The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-08-14

wells are sunk the better the oil is and the
more copious the flow. From the expert
mental stage, the oil industry has fought
its way through lawsuits, derision and dis
dain until it now leads all other enter
prises in this city
The Southe m Pacific Company, having
witnessed the change of the Santa FEES
engines from coal to oil burners, and noted
the saving in expense, is, now that the
supply of oil is assured. seriously consid-
ering following their rivals lead.
The pipeline is pumping over seventy
five barrels an hour into the storage-tank,
but arrangements are being made to handle
at least 1900 barrels day. New tanks
are being constructed, permanent switches
are being laid to the different railroad
tracks, and all work under way of what
ever character is being done in the most
substantial manner.
An important feature that has been more
or less overlooked is the flow of natural
gas, which up to the present time has been
allowed to go to waste. Recently, how
aver, Mr.. Elliott, who owns two wells near
the, junction of lockwood street and Bel
mont avenue, put in a new pumping plant
and utilized the flow Of gas to run the en-
CINE.
The experiment was success, the gas
from the wells being sufficient to drive the
20 horsepoWe r engine used: The quantity
of gas is ever increasing as new wells are
being bored, and the formation of a COM
pany to pipe the gas throughout the city,
TO be used for fuel and heating purposes, is
being seriously considered. The wells that
have recently been sunk on the western
edge of the oil fields differ in character
from those farther east, the oil being
lighter, and it spouts or gushes from them,
making pumping unnecessary.
A few days ago the Dawson Melice well,
while the tubing was out of the casing,
kspouted up.a distance of over twenty feet,
the oil being thrown from hole 52S inches
In diameter.
The Nelson well on Belmont avenue
ever since its completion has been spout
ing periodically, and for time the owners
ranit with the aid of a pump. Last week
they decided to let it do its own work. and
accordingly capped the tubing, ran pipes
to the tanks and awaited results. They
were eminently satisfactory. the well
yielding 700 barrels in forty-eight hours
A good deal of excitement was caused
last Monday by the alleged discovery in
the well on Metcalfe street, near Temple,
owned by J. z. Cook, of oil with par
affine base. The oil in question was of
different color from any yet discovered, of
a g1eenish tinge, had different smell and
possessed very strong lubricating quail
ties. It is said by men well acquainted
with the Eastern oil field to strongly re-
semble Pennsylvania crude oil. Should
this latest discovery prove to be lubricat-
ing oil it will add vastly to the wealth and
Importance of the oil fields.
The following circular has been issued
by the secretary of the Oil Exchange to
stimulate the associate membership list
and contains some very interesting esti-
mates:
The oil industry OF Los Angeles Is barely one
year OLD. The production to-day is far beyond
the consumPtiye demands of Southern Califor-
ma. The present capacity of the wells is more
IMAM 5000 barrels deily-oue million barrels
annually At the rate of increase in produc-
4 ton Tor July, carried throughout the year, the
daily output will reach 5000 barrels within
one year.
The area of the developed field is small-not
more than 1000 feet long by 1000 feet wide.
The oil-bearing sandrock. where the petroleum