The daily gazette., 1881-07-20
STRIKING OIL IN A GARDEN.
A Discovery that Sent the PrOspee
tors 10 Potato Patches.

STRIKING OIL IN A GARDEN.
A Discovery that Sent the Prospee.
tors 10 Potato Patches.
TITusvILLE, Pa, July 16.-A month
or SO ago Sebastian Haehn, a black
smith living in Mechanic street, this
city, was spading in his garden after
a heavy rim. As he turned up the
earth he noticed that little pools OF
Q ude petroleum formed in the cavities
made by the spade. He dug a pit
four feet deep. 1t filled up with oil to
such an extent that he dipped out five
barrels full. The oil was Of excellent
quality, and Haehn sold his five bar
rels to the Octave Oil Refinery. Week
b fore last Haehn dug another swell"
in his garden. 1t responded with a
yield OF two barrels an hour. The
we'll a.trac ed great attention. 1t
produced eighty barrels, and then
ceased to flow. The excitement over
the novel oil territory d ed out soon
afterward. On Monday las the news
spread through the ci y that Haehn
nad opened another well in his garden,
and that it was yielding at the rate Of
JhiIty six barrels a day. Hundreds
nocked to the scene Of the new oil
operations. The well was located III
the southwest corner Of Haehn's po-
tato patch. With large tin hand
pump the owner was taking out OF the
''hole" two barrels Of oil an hour.
His previous we'll had also started
again. From that one of Haehn's SOL
was taking oil at the rate of t" enty
barrels day.
Immediately following this strike Of
the lucky blacksmith great dem Ind
for leases of adjoining gardens arose.
Such an oil field had never been heard
of before. Without capital, and no
tools but shovel, an operator could
sink well anu strike the "sand" in
half an hour. The right to dig on four
feet OF a mans garden became worth
IS bonus and one quar-, or OF the oil.
For three days Mechanic and adjacent
streets have been thronged with excl
ted spectators of the new operation, IN
oil production, aud parties anxious tO
get "a piece Of the territory" On
tuesday night Theodore Avery, who
has coal yard adjoining Haehn's 4
garden, put down well. At the
depth of four feet he struck oil. The
yield was barrel an hour. He has
put down four moie wells since. The
i've wells were yesterday yielding
eight barrels an hour.
The success of the Haehn and Avery
ventures led to wide extension ol
this strange territory. A vacant lol
on Washington street, southeast frc m
Haehn's, was yesterday the scene ol
active operations. Three producing
wells were put down. The rest wert
'dusters." Capt. Pickering went to
"wildcatting" under shed near ths
Buffalo, Pittsburgh and Warren Rail
road track, south of Haehn's. He dug
TO q depth of eight feet, and got j
well good for ten barrels day. Two
wells we're put down on the ground O.
the Octave refinery. At five feet OF
was found. One Of the wells is pump
ing twenty-five harrels o day. Tn,
McKeown Garden, east of the refinery
was leased by j. p. Thomas, VIM
Mckenzie, and j. NJ. Brinton. Thorn
as took the northern halt of the gar
den. He got two five-barrel wells O
excellent green oil. The other partiel
struck all, but it was of q red hue, anC
had the appearance of being with tar
In the gardens along the east side o
Washington street several we'll
''came in'' as good producers, but til,
oil was of an inferior quality. All th,
property along OIL Greek, between
Washington and Franklin streets, hs,
been leased by A. ]. KIaffert. H
will develop it on large scale.
The original Haehn territory main
tains Its yield, aud Is being further de
veloped. Haehn has made trench al
around his garden and one through .h
centre. Into these the oil collects rapid
ly. The operator Is putting up tanks /
receive bis OLA there Is great scarci
in barrels. Haehh's garden Is no.
yielding 100 barrels . day. He expect
to increase IL TO 200. The oil is worth a
the rehneries Sl.10 q barrel. The pric
Of one barrel defrays all tine expense @
putting down well. Operations ar
carried on day and night. That part Q
tie city Is lighted up all night by th
flaming torches of the oil men. Th
weird scene Is witnessed nightly by hun
treds OF people. There are no indlca.
tions of any decline in the yield of thi
oil, and Haehn, the lucky discoverer c
the field, is laying away not less tina
500 a day as clear profit.
There are many thee. les In regard
this unheard Of presence OF petroleum
10 large quantities so near the surfac,
One Is that the oil Is the leakage Of tanl
and pipe lines, which has sunk into th
earth until 1t reached the gravelly depos
In which 1t is now found In pool
Another is that this deposit has bee
orced up from the true petroleum san
stratum by some unknown agency, an
caught and retained in the stratul