New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-04-28

suddenly into crevice. common both in salt AMI
oil borings. the total depth having reached 69is
feet. The tools were withdrawn and work was
suspended till Monday morning. The elder smith
visited the we'll Sunday afternoon and peering
into the hole, a luid within 10 feet OF the
opening His curiosity aroused. and he lowered
into the hole "A piece OF TIN rain-water spouting.
plugged at end. lie drew II UP filled with petro-
eum The spread like wl.dfrc, and many
interested spectators were on hand early In the
week see the pump adjusted ami the oil flowing
in a sure and steady stream fro:n the well
the success OF the enterprise was the close Of p
long struggle. Mr. Drake had been called aHJ-
amid all the discOuraging taun.s OF the ihcredVtooe
mad carried him 10 the goal. enabling him 20 open
the noodgates Of that prosperity which hah swept
sylvania. , ,..
days. and produced from twenty-five to tnlfty pr
res a day at first, ing III" greatest eXcitehvn,'
gan,f,y ~ ali conce-nsd for the nearest barrel
factory was at Erie. forty miles distant The prop
service the cooper who made buttertubs for the ~
tie community OF farneH ana H. Va s,o r1y n T,1
uct. The wonderful well brought hundreds OF W.,
tors. the curious as WI as me yer nacs Al
the farms along the banks OF the creek were ielse
paii t. the land-owners who were willing to take
percentage of the production that seemed criad'"
to rb ner11 r IN y ye ecressd in Production Slowly
Til the close of the year xhen i Yielded onig
difficulty wa encountered in finding market
equal to the supply The drill was pushed so ener
g.ticay during the two ycars following Coo .arI
brakes success that the production 80 far oven
balanced the demand as 70 ru Son 1ns Pre- e pTce
Mr. Drake desiring To further the interests OF n,
COMPANY went to Pttsburg TO seek maf"t b A ~
from his well to : NJ. Kier. who at ihat time was
The crud. oil wls s9rt TO Pttsburg on lumber
RATS. ami the refined prGduct vas rgaai' ~ T, nn
oil COMPANY f. l.. Drake" and first offered for
sac az IN Illuminating oil by Mr. Fletcher, in Ms
general tor The price paid "ns % ~ IS
Jonathan Watson being the purchaser Inc hrst
amps used Of tin with round VICES tne I'm
as hal been used for burning iishoi huu 'n',,g
lamps proved dangerous for turning petroleum. ana
Colonel Drake sent from Pittshurg a Few gas
lamps with chimney Thee soon fonhI h
falling At 81 and 81 % each, the glass GhihfEs o
came popular, but the taliow dips or hPnfe mime na
fa-tIrr wer@ not altogether sup7rseied ior So"'e
tn, total daily PRODUCTION OF all wells in Ju :iy
100 2Oo barrels and 1t ncrea 81 IN volume IN
G &C. h AMI o %~ b,r pgToa @ dgT " '''' S
Trc SUCCESS Of the Drake well opened an era OF
h'''2, t 'r.,, r,,rs and rnoney-making
/ chances Of mining. without the immense expense
.bo ,cbo ie c1unir, Vas ob@n - DEVELOPMENT and
every inch OF ground bordering on the creek was
Tho territory vas shallow AMI wells were located,
usually ly surface indications. AMI sunk by spring
j1.cs a method Of boring by hand that was salts
or nfty feet and far less expensive than drilling by
strtn poWer me .pFH&-to.e consisted Oh a hlsT IN
diameter. with IN butt enl made fast in the ground
or at'aehe! 70 an npsht pole second p pet ten
or ntt"en ie"t from me butt actei as a tucrum,
while ~" pole passed over the well and about Ten
to this pile ami the power adjusted near its smaller
end The applied By the strength of two men
Of tn pol~ brought NJ he implements while the
doTa~sri motion permi,iei The stroke ,.,o
lance OF surf ic, lndicat.ons bu, sought the oil
n The rocS forrnal!oGs In June ISL The hr RI
dri @a = th, rn,rd sand rock The objective point
after. fOuI! a depth
s.vcrl, hundred thousand foot according 70 the
los ,tion Of he o!l-proluclne belt
While many fai"s - sudden fortune made in the
aggorafed there ar. ,ndispu;able facts concerning
~" volume % riches poured into the Golfers II
lucky property-hode ana successful well-owners
Fr'pabE 10 "nt"rpil se .'n ~no" sinailrr per
TIE frv.rleh activity 1T tho close Of the Civil War
stimulated venture ari millions OF dollars OF CAPT
&C. were invested in organized companies 10 drill
for oil Property was held at high figures and
large transactions were every day closed Banks
were f"w and FAR between. prior TO 1865. and many
from 81 00ooo To nearly 10000 in currency
Nearly l5o"o") barrels OF oil were produced the
frat fifteen year OF the oil excitement, a steady
re 10 5o IN "' Thc fH ms Of p pr5insnq
territory were thea confined within the boundary
PENNSYLVANIA since that time the felds have ex-
tended nor'hwari into the wonderfully productive
River. s,uthwesi.rly MO West Virginia' and
westward INTO ohio AMI Indiana
lis an event In ~. chronicles OF the nineteenth
century than thr applcation or steam power 70
Whrre Drake. had lel L. vas easy for others to
endure privations and harlshps and to engage IN
gly'ne ~ th@ ~orI The hest and cheabes artIf
-ial llght II has ever known.