Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1883-07-29
BAD LUCK
which Retards the Progress Of tho
Central We'll.
A Soft Stratum Continually Gazing During
the Roaming Process, Making Pro-
gress Difficult. If not
impossible.

1--WE are down on our luck" said one OF
the workmen at the Central gas well, yes
terday afternoon, as the drilling rope gave
a peculiar SILVER and jerk, indicating q
caving Of the sides of the we'll, above the
tools. shave not drilled over three feet
since noon and its now 5 o'clock"
The Central we'll has had decidedly bsd
luck. First at depth of about 500 feet, q
pump was fastened at the bottom aud
some drilling tools lost on top OF that
Four weeks were squandered in getting
through this obstruction aud just as 1t was
surmounted and the drilling moving along
nicely, a well of salt water was struck. The
water gushed out clear up through the
driving pipe and necessitated casing clear
down. The roaming out for this purpose
was scarcely begun when the hole began
caving in, almost rendering work fruitless
and greatly discouraSing all connected
with the work.
When a depth of $50 feet had been
reached, the well was cased that far down,
with small casing pipe. When the salt
water was struck, il became necessary TO
remove this casing. ream out the we'll and
insert full sized casing. The roaming Is
now going on and it was during this, on
Friday night, that the caving began.
The drilling bit is 81 inches in
diameter, making hole that
size; for casing, which is inches IN dIa.
meter, il was necessary TO ream out ~
inches. The casing is ~ inch pipe, which
will, when in place, leave the we'll the
former 5 4 inches in diameter. The work
of roaming went on smoothly and salts
factorily until a depth OF 45O feet vas
reached. Then the reamer went through
q deep stratum of soft red rock and rotten
rock, which, dampened by the water and
Jared by the stroke of the drill, fell of in
large flakes and retarded the work.
The caving in was plainly percePtibie to
the REGISTER man as he stood by the we'll
and watched the drilling rope as 1t rose aud
fell with the regular movement OF the pom.
derous beam. Occasionally the rope would
culver on the lift and then rise with jerk,
as the drilling tools pulled through the
mass of rock that caved in above them.
This frequently happened and at every.
time a disguised look would creep over the
face of the man on watch.
Well lose our tools there yet" he said.
THAT stuff will cave in on them and hasten
them and there we'll be-"
III the tools should fasten, would the
cable part?"
No, it is too stout for that; it would
hold on, stop the machinery and STICK
there"
lis there any remedy for such a case
Sometimes the tools can be Jared loose
aud sometimes they stay fast and the well
has 10 be abandoned. This cayIng is an
ugly business and makes me most lose
heart. It's tiresome work sitting here
turning this drill aud not digging down
any. As fast as We dig down few feet,
in goes another cave and We have to do 1t
over again. don't believe we'll never get
down, but never is long time, ain Z itr'
Under favorable circumstance how fast
ought you TO reamY'
I've gone as far as IS or 100 feet a watch
OF ~ hours. That was in dry well and
not such a hole as this. Ii We get 10 feet
here we're doing we'll When those other
wells around here are begun they'll have
some fun with this kind OF caying too"
lis this different from other parts OF the
country where you've worked
Yes, it's a great deal wetter. I've
worked at places where We never struck
sign OF water after we once got below the
surface springs. It's some pleasure dill
ing then. The best kind OF drilling is
through slate and dry sandstone. never
saw tie stuff from the Wellsburg aud Bril-
liant wells, hut hope it wasn't anything
ike this. Why. this stuff falls in so fast
on us. that after We take out the Sinch
biz, We can hardly get the finch pump
down.
Have yon ever been at work at we'll
wben'gas was struck
Several times, in the vicinity of Clifton.
Pa, What is it like? Oh, you just get a
strong Whit Of gas, that's all. Blow the
tools out? well should say not. oar tools
are over 50 feet long and you may Imagine
how st,ong the gas would be to blow ont
all that mass OF metal"
Leaving the we'll and passing into the
Office of the Central works, the reporter
asked Mr.. Scott what he thought OF the
we'll.
We'll" lie replied, I'VE think we've
had very bad luck, but are not by any
means thinking of abandoning the well.