Butler citizen. [volume] (Butler, Pa.) 1877-1922, 1880-11-24
DEATH OF COLONEL DRAKE.

Colonel Edwin L. Drake, who sank
the first oil well in this State at Titus
vile, died at his residence in South
Bethlehem, Pa, on Monday evening
week, aged sixty-one years. The mar
ration of the discovery of the merits of
petroleum as an Illuminating fluid, and
of the measures concerted for its intro
duction into thousands of homes in
both continents, forms an interesting
chapter in the history of Pennsylvania
Colonel Drake was born in Green
county, New York, and spent his early
days on his fathers farm, at Rutland,
Vermont. At eighteen years, single
handed, he entered upon the struggles
of theworld He was SUCCESSFULLY
captain on the Erie Canal, clerk on q
steamer plying before Buffalo and De-
troit superintendent of Tecumseh,
Michigan, oil-cloth factory, salesman
in a New Haven clothing store. drum
mer for New York mercantile house.
express messenger between Albany
and Boston, and from l849 to 1857 he
was conductor of the New York and
New Haven Railroad Ill health
compelled him to resign this latter
position and he accepted an offer from
Townsend, Pierpont, Ives& Bowditch,
of New Haven, who bad come into
possession of a tract of land at Titus
vile, Pennsylvania, to visit the pur-
chased site and investigate defect in
the title to the property. The lard
owed its value to a spring, from which
was taken with a blanket oil used in
the manufacture of a line ment to which
was attributed great curative powers.
The fluid was known as Seneca OIL"
and had been analyzed by Professor
Silliman, who regarded it as of small
Importance Colonel Drake saw while
at Titusville the oil in use as lubrica-
tor He was satisfied at once that
there was fortune in the fluid as q
lubricator, and after much difficulty
succeeded in forming a stock company,
compo ed entirely Of New Haven busi-
men, and went back to Titusville as a
saaried agent of the Seneca Oil
Company" He was to be responsible
for all losses and was to share what
ever profits might arise with the capi-
talists
He determined to bore for. the oil,
having convinced himself of the feasi-
bility of the plan, but for time could
hire no men to work for him, as he
deemed lunatic. Finally, after many
discouragments. he drove to the depth
of 69a ieet on Saturday, August 80,
1859, pipe of soft iron, II inches
thick. Work was suspended for the
Sabbath, but to his great joy Colonel
Drake on the following day found oil
bubbling over the top of the pipe. A
pump was rugged and the pipe yield
ed twenty-five barrels day. Shortly
after the derrick, works and engine
were burned out and Colonel Drake
was pennless. Within thirty days
the enterprising pioneer in petroleum
had rebuilt the works. He sank an
other well and the business grew larg-
er daily Spectators focked in by
the hundred and mems minds were
unbalanced through oil. The Seneca
Oil Company sold out, and Colonel
Drake operated individually until 1864,
when poverty and i'll health compelled
him to retire. The last $500 used by
him in the work on the Drake well
was borrowed money.
Tie State granted him in 1878
civil pension of $1,000 a year, reversi-
BILE to his widow while she remains
unmarried 1t was small recon-
pense for his public labors The twen-
ty'live-barrel well of August, 1859,
has been augmented by 10000 other
wells, with an annaul capacity of not
less than Is, 100000 barrels Not less
than 100000, 900 worth is exported
annually, and from his humble but
beautiful home in South Bethlehem
Colonel Drake could daily see passing
over the Lehigh Valley and Lehigh
Susquehanna Railroads long trains of
oil tanks on their way to the tide, sup
plying the world with one of its great
est products He was an earnest men,
Der of the Protestant Episcopal Church
and leaves family of wife and three
children, by whom he was idolized