The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1886-07-24
WHAT HAVE WE NOW2
AwLDcATINM ARsuAIL cOuNTY.
A strike that Created Considerable Excite
msnt-whsrs the Well Is Located and
What 1t has Done Pun Between
Rivals at the Taylorstowu Mystery.

ment-Whsre the Well Is Located and
What 1t n Done Pun between
Rivals at the TaylOr'town Mystery,
OIL has been struck in Marshall county,
about one mile from MOundsvills and
scarcely twelve miles from this city as the
crow flies. The announcement Of this
Iact here yesterday, created no little eI.
element among oil and gas men, and
everyone was anxious for particulars,
which were somewhat difficult to procure,
The first information received here, was
through Superintendent Hodgman of
the Webster Wagon Company, who came
up to the city, bringing with him a sam
pie Of the oil, which was Of the beautiful
pure amber color, so much priced by oil
men. ThsnewsWssagenuine surprise and
spread rapidly, aud for the lime being
the wonderful Washington field was for
gotten In the contemplation OF the great
possibilities that this latest development
pftbtuteu luI NH0 pkAto VI Meut ukluWt
aud particularly this Pan. Handle, Few
had ever heard Ofthe well or knew where
It was,
An ISTRLLIGRScER scout having been
detailed to ascertain everything that It
was possible to ascertain about the well,
CLEANED tho following facts; That the well
Is q gusher there Is no doubt, but rs 10
how large q one II is, that is something
that is as yet wrapped In, as great q mys-
terry as the now famous TayloTstoWn Wild
cat OF the Natural Gas Company Of West
Virginia, There Ia every reason to be-
lleye, however, that It IL going " be 70
bowler irom away back"
WHERE IT Is LOCATED.
The we'll is situated on Little Grave
creek, on the farm owned by ex-SherltF
J, b. Hicks, and, as before stated, ia about
one milo from Moundsyllle, and but q
short distance from the camp grounds,
The land was leased some time since by
Mr.. G. S, MCFadden, for the Pittsburgh
firm Of Craig, Osppo 4 Griffith, At the
time the farm was leased considerable
other property was also secured, The
company gave out at that time that 1t in.
tended to give the territory q fair trial for
both oil and gas. The we'll In which the
oil has been found was started about two
months ago. Previous to that time two
wells had been put down near this spot,
but they were almost utter failures, u
small amount OF gas, not enough 10 be Of
any service, being found.
Dad LUCK AT THE START.
The contract for putting down this wild.
cat was given to Fletcher, Street & Co.,
and thu well WAS 10 be put down $500
feet. No end OF trouble has been en-.
COuutered by these contractors In carry.
ing on the work, Tools have become fast
and have bsen lost and fishing jobs have
been Of 80 fleQuent occurrence ~ to be-
come monotonous. Thspeople Of Mounds
vile had lost all interest In the we'll aud
the last report from it was Of a very
gloomy nature. Yesterday every one was
Interested in the well and the excitement
was ut fever heat.
The fact that a strike had been made
would. probably have been kept quiet for
several days TO come had not the floating
oil seen in large quantities on the creek
yesterday morning, given the snap away,
and the smell Of the petroleum in the VI.
Cinity OF the derrick been proof positive.
The strike was made Thursday night. For
tho pas. two or three days the flow Of gas
had been rather strong, and parties who
claim 10 have seen II lighted say that the
blaze was one fully ten feet high. As
nearly an can be learned the we'll was
about 1900 feet deep when the strike was
made.
ONLY THE SHELL FIRRcRD.
Tho TOOLS were only about four inches
in the sand when there was a gush, and
oil waJ thrown all over the derrick and a
considerable quantity escaped into the
creek. II was hardly expected by the
drillGrs, and for a few minutes they we're
kept on the jump extingulshing the FIRE
and plugging up the well. This done, the
derrick was boarded up and no one allow.
ed TO 70 near it. The firm at Pittsburgh
was telegrspeed carly yesterday morning
and acme Of them were looked for to ar.
rive last night. The few samples Of oil
that were obtained were gotten by those
who happened 10 be near when the strike
was made, or else went to the trouble Of
collecting 1t from pools yesterday morn
Ing. It Is Of q pure amber color, and ap-
parently somewhat clearer than n wash.
Iugton oil, and some say 1t has not 60
grit as that oil. The sand Is sup.
posed to be the Gordon.
TIE PRICE OF LAND GOING uP.
What the company will do is not as yet
known. Presumably tanksge will be se-
cured and the drilling resumed in order to
ind out Just what the well Is. Parties
owning land near the well aIe expecting
10 Q q rich harvest. Already one trans.
Ter has been made, General Bushrod W.
Price last evening selling 22I acres owned
by him, situated near the well, at an ad. ,
vance Of $25 per acre over the price he :
bad formerly held II at, TO ]. L. Roberts. !
This strike will serve TO give a greater
TO the development OF supposed
oil and gas territory In this State, which
large, than 1t has already had. Thou
lands aud thousands Of acres in Marshall,
Do%ddrldge, Taylor, Weizel, Tyler, Harri- ,
ION, Richie and other counties have al. !
'eady been leased either by j. NJ. Guilty
( Co. or other parties, and experts pre- !
iiCt great results In that territory.
u