Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1884-1886, 1885-03-01

OUR OIL COMPETITOR.
UNLIMITED DEPOSITS OF PETROLEUM
ON THE CASPIAN SEA.
The Nobel Brothers, the OIL Kings Of
Acknowledgements Of the BAku OIL
Wells-Driving American OIL
from Europe.
rBlackwood's Magazine I


years ego was the peaceful home of some
l2,OoO persons, has now developed into q
great commercial center and place Of daily
lncreasin. political Importance 1t already
numbers 1900 inhabitants and has very
large shipping interests. And this transfer.
nation is wholly AMI solely due to petroleum.
The town which has acquired new Caleb
rity with such strange rapidity is situated
ON the Apsheron peninsula, which is high,
sandy plain, about fifteen miles in width,
AID projecting thirty miles into the Caspian.
from the point where the Caucasus termin-
atos on its shores.
The principal oil-wells Of the Baku district
lie ct Bliaxame or Balakhani, about six
miles to the northeast Of the town; this is an
ol-iieid about three and half miles in
length by one and a half in breadth. To the
! south lies a smaller field called Bebeabat
Various flowing wells are said to yield 6 900
barrels a day, and some far more. Accounts
have just reached England OF an oil
fountain, which was struck last December,
AMI iiows a: the rate Of from J0,o0O to o.
oJ0 pools daily, gushing forth with such
forc' as 10 freak in pieces q threc-inch
ca,t-iroa plate which had been fastened
OVER the well in order to divert
he flow in particular direction. In the
same district huge heap Of sand marks the
spot where an offspring on being tapped
straight way threw up column of petroleum
10 twice the height and size o: the Great
Geyser ia Iceland. forming huge black
fountain 800 feet in height-a fountain, how
sver, due solely 70 the removal of the
pressure on tine confined gas, for there Is no
trace OF volcanic heat The fountain was
visible for many miles round, and the first
day 1t pJurei forth about 1000, 90 gallons,
equal to 5000 barrels An enterprising
photograp her who was on tho spot secured
photograph which places this matter beyond
cavl.
Until nine years ago the working Of the oil
was entirely in the hands Of Russians and
Armenians, and everything was done in the
most slovenly fashion. The beginning Of a
new commercial and political era (of which
We as yet see only the dawn dates from the
year 1873. when Ludwig Nobel lone Of two
Swedish brothers, engineers, whose father
had settled in st Petersburg as a gunsnith)
sent his brother Robert to the Caucasus 20
purchase walnut wood suitable for making
.un-stocks On his journey Robert Noebel
CHANGED to visit Bsku, and was SO struc.
with tae wonderful capabilities Of the oil re-
g:on that, on relating his impression to LuI-
~! the later sent him back to make fur
tier Investigations, ami soon afterwari
followed III per.on when ne found that tine
reality far exceeded AL that he had hearI
At ono. perceiving the enormous adyant-
ages to be derived from systematic working,
with tie ard Of iron cisterns and pipes, the
lrothers thought 70 interest Others in the
matter, AMI induce them To Cooperate with
them Their theories were ali denounced as
utter folly. The oilproducers, the land
transport corps Of carriers the steamboat
AMI railway companies all refused 10 aid
their schemes, 50 there was nothing for il but
to start unaided in their own fashion. They
calculated that to do So would involve an
outlay Of about -, OOJ, 900, and to obtain the
neeiful capital it was necessary 10 fire others
with something OF their own enthusiasm
First they imported a body of wise and
steady Swedes whom they could trust 10
work faithfully for them They then es-
tablishei great refneries al Baku, laid down
oil pipes thence to the oil-felds of Balak-
hani distant upward of six miles, and
there commenced scientific boring 10 a depth
greater than had yet been attempted W hen
their borers struck oil there was no waste, as
at the other wells, for the pipes were ready
To carry the oil direct 10 the retineries.
The first step having thus been taken, the
tani here we must noto that the total alb
sence of timber from all this region Is a very
serious item In working expenses. In order
TO dispense with barrels, the Nobel brothers
resolved TO carry pipes from their retineries
To the seacOast, 50 as to pump the oil direct |
INTO great iron tanks on board the steamers,
whence it might ut tie end of its voyage lie
pumped INTO tanks on the rail way, and So car
rel To great Reservoirs IN all parts OF Russia
A. the railway and steamboat co-npsanics per |
sisted in their refusal to cooperate, the !
Noebels were compelled to take every depart |
Elsnt OF their business entirely into their /
OWN hands. 50 they sent to Stockholm and |
- Russia to have steamers built specially |
for their own trade. fitted with great els /
terms capable OF containing 80 tons OF oil, |
anI constructed to burn only oil-fuel They |
now own upward OF u dozen iarg- steamers |
III the Caspian, and thirty specially adapted |
for traffic Oh the Nolga; and besides these |
they charter fully two score more steamers |
TO carry their naphtha refuse 10 various ports /
for sale
In every direction is the Caspian oil now
Spreading. In lSS-; about 900 ton. were 1
sent to England to try the British market.
\ somewhat larger quantity was sold IN |
France AMI extensive orders were taken for
Austria But 1t must have required the in
ventiye genius Of a Swele 20 think OF send |
ing coais to Newcastle in the form of send-
Ing lubricating oil Tor machinery TO America,
and even this has been successfully done, 1t /
is therefore evident that America has now a
rival in the field As regard.
quantity, in the year ls12 only PIG, 90 bar
fels were saved from the waste at the Cas-
pan wells. In 1881 the amount rescued was
!, OOJUu0 barrels equal u 100, 900 0GO gallons.
In the Same year America produced
!. 1909 .O0J gallons. Commenting on these
figures Luiwi. Noebel says that the same
amount could annually he produces at BaIiu
without tue slightest difficulty. bat that at
1t present would te useless To do
10, OWN. to Giiliculte. of cheap
transport While Ludwig Nobel CON
inues to lie the acknowleded oil
King OF the Caspian. lis marvellous success
mas given a tremendous impetus 10 the whole
fe of the oil trade. an . numerous capitalists
nave pressed forward 10 follow in his foot
tep'; 50 that Baku Ia, rapidly developed
nto large city. having a cOast line Of about
TX miles sweeping rouui wellprytectei
larbor. crowded with shipping.
Newcastle coal will soon cease to find
market on the Black sea or the Mediter-
Inay even 10 driven out OF the
Red sea as the use Of petroleum refuse in
nssines becomes better undertood. Already
{ l. the only fuel in use ON the Caspian,
,ither in the mercantile marine, IN the Rus
ian gunboat flotilla, or on the railways At
resent much oil-refuso is poured into the |
ga as the only way to dispose of it, and yet
Is value as fuel is fully established. Messrs.
Nobel have devised a new process for |
making candles Of kerosene and solid oil for
'xportation. Soon they purpose turning
heir attention 10 the beautiful dives u be ob-
ainet from the refuse tars. which they hope
- turn 10 such good account tia; baku shall
.e known throughout the world FOR the ex-
'ellence and cheapnesS Of its colorS Nobel
lropheSies that il will become the worlds
Emporium for cheap and beautiful paint in
addition to all its other products.