The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-07-05
Tho OF Discoveries Recently Made in
West Virginia.

Press says: This city Is lust In the midst
OF an oil excitement which promises to al
most eclipse the palmy days OF OIL City,
Warren, and Titusville, Pa. The great
petroleum wealth OF West Virginia Is Just
now opening up and yielding large profits
10 few pucky, experienced 0il-men who
came here from the oil-felds Of the Key.
stone State and from Philadelphia.
About the closing OF the summer OF 1863,
this promising oiLfeld, which lies nine
miles east OF here on the saltwater creek
and It's tributaries, was thought to be rich
in oil, from the surface indications then
discovered, and several businessmen OF
this city began operations and succeeded
in getting what the Gilman would call
"good shows" Subsequent developments
proved that their money was well invest
ed, as several paying wells were struck.
| About this time, and before thorough in
yestieation had been made OF the SILVIA
ter district, similar excitement broke out
in what Is known rs the Volcano district,
twenty miles east Of Parkersburg, on the
White Oak river, and so big were the pro-
spects thai the saltwater district was sban-
doned and the oil-men in q body flocked
there.
At Burning Springs, in Writ county, the
latter part OF the same year, great wells
were struck, and between the excitement
and paying leases that were being worked
in the last two places the former sank into
obscurity. From that time until the pre-
sent day the production diminished. until
the fields were entirely deserted, and the
oil production Of West Virginia was
thought TO have been entirely exhausted.
However, about three years ago light
grade OF oil was struck in the Volcano dis
trict, and was worked on small scale by a
few men without much capital. These
men finally abandoned their leases, becom-
ing disguised with the slight production
and the poor quality Of the OIL
THE EXCITEMENT TO-DAY.
About the middle Of February W. F.
Messimer, who had extensive practice and
experience OF The workings in the Penn
! Sylvania fields, came here and effected o
! lease on Rock Run, in the StiIlwel district,
and Immediately began operations. At
the shallow depth Of Go feet he struck a
| fivo-barrel well OF 27-degree oil. Encour.
aged by his first venture, Mr.. Messimer
| immediately set another drill to work,
about twenty yards from the first well, and
| at q depth OF 100 feet he struck bonanza
! in the shape OF 300-barrel well OF 27t-
degree oil, worth IS per barrel. This oc-
CURED about the beginning Of March, and
it was at this time that the attention OF
capital was directed to the development Of
| the West Virginia oil territory. c. B..
| Tavennor then leased tract OF land from
Haines Brothers and drilled well, strik-
| ing 400-barTel spouter Of 33 4-10-degree
oil.
! This set the community wild with excite
ment, and the spectators and capitalists
began to flock into Parkersburg, until the
scene brings back the memorable days Of
| Oil City when it was in the zenith OF its
prosperity. This well has diminished
about one half in its production, but the
excellent quality and steady flow will make
its owner an oil king, and Mr.. Messimer
will also share q like blessing. The quality
Of oil from these wells proves to be even
superior to that found in the Franklin dis
! trict ih Pennsylvania, az demonstrated by
q cold test" made yesterday by the West
| Virginia Transportation Company OF the
oil produced by the Taynnnor well. A
specimen Of the I'll was ey posed all day TO
Il test which registered fv@ degrees below,
and the oil is rs limpid as water.
DERRICKs GOING UP.
The hills and valleys all over the Still
well district are now being prospected
with considerable success. About twelve
paying wells have already been struck,
ranging from 10 20 300 barrels of oil Of an
excellent quality, differing vastly, and
! being more valuable than oil struck in the
I Cherry Grove district, in Pennsylvania.
Derricks begin 10 dot the hills, and mat
| tcrs are assuming business-like shape.
| The excitement runs high at this writing,
as seven well are expected in " the latter
part OF this week. The indications of an
experiment OF deeper wells than those pre-
yiously mentioned show that there Is an
undercurrent at n greater depth, and when
this is fully tested, it is thought, there will
be a revolution i'm the shape OF boom OF
business that will shake the former fossil
lied community from its foundation.
The existence OF gas and the depth OF the
oi-rock are both promising signs, and such
is the faith OF those interested that several
deep wells have been started by the drill.
The present territory, where the excite
ment is running so high, embraces about
-Four square miles, the balance lying idle on
account Of everybody wanting "hole"
on land where the highest quality OF oil eX-
lists. The principal owners OF this territory
are J. Z. ii. Jones, Of Philadelphia; Nor
gan Brothers, OF Richmond, Va; and
Charles King and Haines Brothers, Of Writ
county, w. Va.
TANKING THE OIL.
The West Virginia Transportation Com
pany are now putting up tanks to store the
oil, and will also lay pipe lines to the new
field. This company is doing all in its
power to build up regular old-time oil
boom, and has about accomplished its OBJ
ject. Parkersburg mas already been named
the Oil City OF West Virginia. The ex-
penditures so far in the new field have been
about S15O,0OO, and thrice its return is al
ready in sight.
Within the city limits Of Wheeling gas
well has been struck, and some persons be-
lieye there is oil in that section. The gas
Is to be used in the nail factories there in
stead OF coal, and this will reduce the
manufacture Of nails about Is per cent.
and. as matter Of course, it will greatly
revolutionize the nail trade, II the expert
inept Is successful.
In addition TO the oil struck In the Still
water district, immense quantities OF coal
have been discovered through the agency
| Of the drill, and big operations in mining
as well as i'm oil will be begun this sum-
mer. The influx OF oil and coal-men is
something that has astonished the old
stagers here. They are principally Penn
sylyanians, and with knowledge OF the
oil and coal business such as they possess,
the wealth under West Virginia's soil in
this section will be utilized.
The ultimate completion OF the Ohio
River miroad will give IN impetus to the
development of the oil-felds, as heretofore.
There being no pipe lines, there was no
way OF putting the article on the market to
compete.
A Pecuiinr Reason for Suicide.
Vincenzo Borg1a, native Of Malta,