The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-05

the time that rich pool existed in Cory
don at Hamilton township. He spent many
thousand dollars drilling test wells, and
now he is reaping his reward, for he is
fortunate enough to have interests that
viii bring him in a lot of money. The first
wei that showed anything remarka BILE
was drilled by the DeVOnan Oil Company
on lot s. This was in December, 1895. The
well produced more salt water than oil,
but it pointed out the location of a pool
and that was what Van Scoy and his
partners were searching for. The we'll
flowed ten barrels a day. The pool extends
northeast and southwest, and the first
well was on the extreme southwest
edge.
l.. e. Mallory & Co of Bradford secured
n lease of the Post lot, mile northeast
of the Devonian well, and on Aug. l of
last year completed the first big we'll
struck in the jacksonville field This well
began flowing at the rate of 400 barrels
a day. When the oil sand was tapped the
well flowed the rig caught fire and burned
and the flood of burning oil came near
frying the drilers TO death. The well show
ed that the belt was a least a mile long
and greatly stimulated operations. 1t also
showed that the further northeast the
wells were driven the less trouble from
salt water.
Eighty-five wells have been completed
in the WatsOnville field and only ten Of
them have been dry. The dry ones were
tested drilled on the edge of the pool. The
daily production is 1900 barrels, and the
output for November will be at least 225,001
barrels There is room for 400 wells within
the defined limits of the field. allowing
one well to every five acres, so it is easy
to figure out a fortune for each leaseholder
to say nothing of the big money that will
be paid in royalties to the owners of the
land. Then there is the possibility that
the pool may branch out in some
direction.
The wells at Jacksonville are drilled
from 40 to 1,460 feet deep, and it requires
from ten to thirteen days to complete one.
The average cost of the wells is 81, 200 and
some Of them have paid for themselves in
four days. The wells all flow. and none of
them is disturbed by nitro glycerine. The
Kinzua sand, as the white pebble form
alton in which the flood of oil is found is
called is usually pierced al LAO feet, and
varies from four to fourteen feet in thick
ness. Twenty feet below the Kinzua sand
lies the Dewdrop sand, eighty feet of It,
in which there is a little oil and big
volume of gas. Two or three wells have
been drilled down to the Bradford sand
which is tapped at 1900 feet and a small
showing of oil is found in that formation
demonstrating that the jacksonville wells
have three distinct and separate oil
producing strata
Two years ago the entire tract of land
that embraces the Jacksonville field would
not have brought $3.50 if offered for sale
by the sheriff To-day an offer of $1,000
600 would be no temptation 10 the lease
holders who control The field to say moth
ing of the landowners. The hemlock and
cherry timber was cut away from the ridge
several years ago and there is nothing
left but beech and maple a great deal of
it second growth, with here and there a
stray hemlock that was too scraggy to be
worth telling. The surface OF the ridge is
dotted with sandstone boulders. and no
homeseelIer has been brave enough to build