The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1895-12-22

Out an Odor Resembling Burnt Rubber
Facts are Given.
In the hole rock impregnated with
petroleum was discovered yesterday
The first traces were brought up at 10
o'clock a m OF course there was con-
siderable excitement. 1t was natural
there should be under the circumstan-
ces, but every one derogated a, dispo-
sition of some 10 lose their heads over
the discovery.
The facts are these. They do not
warrant excitement. They do warrant
a certain amount of hopefulness, and
the facts given are trustworthy and
without the least color Of eXaggeratlon.
At 10 O'Clock the man at the top of
the we'll, who manages the drill screw
gave out a cry of alarm, that the drill
had reached Germany without doubt
What do you mean" inquired Com
mitteeman Maxwell, who was on duty
keeping the log.
Il mean that the drill has split a
Limburger cheese right through the
center and that the worst odor 1 ever
smelIed in my life is coming from the
top of the well"
and started for the door to get fresh
air, fully convinced that the drill had
entered a carnal house of some kind,
and Immediately sent to the engine
house for Contractor Austin to come
and see If he could tell what kind of a
fossil or something else had been reach
ed below
That is glorious" declared the con-
tractor, smacking his lips, as he turned
10 the councilman who was on duty.
GLORIOUS, did you say?" said Max
well. Il would call it horrible and
would not be surprised if you should
find an Indian grave yard, or proba-
bly, a nest of giants. If L was you L
would take up the drill as that stencil
is enough 10 put a blunt edge on any
kind OF an instrument. I know it has
dulled my appetite already"
Wait. until we have gone a little
further, and the drill will be raised and
We viii then see what we have, and if
my cOnjectures are right we will send
for City Engineer Jackson" said the
contractor.
At 1915 the first 5ucketful was taken
from the we'll. On top of the water
in the bucket was noticed a heavy
greenish scum and the contents of the
first bucketful was emptied into the
tobacco bucket kept for the purpose of
washing out each length of screw This
debris is placed in a sieve and water is
run over 1t until there is nothing left
but the bits Of rock which have been
pulverlzed by the drill. These bits are
then placed in a glass jar and taken 10
the city engineers office where II is
placed in the cabinet for inspection by
tie public.
When this was done Mr. Austin gave
II ont that the drill had reached Tren-
ton rock which was pregnant with pc
troleum- A messenger was sent for
the city engineer, and the measure
fnent was taken TO ascertain the exact
depth at which the rock was reached
This was done and it was found that
The rock containing petroleum was
f0Iind 5d5 feet below the surface of the
ground
This rock was Of a dark color and
was so full of oil that when the debris
was thrown in the fire in the furnace
it would burn.
Last night at the Eagle office a lot OF
fresh Goals were taken from the fur
mace in the engine room and sprinkled
With the pieces of rock which had given
5Orth the petroleum smell and it burned
instantly, and gave out an odor as
though gutta percha had been burned.
OF course the news ofthe find spread
like wildfre throughout the city and
last night it was the theme of conversa-
ton throughout the city. Scores OF
men fiocked 70 the city engineers Of
flee anxious TO examine the contents
Of the jars. There was no one that
doubted that the rock was full OF Pc
1roleum and were confident that coal,
gas or oil would now be found
The drill continued 10 work in the
Trenton rock, in which the oil was
found, for twenty feet. when 1t entered
a soapsrtone mixed with slate, with in
dicatiOns OF chalk rock.
Tha official log as given out last night
Of the well was as follows: