Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1891-02-24
OIL STRIKE AT OMAHA
What is Thought Will Prove the
opening of a Good Field.
MANY LEASES NOW BEING MADE.
Several Old Keystone State Men Interested
in the Operations.
OPINIONS OF SOME OF THE EXPERTS.
Especial TELEGRAM TO u prsrArcH.,

ESPECIAL TO TUE %DrsPkrcH.i
OMAHA, Feb. ga strike. which will
lead to the development, if not the opening,
of an oil field, was made at the test well in
Seymour Park addition Saturday, at the
depth of 1,4s5 feet. 1t is impossible to
learn the extent of the strike, as operations
have been suspended for the time being,
and tankage is being erected. So far as
can be ascertained it is the intention of the
parties interested to work the wildcat"
racket.
Several leases have already been taken on
adjoining property, in most cases for a
straight o%ne-eighth royalty. H. 7. Clarke,
manager of the company, is an old Pennsyl-
~vauian, having been in the oil business
there for a number of years. An effort was
made to see him, but he was out of town.
A sample of the oil was shown the writer
last evening. 1t is of the Lima, O., product
in all respects. At any rate that immediate
vicinity will be thoroughly tested in the
near future.
Ewing Ward, OF Salt Lake City. was
among yesterdays arrivals in this city. He
was seen last night at Hotel Delone, by the
writer, and, in speaking of the prospects
for finding natural gas inc oil in that city
and vicinity, said: "The indications there
are very favorable for striking both gas and
oil. OF course, no one can say that natural
gas does exist there, but men of experience
can Judge from indications followed by a
thorough investigation.
Judging From Past Experience.
"My experience dates back to the years
1S63-1865 in the oil fields of Pennsylvania.
1 kept a record of the various stratas
through which the drill passed before oil
was reached. When working in white sand
rock I quite frequently examined the cut
tings thoroughly, having a faint hope that
gold might be found at that great depth. In
all my experience 1 generally found salt
water, oil and gas together. Now salt water
exists in considerable quantities in the Salt
Lake valley, and this is one of the reasons L
am led to think gas and oil might be found.
"As far as I have learned, bedrock has
not been reached in this valley. My opin-
ion is that bedrock will have to be reached
before gas or oil will be struck. There is a
difference in this country and Pennsylvania
as to how deep the drill must go before gas
or oil is reached. At Pithole, Pa, it was
necessary to go down from 500 to 600 feet be-
fore the stuff showed up. In Tionesta creek
1 once sunk a test we'll 2, 200 feet and struck
q body of ore, but found no oil and gave up
the search in that spot. 1 merely relate this
to show the different depths In the various
parts of the old keystone State.
"Some years later a we'll was sunk just
above where I had worked and a nice flow
of oil was obtained. That is a mistaken Idea
which some people have that coal is neces-
sary for the presence of gas and oil. In all
my wears of experience in drilling wells 1
never once encountered coal when I was re-
warded with oil and gas. Of the "a wells 1
drilled about one-eighth proved paying
properties.
Some O1d-Time h
"During the fall of 1865 1 drilled a big
gas well, which was a 'howler,' to say the
least. Not far from this the United States
Oil Company had a well. 1t came in at
!, 900 barrels per day, and held up at this
gait for some time, until the gas well had
been working itself for some time. Then
the oil we'll suddenly dropped to 40 barrels
per day. An attempt was made to plug the
gusher, hoping to increase the flow of oil,
but it was to no avail.
'In drilling for gas or oil, lime is the
main rock encountered, possibly a slight
strata of sand and soapstone generally COW
ers the gas or oil and prevents them escap-
ing. 1 am told there is an abundance of
limestone where the gas has been located
near Salt Lake City.
On account of the valley 1 think the
signs are as favorable as any place I know
of in the West. If gas is struck it will be
the means of building up this entire coun-s
try and will bring hundreds of industries.
Nothing but a practical test, however, will
settle this question"
A. FRANK MONTGOMERY.