Morning journal and courier., 1888-09-29
sOUrHBURx,s EXCITEMENT.
How the Petroleum Search PROGRESSED
"A Lock az the Dr1llInR Operations.

How the Petroleum Search Progresses
"A L0Ok at the Dr1llinR Operations.
Southbury continues excited over the bor-
ing there on the Wheeler farm for petroleum
and gas. Mr.. J. 8. Morse, for thirty years
engaged in drilling wells in Pennsylvania
and West Virginia, is in charge of the work.
Mr.. Morse says: 1--WE are not boring for
coal, but are at work in hopes that we may
found traces of coal. At depth Of sixty
five feet there was thin strata of bitumin-
Gus coal, but consisting mostly of what is
known as slate. We are now 105 feet in
depth, but no more trace of coal has been
found. At present we are in a strata of
dark colored sand, which gives us much
! trouble and viii continue to do SO until our
pipe, which has been ordered, arrives and we
can pipe it so that it will not cave in on US.
The indications for the success of our labors
are at present good. The soil, gravel and
| rock drilled through are nearly identical with
good success. Waterbury capitalists rent the
farm and back the enterprise. Sometimes
where the surface indications are even better
1 than here to pay oil or gas can be found;
| and again it Is the reverse. as at the last mo-
| ment, when about to give up with no sign of
u
| I do not know just how deep we shall drill
here if We do not meet with success, but
probably between 1 900 and 2, 900 feet. The
| Naugatuck Valley Sentinel says:
1.-THE operation of drilling is an interest
4 ing one. Work was commenced on August
1 19, but nearly three weeks were past in erect
| ing the buildings and tower and getting the
machinery in working order. The drill prop
er weighs nearly 500 pounds, and is attached
to handle bar thirty feet long and weighing
1 300 pounds. To this is attached Two inch
hempen cable. In drilling, two methods are
used. One is to attach the cable to the end
of walking beam similar in principle to that
of a steamboat, and the drill is thus raised
1 and lowered, and being constantly turned,
/ works rapidly through soft stone or sand.
Water is poured into the well which mixes
i with the sediment, and after the drill is with
4 drawn bucket quickly draws out the solu-
ton. At other times the cable is attached to
1 driver and drawn up at greater distance,
1 and the greater fall strikes harder blow.
The works are run day and night, one gang
of men going on duty at 10 M, and the other
at midnight.
1t is doubtful if much land could be pur-
1 chased there at present at reasonable price,
but it can be leased, which is constantly be-
1 ing done by parties interested. While eager
expectation is in the breasts of al, there is no
undue excitement manifested, the result of
the present experiment being awaited. If
successful, owners of property there will be-
come millionaires at once, and land could
not be leased or purchased only at fabulous
prices.
Among others seen was Mr.. Wheeler, the
owner of the farm, who, when the first min
ing operations upon the place were com.
menced, was lad of some eight summers.
Mr.. Wheeler gave very interesting descrip-
ton of the event cit was" he said, sin
1881, when Professor Cleveland first came
here and stayed several months. With
I assistants he roamed over the fields,
| gathering specimens of minerals. Then he
leased this farm of father and went to New
York, coming back with twelve Welsh
Y miners. A shaft was commenced and at the
1 depth of 65 feet, as I recollect, coal was
I found in small quantities. One day a water
4 vein was struck and the water came in SO
fast that it could not be taken care Of The
l next morning one of the men started to de-
scend the shaft and GOAL of fire was placed
in his pipe to light it. As he went down the
coal tell off and flame of fire at once ascend
1 ed from the mouth of the shaft. The man
was hauled out and nearly dead, and the
4 tfmbers, derricks and other woodwork caught
fire and burned up. The fire was at last ex-
| dirt. An apple tree standing near had the
4 limbs burned off one side and the tree stands
| there still as a monument of the occasion.
Afterwards no one would work in the
| shaft and several years later I filed it up.
My wife, /" continued Mr.. Wheeler, ''says she
expects to be awakened again now by the
cry of fire. expecting that the petroleum
works will be burned up. I hope they will,
as l want to see them go up in such a burst
of glory as will convince the world we have
found what has long been sought for"