The Democrat. (Scotland Neck, Halifax Co., N.C.) 1884-1896, 1888-05-17
OCEAN OIL WELLS.
Where Oil Abounds Under the
Waters of the Pacific.
Some Submarine Springs That
Have Been Encountered.

With the pilot chart for November
last there was sued statement rela-
tive to the possible existence Of sub
marine oil springs as indicate 4 by vari-
Gus reports received from shipmastcrs
on the Atlantic and in the Gulf Of
Mexico which, in view Of the posi-
bility OF their commercial value made
the matter Of general interest. Mention
was made in this connection also OF
we'll known spot near Sabine pass, on
the gulf coast, called the coil pond"
where small vessels run in and anchor
during heavy weather, the water there
being comparatively smooth owing to
quantity of oil or oily mul, which rises
to the surface 1t was also slid that no
such reports had been received from
the Pacific coast. Since then, however,
as a result Of the interest elected nv the
announcement, several reports have
been received which are incorporated in
the monthly report Of the photographic
office for February. briefly as follows:
The attention Of the hv | ographars
was fcst called to 4 letter from Thomqs
X. Griffin, Of San Francisco, published
n the New York Maritime Register, in
which he states that submarine oil
spriags exist on the Pacific coast. The
most pronounced is off what is known IS
ol
ter miles west of Goleta and ten miles
west Of Santa Btrbara. Mr.. Griffin sup
piled Information from several masters
OF vessels who have cruised in those
waters, and their reports are so clear
and consistent as to leave little room for
doubt of the existence of such subma-
rine OIL springs off that coast.
Captain Van Helme7, of the American
steamship Los Angeles, says that whom
a vessel passes through the region of
this spring the sm3ll of oil is 50 strong
as frequently to cau-e nausea among the
passengers a1d crew, and in certain
spots the oil can be distinctly seen bub-
bling up on the surface.
Captain Wallace, of the American
steamship City OF Chester, Captain
Ingalls,. of the American steamship
Santa Rosa, and Captain Alexander, of
the American steamship Queen of the
Pacific, testify that there are other
similar springs on the Pacific coast,
though not 50 pronounced as the former
Captain Wallace locates the large spring
about eighteen miles west Of Santa
Blrblra. Cal, and states that the sur
face Of the ocean is frequently covered
for miles with the OIL He has also
seen oil floating on the water to the
north of Cape Mendocino. from three
to five miles off shore, and thinks there
Is another spring there. Captain
Plum ber of the American steamship
Gypsy, who has sailed seventeen years
in these waters, confirms the above
statements, and says the belt of oil
above Santa Barbara can be seen the
darkest night when sailing through it.
~
has also been received from Captain
Goodall of the Pacific Coast Steamship
Company, who refers to the fact that
Goleta POiat is known to masters Of
steamships as Goal Oil Point on ac-
count Of the oil breast of it rising from
the bottom of the sen. On a calm day
the water is covered for miles with oil,
bubbles of which can be seen rising to
the surface and spreading over it. A.
though it does not seen to smooth
the water like anim1 oil, vet, On a
windy day, you can see slick Of OIL on
the surface. This spot is so we'll known
by shipmasters that the smell Of the oil
is used as guide in foggy weather, the
petroleum smell being o strong that a
captain can never mistake his position
when off that point. Captain Goodall
saws also that he has noticed small
flow of oil from the bottom Of the sea
off Colo Point near Point Conception,
but there the amount Of oil is very
small. II tdHuOs u seen IuODii-g up
from the bottom, but Is often visible OF
the surface, the odor being very per
ceptible.
Bitumen is known TO be generally dis
tributed through the coast ranges to the
southwark of San Francisco, and pc
troleum wells and tar springs have been
found at places. 1t seetls probable,
therefore, that the oil bearing strata
crops out here and there at the bottom
of the sea off the coast, or else that the
oil escapes through the crevices in the
everything strata and rises to the surface.
Such submarine oil spriags are known to
exist at certain other places, the bay Of
Cumana, Venezuela. for example. where
petroleum rises and spreads upon the
surface; and it is said that, off the Is
land of trinidad, West Indies, there
are submarine volcanoes, which &C
caslonally boil up and discharge a
quantity of petroleum. .-[Commercial
Advertiser.
Grandma Coming ia uncNpectediy)-