Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1891-03-30
THAT DEEP HOLE.
TaE DEVELOPMENT COMPANY DIRECTORS TO
MEET TO-DAY,
When the Question Of Drilling the Well Deeper
vii Be DiseuSssd-A Letter from Pref
I. c. White, q Wide Interest

This morning the Board Of Directors
OF the Wheeling Development Company
will meet 10 discuss and decide as 70
whether the Bogg's run well, now 4, los
deep, shall be drilled to the corniferous
limestone, supposed to be at depth OF
from $500 to 4, 500 feet, or work stopped
where the drill now rests. 1t is under
stood that II delinquent stockholders
will pay up, enough money can be
secured by subscriptions and donations
TO put the hole 500 feet deeper, and this
seems TO be a desirable thing TO do.
The following letter, from Prof. |. c.
White, is OF great interest
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY.
|. c. WHITE, PROFESSOR OF GEOLOGY.
MoKGANTowN, March 2s, 1891.
''HOn. v. b. scott, President Central GlGs'
Company:
My DEAR Sm:-l have looked up the
question as 20 how deep you would have &c
20 on BOggs' Run 10 reach the corniferous
limestone, the great oil and gas rock, OF the
Enniskillen fields in Canada. and / lind
the question somewhat uncertain. The
nearest points TO Wheeling where this rock
has been drilled 70 are Akron and Massil
lon. AT Akron the depth 10 the top OF
cOrniferous limestone was ., l25 feet, and
this would correspond to about 1900 feet
in Boggs' Run well, had the formations not
thickened up any.
"Massillon got top of limestone at 2 ,5l5
feet. aud this would correspond 10 about
g. 500 feet in Your well had there been nc
thickening find that at East Liverpool
"A well was drilled $500 feet below the
Can't oil sand, and did not vet reach
the corniferous limestone. This would
correspond 70 about 1850 feet
in your well, II you begin say 200 feet above
the Wheeling coal vein (Pittsburg,l since
IL is about $50 feet from that coal TO the
CAN'T .(Wensburg, Eureka. Macksburg,
Bere.a, etc sand in the Wheeling region
Wheatland Ia few miles below Sharon,
Pa which is about Is or 20 miles east OF
YOU, got the corniferOus at 3,371 feet, and
this would correspond 20 4,611 feet in your
well Still further east near Franklin, Pa,
20 miles east Of Sharon, got the cornifer-
Gus az $50 feet. This would be equivalent
70 $3.50 feet at Bogg's Run. From these
facts you will perceive that the rocks
thicken rapidly eastward, and that they
also thicken scarcely any TO the southwark.
Under the circumstances think you ought
10 get the carniferous by $500 feet, and
certainly by 4, 100, the depth il would be on
the parallel Of Wheatland. Your well is now
the second in depth OF any in the country,
the WESTINGHOUSE well az Pittsburg
leading all .4,6lSl, and Erie coming next
a. 500. As YOU are down this far 4,lOol,
] think you ought 10 30 on down 10 the
coruiferOus even il makes IL the deepest
well in the country. | will give 800 my
self. and | think / could raise some more
from my scientific friends simply as do
nation in the interest Of geology. Hence |
trust your people will pluck sp little
more courage and put 1t on down, as II Will
be quite a feather in YOUR caps TO nave
drilled the deepest well in the United
states. even if you don't get either gas or
oil. II YOU coon down have lots OF samples
saved. aud II YOU don't, | wish you could
let the casing remain in the well until can
get the l.. ) Geological Survey 70 make
some tests as 20 the temperature OF the
earth at that great depth, etc. think
| can get a considerable SUN from
Major Powell, Director L. =. @.
Survey, il the well goes on down, and
the survey is given the opportunity 10
make temperature tests, etc. This is
something that has never been done is this
country al that depth, and l trust you Will
not have the casing pulled until II Is done
leave here Monday for the interior OF the
state, and will not be back for week
Write me as TO Your conclusion IN the
premises. but trust that you Will con
clude % 90 deeper. Very truly yours,
Il T. WHITE"