The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-06-25


Provides for 400 Foot Extension OF
the Citv's Prospect HoIe-City Engineer
Jackson Expects Encouraging Results
The Couuci's Consideration Of the Mat
ter-The Contract
by vote OF 10 l. resolved 70 authorize
the signing OF a contract for the COM
pletio1 10 d depth OF 200 feet Of the
prospect well sunk 1,605 feet last year
by Contractors Austin and Madison.
E. c. Miller Of Pirrsburg, Pa, who Sc
cured the contract. got il with the IN
Outstanding that ne was first 70 inden-
Nifty the c.cy against the payment OF al
old claims connected with the work OF
sinking the wei, and is 20 receive 70
part OF the stipulated sum until the
work has been entirely completed.
There = no doubt that the indemnity
he * required 10 give the city will De
speedily procured and that the work
al again be commenced within a few
days. The energies Of the contractor
viii have 20 be devoted for some time
il is thought, 10 an attempt 70 recover
the string Of drilling tools which are
now in the bottom OF the well and have
for some m3nIhs prevented the sinking
o. X farther.
Contractor Miller, who was seen by
an Eagle reporter yesterday. seems 10
think. however, that he Will have Ill
tie trouble n doing so. 81 have hal q
FeaT l1E - 10
line OF work" ne said, and M ex-
ANNA lion Of the situation has con-
WINGED me that the recovery OF these
tools, IL properly attempted, should be
10 very difficult matter. I drilled past
Two strings OF tools lost in Pennsylvania
Oh fed wells not very long ago, and
an convinced that the recovery OF
these will be just as easy. 1 propose 10
CrIu the hole pas; the tools and by put
ting in a whipscock force the tools 70
one side Then they can easily be
caught AMI brought 70 the top OF the
well ags.n. I will put three men %
work az once and viii personally super
intend al Of it. The indemnity 70 the
city againsC the outstanding bills. I ex-
poet 10 furnish within day or two. and
! see no reason why the work cannot
be commenced early next week I am
quite confident, TOO, that can success
fully carry out the terms OF my con-
tract within sixty days"
Mr. Miller is quite a young man but
his experience in oil well digging IS al
most that OF the average old contractor.
50 his expectations Of complete sue
- cess n his undertaking are founded
solely on practical experience He mas
drilled in the Pictsburg oil field in
Pennsylvania, the Sisterviue-Mannlng
ton field in Virginia, the Wood county
field n Ohio and in the Neodesha dis
tr-ct in Kansas. He has recently spent
some time in the latter district and
says that his opinion, based on the
careful study he made Of geological con-
didons there. is that the work that mas
been done here gives room for the be
lief that OIL viii be found in paying
quantities before the well : sunk 80
feet deeper
City Engineer jackson. who was also
seen oy an Eagle reporter yesterday, is
confident that the outlook is 81 least en-
couraging. He bases his confidence on
a study OF the conditions in the Neode-
sha and ChaUtauqua county district
and the Similarity he has noted between
the stone stratas here and there The
elevation Of Wichita" he sad yesterday.
as nearly 1850 feet, Just $50 feet more
than that Of Neodesha, and It's sur
rounding country. Investiga ton has
shown me that oil is always struck
tasre AZ depths OF between 500 and
1900 feet, and allowing for the differ
ence in elevation Inc well here should
show Us best oil indications within the
next 100 feet. as 1895 feet IS the depth
az which work was suspended. I am
very confident that Il VIII show good
Indications a. that depth too. but
whether ii paying quantities I would
not be willing 20 assert The santrOck
stratum through which the drills were
being driven when they were dropped
- ne bottom % the well will probably
last for about fifty feec more. then I ex-
pect seventy-five-foot stratum Of
slate and under that sand impregnated
with gas or OIL
The council was a little late in con-
vening yesterday morning. as some time
was spent before il was called together
in an informal discussion Of the prospect
well matter AID some other municipal
affairs.
Roll cal showed C1uncilmsn Reese,
Miller. Sutton. Haa5ley. McLai1. Min
lex. Alien. Smith and Crib 70 be pres
en-
L was explained by The mayor t1at
the meeting was on special can cor con-
si>era;ion ot a prospect wei drilling
proposition
Councilman AIinick brought the mat
ter up a once. saying thar the PROPOSE
ZION was simply whether the council
wanted % sink the veI 400 feet deeper.
making the total depth 2.0oo fees He
called for a statement from E c. Miller.
who had asked for The contract, and after
THAI gentleman had explained his plans
Councilman Smith suggested the advis-
ability o. The drawing up OF a written
contract embracing the details u The
proposition
recess % ten minutes was accord
Ing.y taken and the contract drawn UP
by City Attorney George Adams.
There vas only short discussion OF
the matter after the proposition had been
read and DIT Minick's resolution provi5-
ing for is acceptance tor he city 5y
the committee after the city had been
iaien1aifad against the payment % the
outstanding claims. was 8: once brought
% a vote. L received the support or a.
the couacilmea except Miller. VINO an
swerei vith an emphatic 10 waea MS
name was called
L. was brought ouc during the discus
sion - the mater thac chere are nov