Los Angeles daily herald. [microfilm reel] (Los Angeles [Calif.]) 1884-1890, 1884-10-24

The region about the oil wells at Petroin,
north of Anaheim, is strlkingly like the oil
fields Of Baku, near the Caspian Sea. The
soil Is impregnated with oil, gas and asphal-
tum, so that the whole earth might be
burned deeply down by iguiting the asphal
um. The Baku region is up on the noun.
tains overlooking the sea, like the mountains
Of Pctrolla, and the yield Of oil is enormous,
Mr.. Charles Marvin gives the following de-
scrlptiOn Of the Baku region IN the Iidepead-
ent Journal:
"The earth around the wells for about two
miles has this surprising property, that by
taking up two or three inches of the surface
aud applying live coal the part which Is
so uncovered immed lately takes fire, almost
before the coal touches the earth the iiame
makes the soil hot but does not consume IL,
nor affect what Is near with any degree OF
heat. Any quantity of this earth carried to
another place does not produce this effect.
Not long since eight horses were consumed
by this fire, being under roof where the
surface of the ground was turned up, and by
some accident took flame. II n cane or tube,
even Of paper, be set about two inches In the
ground, confined and closed with earth be
low, and the top Of II touched with live
coal, and blown upon, Immediately u fame
issues without hurting either the cane or pi-
per- provided the edges be covered with
clhy, anu tnih Inctnou thcy use ior iiBut IN
their houses which have only the earth for
u floor three or four of these lighted canes
will boil water In u pot and thus they dress
their victuals The flame may he extin-
gulshed In the same manner rs that of spir
Its of wine. The ground Is dry and stony,
aud the more stony any particular part is,
the stronger and clearer Is the flame. II
smells sulphurous, like naptha, but not very
offensive. k.lS,Sy
Lime Is burnt to great perfection By means
Of this phenomenon. the flame c0mmunicat
ing itself to any distance where the earth Is
laid on one another, and In three days the
lime is completed. Near this place brIm
stone is dug, and naphtha springs are
found.
"Baku," he continues supplies Ghlnn
and Mazanderan and other countries contig-
uous with naphtha." In his days, 1.-THE chief
place for the black or dark grey naphthn'
was "the small island Wetoy, now uninhab-
tied, except Mt such times rs they take
naphtha from thence" BY Wetoy he meant
Sviatoi, or Holy Island. OF the extremity OF
the peninsula Of Apsheron, Describing the
operations of the petroleum exporters, he
says; "rhe Persians load II In bulk In their
wretched vessels, so that sometimes the Sc
Is covered with IL for leagues together.
When the weather is thick and hazy, the
springs boil up the higher, and the naphtha
often takes fire ON the surface of the earth.
and runs In n flame Into the sea In great
quantities to distance almost incredible.
In clear weather the springs do not boil up
above two or three feet; In boiling over the
oily substance makes so strong n consistency
Ms by degrees almost to close the mouth of
the spring sometimes II Is quite closed,
and forms hillocks that look ms black as
pitch, but the spring, which Is resisted in
one place, breaks out in another Some of
the springs which have not been long open,
form mouth OF or 10 feet diameter.