Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-10-19
OIL WITH ITS GOLD.
California Has a Petroleum Field of
Increasing Importance.
FIRST NOTICED BY PATH-FINDERS,
1t Has Not Yet Reached the Highest Point
of Its Development.
RICH GAS FINDS ARE PREDICTED
ESPECIAL TEL EeRAM TO THE D1sPArcH.I

Los ANGELES, October 1S.-The oil field
of California Is growing in importance
every day and though it was discovered
many years ago its full development is still
matter of the future. Signs of oil, tar
springs and beds of asphaltum excited the
attention of the early path-fnders OF Cali
fornia who saw in the high price of illumi-
nation on the coast fortunes as great as
could be dug out of the mines. But they
left the uncertainty for the certainty and
years passed before the great reservoir of
golden greece was tapped.
The Pacific coast oil field, 80 far as it is
now known, extends from q point near
a San Francisco suburb to beyond the
frontier OF Mexico. 1t is belt lying chiefly
between the great Sierrian mountains and
the sea. At numerous points along the
coast-most noticeable at Santa Barbera and
Redondo Beach-oil oozes from the rampant
which frowns upon the Pacific, and for a
long distance to seward from the shore
petroleum floats upon the surface OF the
ocean.
A STORY OF DEVELOPMENT.
The history of the oil development of
California dates substantially from 1862,
when Hon. Charles N. FELTON, and his as
sociates made the first persistent effort to get
oil in the Newhall country. They organized
the Pacific Coast Oil Company, and il cost
those euterprising gentlemen 5000, 900 to get
a paying we'll, to say nothing of dishearten-
ing failures and hope long deferred; but
failure ended where success began, for after
the first good well was found, many others
were drilled, and scarce "dry hole" has
, since been discovered.
For wears Pico Canon has been pouring
forth its oleaginous treasure. 1t has been
taken to San Francisco to be refined, and
the oil is light and we'll suited for refining.
In the Sespi and Santa Paula districts and
Ventura county other wells have been sunk
which yield large quantities of oil. The
Puento wells, located IS miles east of Los
Angeles, IA in number, and comprising an
area of eight sections, yield a regular flow
of oil.
FIRST FIND IN THE SOUTH.
The first oil we'll drilled in Southern Cali
fornia was operated by General Banning,
and was appropriately called the Pioneer
oil well. 1t was located just across the gar
den-girdled valley, among the hills east
from the city of the Angeles A copious
flow of oil was secured, and gas was so
abundant that frequent explosions, of
harmless character occurred. But the in
dolent natives and simple "squatters" of
that early era little dreamed of the import
remained in the hoary hills. DR.. Griffin,
Mr.. Boudery and Ex-Governor Downey are
the sole surviving members of the Pioneer
Oil Company.
In Pennsylvania boring for oil has ever
been, to a great extent, experimental, be-
cause in that Appalachian country, the strata
of rock lie horizontally; but in this favored
region the width and trend of the oil bear
ing stratum has been carefully mapped out,
with as much accuracy as if it lay on the
surface of the earth. The said stone lodges
which crop out in the mountains are very
narrow-not more than mile in width. say
the experts. The oil is forced to the surface
along the southwesterly edge of these ledges,
which have dip of 45 degrees.
THE FLOW IS STEADY.
During the departed ages this oil, on
coming to the surface, was converted into
asphaitum or "brea," as it was called BY
the early Spanish settlers. To get at the
rock oil wells must be sunk to the north
ward of the deposits of "brea." As the
south edge of the stratum is approached the
flow falls off, and as the wells are extended
to the north the now increases In volume.
Thus at the end OF many years persistent
and intelligent labor the oil men can tell
almost to certainty where to drill, how far
they must 60, and approximately what |
amount of oil they will get.
The possibilities Of these oil meaures are
undoubtedly beyond calculation. There
are wells here, which have been flowing for |
more than u years with daily undimin- |
ished YIELD Even the small holes first |
drilled are yielding a thick oil, used Tor
coating the sheet iron water pipes so gener-
ally used in California. This quality of oil |
sells for S. barrel, while the oil used for
fuel sells for 50. The wells range in depth |
from 576 to 1 1,160 feet.
THE COST OF FUEL.
Coal sells here by the cargo at $11 per
ton. A ton OF coal is equal to 140 gallons OF |
oil, or 81 barrels. Oil at 81 is equivalent,
as fuel, to coal at So 50-a fact which fur |
nishes solution to the problem of cheap |
fuel
But little attention, comparatively, has |
been paid to natural gas in this section; yet |
it is evident even to casual observers that |
vast deposits exist. At the Puento fields
all the cooking, lighting and heating are
done by natural gas, and q weird appear
ance Il presents as it flares up famboyant-
ly from the black bowels of the earth.