Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1892-03-12
OHlo'S OIL CEYSER.
Flowing at tho Rate OF 10000 Barrels of
Petroleum In Twenty-Four Hours.

Ohio, says the Cincinnati CONNER
ctat Gazette has the biggest oil well in
the United States, if not in the world,
and if permitted to flow its full ca
pacity it would more than fill two of
the monster 5000 barrel tanks every
twenty-four hours. This great oil gey-
ser is located in Hancock county. Just
four miles south of the town of North
| Baltimore.
The well has just been drilled in.
| and when at depth of 80 feet in the
sand a strong gas pocket was struck,
and the well showed for a GAS pro-
ducer of about l, 250, 600 cubic feet ca
pacity. Gas was not wanted, how
ever, and the drill was sent feet
deeper which made the total depth 10
the sand 43 feet, where oil was found.
The total depth of the we'll is 2, POS
feet. When the pool was struck the
oil started flowing, aud connection
was made through two-inch line from
the casing head to n 600-barre tank,
which was filled with good clean oil in
precisely 80 minutes. The company
then learned that they had drilled in
W Il NOudtllul ldht VI blit daN'l IL W as
also discovered shat ordinary tankage
facilities were far from sufficient, aud
work was at once begun on another
600 barrel tank. At the same time
several dinkey pumps were started and
pipe lines were laid, while connections
were being made to the main line.
On the afternoon of the day it was
decided to take the tools from the hole.
and thousands of people, having heard
of the gusher, focked in from all di-
rections to see the famous geyser
opened up. At about 3 O'clock the en-
CINE was started and the tools were
gradually being brought to the surface.
The drillers were being drenched with
oil, which flowed all over the derrick.
When the tools were within few hum
dred feet of the surface the rope COM
menced to slack and the drllers, after
reversing their engine, made for a
place of safety, as the tools we're be-
ing lifted from the well by the heavy
pressure of the oil. 1t was thought
at the time that the rope had broken
and the tools left in the hole, but the
drill was found sitting beside the cas-
ing in the rig. As soon as the tools
were out a solid column of oil belched
forth from the casing head, rising far
above the derrick. where it spread in
all directions. There were two Pinch
lines connected on the casing
1t made as beautiful a sight as any
one wished to see and it thrilled the
hearts of the oil men who witnessed
the sight with delight to know that
they looked upon what was probably
the largest oil well ever completed on
the globe. An effort was made to
shut the well in, and eight men worked
for nearly two hours until they sue
ceded in getting the we'll under con-
troll. Afterward it was turned into a
600-barrel tank through a two-inch
line, running the tank over with rolly
oil in sixty-three minutes. The well,
at the rate it flowed through the cas-
ing for the space of time it was open
ed, would in twenty-four hours pro-
duce a good 10000 barrels of roly oil,
making nearly double the size of any
we'll ever completed, not barring the
Russian wells.
The Ohio oil field now leads all in
the shape of a phenomenal gevser of
oil equal 10 a volcano. Several months
ago a cable was sent out from Russia,
stating that a well with a capacity of
400. 600 barrels a day had been opened
up 10 the Baku field of Russia. There
was a mistake in the report, as it was
claimed by eye-witnesses to be good
for 40, 600 barrels.