, 1885-01-24
OUR OIL COMPETITOR.
UNLIMITED DEPOSITS OF PETROLEUM
ON THE CASPIAN SEA.
h Nocbei Brothers, the OIL Kings OF
Acknowledgment Of the Baku on
Wsiis-Driving American OIL
from Europe.


80 |AA'EN . NAn GVWnr AnAAI ENn
years ago wns the peaceful homo OF some
12,0Q0 persons, has now developed into a
great commercial center and q placa OF daily
increasing political Importance. IL already
numbers 5000 inhabitants and has very
large shipping interests. And this transfer
nation Is wholly and solely duo to petroleum.
The own which has acquired a now celeb
rity with such strange rapidity Is situated
on the Apshoron peninsula, which Is a high,
sandy plain, about fifteen miles In width.
and projecting thirty miles into tho Caspian,
from the point whore the Caucasus termin-
ates on its shores.
Tho principal oil-wells OF the Balsu district
lie at Balaxamo or Balakhani, about six
milel TO the northeast OF the town; this is an
oi-field about three and a half miles in
length by one and a half In breadth. To the
south lies n smaller field called Bebenbat
Various flowing wells are said to yield G.0O0
barrels a day, and some far more Accounts
have just reached England Of an oil
fountain, which was struck last December,
and flows at tho rate Of from 80, 1000 to CO.
900 pools daily, gushing forth with such
force "a to break In pieces a thre6-lnch
over tho well In order TO divert
tho how in a particular direction. n. the
same district a hugo heap Of sand marks liie
spot where an offspring on being tapped
straight way threw up a column OF petroleum
TO twice the height and size OF the Great
Goyser in Iceland. forming n huge black
fountain 300 feet In height-a fountain. how.
ever. due solely 70 tho removal OF the
pressure on tho confined gas. for there Is no
trace Of volcanic heat. Tho fountain was
visible for many milos round, and the nrst
day Il poured forth about 1000, 900 gallons,
equal 70 5000 barrelA An enterprlsing
uhoforrnu har uuhn . aa -. fhn n.~f n...~. =
photograph which places this matter beyond
cavil.
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 alovenly fashion. The beginning OF a
now commercial and political era lof which
we AS yet sec only the DAWN dates from the
year 1875, whom Ludwig Noobel Cono of two
Swedish brothers, engineers, whose father
had settled in St Petersburg as a gunsmith)
sont his brother Robert TO the Caucasus 10
purchase walnut wood suitable for making
gun-stocks- On his journey Robert Noebel
chanced to visit Baku, and was so struck
with the wonderful capabilities OF the oil re-
gion that, on relating his impression TO Lnd-
wig, the latter sent hin back to make fur
Their investigations, and soon afterwnrd
followed In person, whom no found that tho
reality far exceeded all that he had heard.
At once porcoiving the enormous advnnt-
ages 10 be derived from systematic working.
with the aid OF iron cisterns and pipes, the
brothers thought 10 interest others In tho
matter, and induce them TO cooperate with
thom. Their theories were ali denounced as
utter folly. The o~il-producers, the land
transport corps OF carriers, tho steamboat
and railway companies all refused 10 aid
their schemes, so there was nothing for it but
10 start unaided in their own fashion. They
calculated that 10 do so would involve an
outlay OF about 81, 00O, 900, and TO obtain the
needful capital It was necessary TO fire others
with something OF their own enthusiasm.
First thoy imported n body Of wise and
steady Swedos whom they could trust to
work faithfully for them. They thon es-
tablishod great rcfineries at Baku, laid down
oil-pipes thence TO tho oii-helds OF Balak-
hnni distant upward OF six miles,, and
thoro commenced scientific boring TO a depth
greater than had yet boon attempted. When
their borors struck oil there was no waste, as
at tho other wells, for tho pipes were ready
to carry the oil direct 10 the rofinorios.
Tho first stop having thus boon takon, tho
next was TO avoid the great cost OF barrels
land bore We mutt note that the total alb
sence OF timber from all this region Is a very
serious item Ia working EXPENSES. In order
TO dispense with barrels, the Noebol brothers
resolved to carry pipes from their refineries
10 the sencoast, 30 as TO pump the oil direct
into great iron tanks on board the steamers.
whence Il might at the end OF its voyage be
pumped into tanks on tho rail way. and so car
ried TO great roservoirs in all parts OF Russia.
As the railway and steamboat companies per-
sisted in their refusal to cooperate, the
Noobels were compelled 10 take every depart
mpnt OF their business entirely into their
own hands So they sent to Stockholm and
10 Russia to have teamers built specially
for their own trnde, httod with great els
terne capable OF containing $50 tons Of oil,
aud constr uctcd 10 burn only oil-fueI. They
now own upward OF n dozen large steamers
in the Caspian, and thirty specially adapted
Tor traffic On tho Volga; and besides these
they charter fully two score more steamers
to carry their naphtha refuse 10 various ports
for sale.
spreading. In 1883 about 1000 tons were
sent TO England to try the British market.
A somewhat larger quantity was sold In
Franco, and extensive orders were taken for
Austria But IL must have required the In
vcntive genius OF a Swedo to think of send
ing Goals to Newcastle, In tho form OF send
ing lubricating oil for machinery TO America,
and even this has been successfully donei IL
is therefore evident that America has now a
formidable rival in the field. As regards
quantity, in the year 1879 only 212,O0 bar
rolls were saved from tho waste at the a
plan wells In 1881 the amount rescued wns
100000 barrels, equal 10 100, 900, 900 gallons.
In tho samo year America produced
a A|"fN@NI1Rt aAth VII INV
figures, Ludwig Noebel says that the samo
amount could annually be produced at Baku
without the slightest difficulty, but that Mt
at present would be useless 10 do
20, owing to dihiculties OF cheap
transport While Ludwig Noebel con-
tinues to be the ncknowlodod oil
king Of tho Caspian, his marvellous success
has given a tremendous impetus to the who'll
life OF the oil trade, AMI numerous capitalists
have pressed forward TO follow In his foot
steps; so that Baku has rapidly developed
into a large city, having a coast limo OF about
six miles weeping round a we'll protected
harbor. crowded with shipping.
Newcastle coal will soon cease to End a
market on tho Black sea or the Moditer-
ranean-it may oven be driven out OF the
Red sen as the uso OF petroleum refuse in
engines becomes better undertood. Already
II Is the only fuel in use on the Caspian.
either in the mercantile marine, In the Rus
sian gunboat ~iotilla, or ON tho railways At
present much oll-refuso Is poured into the
sea a. the only way to dispose OF II, and yet
It's value as fuel Is fully established MessrS
Hoebel have devised a new process for
making candles OF kerosene and solid oil for
expectation. Soon thoy purpose turning
their attention TO tho beautiful dyes TO DO OBJ
tainod from the refuse tars, which they hope
10 turn TO such good account that Baku shall
be known throughout thenxorld for tho ex-
cellence and ~chenpness Of its colors. Noebel
prophesles that II viii become the worlds
emporium for cheap and beautiful paint In
addition TO all It's other product<
III Current: The telephone may be the
cause OF tho rcd hnioa. Halol-halol-haloI