Morning journal and courier., 1881-11-10
Thursday Morning, Nov. 10, 1881.
THE OIL WELLS OF HANOVER.

| O1A :" ELLIS OE' ktANOt AHs The recent discovery of petroleum in the province of Hanover has caused great excite l ment in northern Germany. The borings are made near the little town of Peim. and
 the little village, appropriately called Oelheim, which ''the petroleum fever' has called into being around the wells, is about twenty miles east of the city of Hanover. correspon- dent of the Boston Post has visited the spot and gives an interesting account of what he found there.
 The first steps, that resulted in the present profitable borings were taken by their Mohr who was convinced from,
 careful study of the soil and from pro.
 tracted chemical analysis, that petroleum lay
 beneath, in paying quantities. He accord
 ingly bought thirty acres of land and con-
 menced boring at once. The first well yield
 ed but little; the second still less, but the
 third struck rich spring of oil and his la
 bors were rewarded by generous and con-
 stant discharge of the precious fluid. The
 first discoveries were made in December,
 1880. Petroleum began to be pumped out
 July 21, 1881. The yield, up to .September
 30, was over 100, 900 marks worth of pure
 oil Herr Mohr at once bought 1000 acres
 of adjacent land and, few weeks later, sold his interest to Bremen company for 2500,- 900 marks and Q liberal per cent. of the net profits of the firm-not @ bad speculation for eight months labor. Naturally other con- panles have sprung up around the original one, to the number of dozen or more. This Bremen company starts with a capital of 5000, 900 marks, and nineteen wells, of which ten are now discharging oil and nine are in process of completion Other companies are working with capitals of 2,0OO, 900 marks, one and half million, one million and under 230 feet, through clay, soft rock and sand Drills l, 800 pounds in weight and of the best steel are used in boring. A sand pump simi- lar to the American is employed, while the pumps are driven by little engines of not more than eight or ten horse power. A few of the wells are doing finely, but the great majority are scarcely paying expenses. One of the wells has earned as high as 12,O0O marks in single day; another averages sixty has yielded as high as high as two hundred barrels in day. The quality of the petro- leum is excellent. The raw material gives 50 per cent standard illuminating oil, 45 per cent. lubricating oil and per cent waste.
 A curious fact in connection with these wells is mentioned. The soil is so rich in oil that it often works up to the surface and ac- cumulates in basins and natural depressions of the land. The peasants, aware of this fact, have for over 800 years been accustomed to dig large pits basins in their fields, eight or ten feet deep, in order to catch this oil. For centuries it has been among the morning duties of the farmer boys of Peim to go to the ''Pools' and skim off the fatty substance, that was used as wagon grease and also regarded among the peasantry as a cure for almost all diseases Of however little to the outside world, these wells are sure to become great blessing to Ger many, and more especially to the province of Hanover. There are also indications of coal beds in this region, and sanguine Germans are predicting success in that direction equal in value to the petroleum wells now running.