Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1889-04-17
HANCOCK COUNTY OIL.
A RESUME OF THE OPERATIONS IN THBTUR-
KBY FOOT REGION.
In the NsighbOrhOOd Of the Levi Gardner Farm
After the First Well Was TOrpsdOed-
List Of the Producing Wells and
Wells Going Down.
Special Correspondence Of he Register.

Special COrrespo7ide1lee Of ne Register.
NEW CUMBERLAND, W. VA, April Is.
Hancock county's inhabitants are wild
about her oil field. :. Wherever you 90
you are sure to meet some one who has an
inquiry to make about the latest develop
ments, or has theory to discuss about
the pools" or "belts" of petroleum.
These theories embrace everything that
has been handed down by tradition from
the upper country fields; the views Of the
peologists and individual ideas which are
expressed with more or less doubt by the
farmers of the surrounding country and
the residents of New Cumberland. A
group of men at the depot or on street
corner will invariably be fouudto have a
topic of conversation in common-and
that is the prosperous future that lies be-
fore the inhabitants of Hancock county.
A drive from New Cumberland to the
| field is foil OF instruction to any West Vir-
ginian who is interested enough in the de-
velOpment of the State to keep his eyes
open for observation. The frat thing that
strikes him is the peculiar sticky nature of
the clay roads. These have been so badly
cut up By the heavy wagons loaded with
ponderous machinery that driving along
them can hardly be accounted pleasure.
But the beautiful and fertile rolling
country has become dotted with denicks
some new and clean-snd others stained
by the weather or with a shower of the
oleaginous fluid which has burst out for a
! few minutes unrestrained. In addition,
here and there appear the huge red tanks,
unsightly to be sure, and in striking con-
trast with the green that has come with
the spring time. Still the farmers are not |
so aesthetic as to object to the tanks, espe-
cially when they are full of amber-cOlored |
oil worth % cents premium on the mar
ket.
What is the Hancock county oil field?
The territory has been sufficiently de-
veloped as to be defined. Enough is known
az the result OF costly experiment to war
rant the statement that it does not follow |
the forty y-five degree line, northeast and |
aad southwest through the Levi Gardner
The more cautious Of them incline to the
belief that the belt runs north and south,
or perhaps somewhat to the southeast !
Yet this can at best be only an opinion,
aud may or may not be confirmed by sub |
ssquent developments.
The Levi Gardner farm, upon which the
most productive wells are located, is about |
three miles west of New Cumbsr-
land. Fisher Bros, OF Piltsburg, |
own one of the wells, and John |
McKeown, the millionaire independent
producer, the other. The former is doing
about 200 birrels per day, while the lat
ter's output is estimated at 140 barrels. !
When the Fisher well was tOrpedoed the
other day the spectacle impressed the
spectators who had gathered about as most
beautiful.
The explosion of the nitro ycerine pro
duced low rumbling sound that seemed
to come from great depths. Then, to
those who had quickly approached to the
derrick, a faint murmur and gurg'e was
heard. and in an instant the casing was
filed TO the top with the petroleum. A
steady pressure from below forced it up
ward, and as it sprang from the mouth OF
the well it reached a height Of per-
haps twenty feet, solid col
umn of liquid gold. Only for
moment it paused in its ascent; then bub-
bling and seethiDg it fell back upon itself
and was lost from sight Again the mighty
column arose. This time 1t reached the
top Of the rigging, which it struck and was
dissipated in a fine yellow mist, rejecting
the warm rays of the afternoons SUP. The
oil saver was attached and the vision dis-
appeared.
The largest producing wells in the field
are as follows: Gardner farm-Fisher, 200
barrels; McKeown, $50; Crawford farm
George Given's two wells 100 barrels;
Paul Jynes' farm-McKeown, 20 barrels;
Peterson farm-R. H. Heron, 90 barrels;
Heron farm-R. II. Heron, 80 barrels.
The Lesser producing wells are: Sudor farm,
Fisher Bros; Peterson farm, Fisher Bros.
and Gsily Bros; SweariDgen end Morrow
farms, Coast and Evans and the Bridge
water Gas Co.; Crawford farm, several
wells, by the Bridgewater Company.
In addition to the above producing wells,
there must be a couple of dozen dry holes.
To show the magnitude of the present
operations in the field it is only necessary
to 20 over the farms wells are now going
down on and which will come in" as the
operators express it, within the next two
weeks The list, which Is OF course in
creasing every day, includes the following:
Two on the Thomas Sudor farm, three on
the Thomas Peterson farm, one each on the
farms owned by w. W. Wylia. Joseph
Peterson, J. s. Owens, Andrew Wylie, B.
Lappfill. J. Chambers, Levi Gardner,
Linda d. Chambers, Ewing heirs, J. }.
Tape, Cameron and Carson. Two rigs are
going up on the Paul Jones place and
three on the Gardner.
These wells are on all sides of the Gard
ner within radius OF about 2 miles.
They reach the sand which lies about l, 200
or 300 feet below the surface, the pool or
belt will be tolersbly well defined, and
operations in the future will be largely de-
termened thereby.
There is much discussion, by the way,
about this oil sand. She produceis aud
scouts seem 10 be Of diverse opinion in se-
gard to it. The oil it produces resembles
that found In the Washington field, but it
is reached by the drill more than 1000
feet sooner than the Pennsylvania shell is
tapped In consequence, the operations
in the Hancock county field are much less
expensive. Indeed, it is estimated that
81, 500 will cover the cost OF completing
we'll here, as compared with 81, 1000 or
So. 600 in the Washington field. Besides
the expense of drilling to greater depth,
the risk of losing q striug of tools in the
hole is greatly increased, and at times
we'll has had to be abandoned on account
of such a misfortune. In the Hancock
county field nothing Of this sort has Oc-
Cured. Fishing Jobs have heen scarce
and the wells, almost without single ex
cep,ion, have been completed without un-
usual delay or expense. This feature OF
the field is, of course, the best inducemeDt
possible, particularly for the individual
operators, and in consequence there is sv.
cry reason to believe tina, speedy ami
thorough development will follow.
Sure enough the county of Hancock and
tha town of NaU nnm herland will eDiOy