The Portland daily press., 1879-04-24
The Oil Wells.
TRIUMPH HILL, PA, April IS. 1873.

TRIUMPH HILL, PA, April Is. 1873.
To the Editor of the Press. III t.
The writer having considerable spare time on
bis hands, and this city (?) having been one of
the centres in time past of the productive oil
wells OF this region, helthought perhaps q few
lines respecting the method of procuring coal
oil might not be uninteresting to the readers Of
your valuable journal. end with your consent
hand you what learn of this wonderful prc.
duction. So many are familiar with the dis
covery of the oil on OIL Creek, which is about
sixteen miles from here at Titusville, that
shall confine these few liues to the well, the
method of sinking 1t, how 1t Is operated, and
the products.
The oil is found In belts. At this place IL In
about two miles long and less than one mile
wide. At one time there were over 800 producing
wells, and nearly all In operation at once; al
present there are less than 100 operated, and
no flowing wells. These wells were drilled TO
an average depth of 800 feet, and through the
porous sand rock over 12o feet thick, which.
however, varies in thickness. All petroleum ia
produced from this sand rock; the thicker and
more porous 1t Is the more productive the we'll
and the longer 1t will last On enquiry learn
that the average thickness in good districts Is
about 25 feet This stratun N of oil-bsaring
rock has been so pierced and drawn upon here
that there are few wells now yielding supply
of over 10 to Is barrels per day, and more not
over four or five. The sand rcck is not, as
posed of a strata of sand in which is imbedd.d
small pebbles. 10 size ranging from q pea to
robins egg. The pebDles are white and have the
appearance of havinRIbeen subjected to the wear
OF water, being smooth as pebbles found upon
haQHnQa U az 1ra fr.x ~. n.
IS ss salt as the ocean, and curious fact exists
that fresh or surface waller destroys the we'll,
One OF the necessary requisites of successful
we'll is Q good supply Of gas. The ipdispensa-
when there Is not suficieot supply for that
purpose, separate pump is troduced, which
draws sapply sufficient to farnish feel for the
boiler and light for the establishment.
The we'll is sunk a little below the sand rock
in order to form pockes for the rece option Of
all residium. Having decided upon the loca-
tion OF we'll the first necessary step is the
erection of the derrick. Il is about rs feet
high, AID Is used in boring, putting in the
tubing aud removing it whea necessary, which
Is q frequent task while operating the we'll.
1t is built Of four heavy tmbers, brsced ct In
tervals of 8 or 10lfeet with boards, and upon the
summit is wheel. over which runs the rope to
the "bull-wheels" or wiodlass at the base.
The unique appearance of the place, having
hundreds of such towers, can be better i'm
agined than described. The drilling 10 per-
FORMED similar 10 siDking or artesiau wells.
The casing is usually six inch pipe Into
which is put the tubing. pipe, pump, etc.
The we'll having been sunk the necessary depth,
and the oil not flowing Voluntarily, the engine
is attached and the pumps started. The fluid
that flows is Of . dark grsenish hue, and is run
into tanks. which when full the oil is measured
and run to Tiusyille 16 miles, through pipes
owned by company who buy all that Is pro-
dnced, from whence It is distributed to the
refners 10 the East chiefly.
This oil producing territory was once heavy
forest of pine. 1t is very rolling and this place
Is some 600 feet above the bed Of the Allegheny
river. The operatives all live in shanties, the
barracks at the 'bite" arc full as pslatial
Tdioute is the Post Office address of Triumph,
which islsituated on the eAleghsny river two aud
= half miles from here. Ii has some fne resi-
dences aud stores, Masonic aud Odd Fsllows
Lodge. DuriLg the oil excite nent at Tciumph
Hill, it had population of 5000, but now 1000
is all they claim. Bradford, town in Mexican
county, Pa, some 80 miles or more from
Tidioute, is now the most productive oil region
so much do the wells there produce, that the
oversupply has reduced the price to- 78 cents
where the producers realized $500 per bb
The price of labor is fair in this section, 81 80
and $500 per day, being what experienced
hands receive. The cost now of putIiog down
q we'll and buying the necessary machinery Is
about $1,000, and whatever mere is asked
purchaser. is bonus. IL will pay any one to
visit this section who is at all curious 70 know
of and see this wonderful natural production.
IT n r