Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1886-10-10
INTERESTING HISTORY
OF the Great Hukill Gas Well Struck at
Pennington on Friday.
LARGEST GASSER EYER STRUCK.
People Pouring Into the Town From ALI
Sections.
GAS TO Be PIPED TO GRAFTON.

The great Hukill gas we'll which was
struck at Pennington, W. Va, on the
9Th inst, of which mention was made in
| yesterdays REGISTER, is a monster and
undoubtedly the largest well ever struck
in the country. The following brief his
tory of the we'll will no doubt prove in
teresting to every one as the advent OF
of this well opens up possibilities in that
part of the country that will probably
cause quite a boom in West Virginia:
Hukill & Co. commenced drilling wells
on Whitley creek, Green county, Pa,
in the early part of 1885. At the Garard
farm on Whitley creek, they struck the
Dunkard oil sand and got n fifteen barrel
we'll. They bored five other wells near
this, but they were all dry. On Bingamon
creek, Marion county, several wells were
drilled a few years ago, and some oil dis
covered at the mouth ofCunningham'srun.
Near the line between Marion and Harri-
son counties a gas well has been burning
for over a year, the light from which can
be seen here at n distance of ten miles.
Mr.. Hukill, being an operator in oil and
gas for twenty-five years, concluded to
have q line surveyed from his Whitley
wells to the Bingamon wells, a distance of
forty miles, and bearing in the direction OF
all oil belts, running from northeast to
southwest.
On this line at Mount Morris, Pa, five
miles from his Garrard well, he located his
sixth well. Coming in a southwesterly
direction, twenty-five miles from Noun
Morris. he located his seventh well at the
mouth of Davies run, q tributary Of Buff
alo creek, within one hundred and fifty
wards of the b. & o. railroad, and two
miles east of Pennington. From the ear
hest recollections of this vicinity gas has
been escaping in the run and creek and
could be ignited with a match. Mr.. Hukill
rode on horseback over this line and from
the general indications he decided that this
was a favorable point to drill.
Drilling commenced on April 10th, 'S6.
Their machinery, cables, drills and neces-
sary rigging were all new, and of the most
powerful construction. During the pro-
NTGSS Oh the NOIh StNtldl Id pONhONo vi
gas were struck. The CAN'T Oil sane was
struck at about twenty-one hundred feet,
and considerable gas obtained. The Cor
don sand was found at abOut
twenty-three hundred feet, but dry.
At a depth of twenty-siN hundred feet and
on the day before they intended to close
up the well as a buster. They struck the
monster gasser of the age. At half-past
one o'clock p. m. on the eighth the driller
at work felt a queer sensation in the cable
and calling the attention of Mr.. Black,
superintendent of the Drilling Company,
he soon ascertained that they were enter
ing on sand. In a few minutes the power
full cable, weighing three thousand
pounds, came bouncing out OF
the well, followed by the
string of tools sixty feet in length and
weighing t~hirty-six hundred pounds max
ing a total weight of sixty six hundred
pounds forced out of the hole from a dis
lance of twenty six hundred feet or one
half mile, being the deepest hole by eight
hundred feet in West Virginia. Then a
volume ofgls filling the casing full ascen-
ded one hundred feet through the top of
tne ueTGlck. lie ueTIlCh 10 eISHty Ne
feet high and with a roar that
could be heard for miles.
summoned in the people from all direc-
tions to see what was the matter. Fearing
that the gas would become lgnlted, the
drilleis had all their tools, cables and per-
ishable property moved out OF danger yes
terday. The well has been partly.plugged,
yet n volume of gas Us high as the derrick
is issuing. Visitors are pouring in
from all directions. Mr.. Hukill will ar,
rive here to-day from Pittsburgh
and will decide what to do with his
Jumbo. 1t is the general opinion that near
this well lies an immense pool of oil, and
other wells will go down ut once. Gutfey
Il Co. have their derrick up and will soon
drilling five miles northwest OF
the Hukill development. Here is a chance
for Wheeling's capitalists that will pay. II
is thought Mr.. Hukill will organize a com
pany to pipe the gas TO Grafton, thirty miles
east of the well.