot house build
lock ia the ground, and SAN then, OF ton level.
! On thee, they rrHt what is cailrd q balloon
frame. and COVER 1t outside with tWothicknc.S-
,- of pine boards; tlo-o ON the side next tine
/ tNo-iurh plank. winch is covered with chcau
muslln' ON which wall paper is pasted. \ large
| hous" can be- hult in Two weeks. \ hotel CON
| tanning iliy-tMu rooms Wa complttrl and o'-
cuplrd ~ two months, While rnoS inS lis hos
ululty WAS somewhat surpr!~ 1t t. see the
| partition com" tuWurd me whenever the wind
| hlrw. The muslin l. only tackled al toy and
| bottom.
II WIN Never do 10 Put II up No, Mr.. Hayes