The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1893-03-25
EXCITED ABOUT OIL.
Martins Ferry People Interested
in Prospective Wells.
SEVERAL OPERATORS ARE ON HAND
And Have Leased Largo Tracts of
Laud for the Purpose of Prospect
ing for oil-several Promising Old
Wells VIII be Cleaned Out and Tor
pedoed, and New Ones Put Down at
Once.

Martins Ferry is deeply interested in
oil, and there is cause for this. About
1000 acres OF oil land have already been
leased this spring Tor oil purposes. One
operator alone has secured leases on
1000 acres of land. One well is now
in operation and others will BIO put
down presently. Mr.. j. +. Townsend,
we'll known and successful operator,
who has been about Martins Ferry a
great deal since the first Of the year,
has succeeded in leasing about 1000
acres. The land consists OF bottom
land in the upper end OF Martins Fer
ryi above Martins Ferry, back Of Wal
nut Grove and other tracts on the edges
Of the city and near it, all very desira;
BILE.
Mr.. Thompson has leased this land on
the usual terms, and will test the terri
tory thoroughly and from what can be
learned is reasonably certain OF success.
He recently took half OF the Laughlln
mill vol and has had siXIy.tlve foot
derrick put up, also the necessary build
Ings. An engine has been put in and n
five hundred barrel oil tank, thirty
pieces OF fifty foot casing, and all the
paraphernalia are already on tho
ground. Steam has been raised and the
work commenced. This well was bored
in 1883 to depth OF 2,257 feet, and very
little oil was found. Eight inch casing
was put down to "bed rock" depth OF
eighty feet, aud six-inch casing used
below that 500 or 1000 feet. Two der
ricks were put up. Ono was burned
and the other was carried away IN the
flood OF 1884. After that work was
abandoned and nothing has been done
since, until Mr.. Thompson took charge.
He will have the well cleaned out and
pumped and possibly torpedoed, tho
work to be done under the supervision
OF George Horn, an expert, formerly OF
Martins Ferry. lie spent several years
at this work in the Petrolia field in
Pennsylvania. The work wilt DO kept
up day and night. Tho well is near the
east end OF the Laughlin nail works
and only o short distance from the
Terminal viNduct.
II is understood that tho well is now
too deep to find oil. and this will be
found, If it oil, several hundred feet
above the bottom, With the old six
and eight inch easing and the new three
inch pipe, both oil and gas can be
handled. Considerable oil flowed out
Of the abandoned hole, also gas. The
ground around the hole is dark and
greasy looking made 80 by tho oil
Tho abandoned PAUL well, several
hundred yards down the pike, also
shows oil. This well is over 5000 feet
deep. ,
Mr.. Thompson will put down vel
on the Henry Dorsch farm, near the
Laughiin mill, inside OF thirty days
Work is to be commenced about April
!. 1t is stated that he will begin boring
at other places soon Afterward.
Mr.. Thompson is not the only opera
tor who has been after leases in thu
field. Others have secured land, too,
9. w. Stewart, OF the Sistersville field
who is reported to have made good
money there, has leased the farms o
Gray, Thoburn, Tilton, stringer, Kuc'
kuck and others, above Martins Ferry
and seems to mean business. lie vii
begin work soon. Others have ais,
leased, and two or three purchases have
been made in anticipation oil striking
oil.