The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-07-01
OIL In AMERICA.
The Discovery ard Production %
Petroleum
Some Interesting Information About -
Important Industry-Immense La
crease In the output Within
Few Years

Petroleum oil. which was discovered
in this country IN 1859. has been known
and used for Illuminating purposes for
more than 1000 years. In one OF the
Ionian islands to-day there Is an oil
spring in action which WAS mentioned
by HerodOtus more than 20 centuries
ago. There are old oil wells in the north
of Italy and the same fluid is used IN
Persia
For many years in the United States
petroleum has been known and used for
medicinal purposes. There arc creeks
in the east which in the early part %
the century were always covered with
the oil which came from springs on the
banks. This was SKINNED OF and sold
by the Indians for medicine 1T IS cents
a gallon. 1t was not until 1884 that sx-
periments were made toward obtaining
light from the oil.
When oil was first drilled for and
brought up at the rate of p barrels a
day the market was glutted, but soon
as its value became apparent other
wells were started and the great in
dustry spranss up. In those days nuRer-
Gus cooper-shops were necessary and
enPoyed hundreds of men, who made
the stout barrels to hold the OF. these
barrels bringing fortunes to the coop
ers; transfers who hauled tie barrels
made SIS to $50 day; driIlerS made
eight to ten dollars; farmers who had
existed on sterile farms suddenly dis
covered 0n and were rich; employment
was given TO hundreds and money in
the oil region soWed as freely as the oil
itSeIf.
The streets in the towns which sprang
up in these regions became masses OF
thick mud from the constant tesmage
a0d an empty wagon WIS a. lOed for two
horses, while loaded one was sunk 20
the body OF the wagon In the sticky
soil II was not an unusual sight to see
horses drowned IN mud in the middle Of
the street
The first man who built a Pi Pc line for
the easier tJaDspOTta ten CT tba oil
built one 21l miles long. twas clumsy
in construction, and after months OF
toll and the expendiug OF his fortune
and that Of soDe of his friends the pips
line was announced ready fer the tsst
One Thousand barrels Of petroleum
were started and only 50 reached the
other end OF the pipe, the rest escaptna
through defective valves The next
man who built a pipe line made = sue
cess of il, but as soon "a it was in work
ing order the well from which il ran
gave out.
The enornous output Of oil-se, 0oo.-
coo barrels-in 1894 made important the
question of storing the supeT9uous oil
Wooden tanks were first used. but they
let the oil evaPOrate. and to-day we see
the $1,000 and even $500 barrel iron
tanks which in some places are IN
groups of eco. with combined capacity
Of e.o0o. 900 barrels The only loss is
when g tank is struck by lightning and
the OIL Is burned Up.
In case Of Ere IA one Of these i'm
mense tanks the great danger IL that II
viii explode and scatter the burning oil
into the other tanks and destroy then.
So. to prevent this, cannon II brought
and numerous balls fred into the burn
ing tank around the base. this allowing
the oil 70 escape and burn quietly with
out an explosion
Petroleum oil is Of many different col
OTIS The Pepnsylvsnia oil - dark
green. the Canadian black. that from
the shores Of the Caspian sea varies
from the clear white 70 yellovish green,
brown and black: California oils ara
light green when brought 90 the Ear-
face In tho process OF refining Pc
troleu1n many valuable articles Of com
merce arc produced There " gasoline,
vsseIine. DaphtEa, parAklu and rbige
line, The HghtsHt 81 known fluids. Ire
evaporation beinz 50 rapid thai the a.
nospbere falls 20 - degrees in - sc.
onds. Il Is used by physicians n pro
duce local snseEtb esis.-Chie&go News