Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-09-18
Petroleum ae Baku.

/ of fact, to say that America supplied
/ the world with petroleum. The output
/ from our "Oil K gionh has been SO
enormous and so vastly greater than
| that of all other countries combined,
that we have been able to rule the
market completely.
While petroleum is known to exist
very widely, there are but two promi-
nent localities on the Eastern Cont
nent. One of these is on the Irawad-
dy, and from tEat well mp through As
sam; the other on the western shore of
the Caspian, around Baku. Both of
these have been long known, and the
! indications havo been that their pro-
| duction might be rendered very great;
but they remained comparatively unde-
| yclopcd, the eastern region sending to
market only about $4,000 barrels an
nually, while Baku turned out 500, 000
A great and most remarkable change,
however, hiss taken place within the
last few months, and it is worth our
while to look at it aud study as well as
we may briefly the probable and posi-
bic results.
Baku has since the close of last sum-
mer suddenly sprung into degree of
vitality and n measure of prosperity
and Importance OF which no one had
previously any reason to dream, and
ali because its subterranean wealth is
pouring forth its treasures in a most
unwOnted fashion. We in this country
have been familiar with "spouting
wells" of petroleum, but there such a
thing had never been known. Some
thing over five mouths ago several
"riCh strikes" as our people term
them, began TO attract attention, and
new wells were bored in numbers, and
yielded astonishingly. AT length one
OF the augers entered cavity which
was really worthy of Oil Greek in its
best estate. 1t was "spoutcr, sure
enough, and threw its oily jet high into
the air with great violence. This was
followed by another and another, some
throwing their torrent of petroleum to
the height of fifty feet or more. OF
course, this fierce outpouring, as in all
such cases, diminished within few
days, rs the extreme tension from be-
meath was relieved, but the wells con-
tinucd to yield at a rate new for the en-
tire region. Additional wells were
| bored in great numbers, and the work
is still going on and increasing, and
the end is not yet by any manner of
means.
The natural results of this have fol-
lowed. Baku has grown like one of
our own Oil Region towns, and being
unlike our own localities, situated d.
rectly on great inland sea, mercan-
| tile navy has begun even within this
| brief space to grow into existence. 1t
| is not to be supposed that men as as
| tute as those ruling the great Russian
nation fail to see the immense futures
TO which this may lead. and the Gov
| eminent is taking active and Cncrret-
| ic measures to make the most of the
new state of things. Means Of trans
portation are provided rapidly to every
| part Of the Caspian and its affiuonts,
notably the Volga. A pipe line is al
| ready planned TO run the petroleum
across to the Black Sea, stretch of
about five hundred miles. Once there,
of course it has access TO all OF eastern
| Europe, and in fact 10 the markets of
! the world.
The Government officers are prose-
| cutting most industriousiy and untiring-
| " their efforts TO make the burning of
crude petroleum practical matter for
the generation of steam. They have
accomplished much, and they will very
possibly work ont the problem.
Althis is not of so much consequence
from what has already been done. "a
from the probable future TO which il
j looks. No one can say that there is
any reason, from the nature of the for
nation ceologicaliy, why the country
! about Baku should not pour out fully
as great floods of oil IS our own re-
gions CT northwestern PENNSYLVANIA
and its surroundings; why it should not
add a cipher to lis previous 800. 90
barrels and double or treble it. If so,
American petroleum viii no longer
haze tho free swine it has hitherto en-
ioyed.
But in relation 10 this one very i'm
nortant element r,nst not ba ,vo,IooL-
ed. Russian petroleum is a very dif-
ferent article from the American.
They both certainly belong 10 the same
series of hydrocarbons, yieldinu the
same class OF products by fractional
distilatiou; but they Weld thcm in
very different proportions. The value
of our PENNSYLVANIA petroleum is
greatly enhanced frcm the fact that so
large proportion Of kerosene can be