The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12
AGREAT OIL LAKE TAPPED.
DERRICKs INVADE EVEN THE GEN.
ETERIES AT SCIo, oHIo.

Danger from Fire and NitroElycerine
'ScIo. o.. Feb. ia strip OF Buckeye coun'
try three miles long and two miles wide Is at
tracing more attention from oil operators To-
day than any other region OF the United States
Under IL lies a lake OF petroleum and the man
who located the field says It will prove to be
sixteen miles long and seven miles wide. II
he hits the truth as we'll as he did on his first
prophecy Harrison county will cut a big hR-
ure 10 the oil business in less than ak months.
Although the field is less than two months
old. IL will produce more than 10000 barrels OF
oil this month. OF the first nifty wells drilled
there were only two dry holes. a thing never
before recorded in the history OF any oil field.
The two dry wells were wildcats and far in
advance of developments.
The wizard who has converted this staid old
farming and sheep raising region into an oil
field lie II. A. Snyder, and the like OF his the
DRY was never heard before. Snyder worked
In oil wells back in Pennsylvania before the
civil war and was for n time con nected with
the Geological Survey OF Ohio. He has made
the study Of oil-bearinG formations a hobby.
1t Is a well-known fact that one stratum OF oil
bearing rock underlies another and that the
rock dips to the south and east and rises to
the north and west. Thus the first strata OF.
oil rock In Pennsylvania II they extendediover
into Ohio. would lie close to the surface. Sny-
der figured out tho fall OF the Allegheny and
Ohio rivers and the elevation OF the railroads
that run through this county. One day he
found. after a big storm. a edge Of rock ex-
posed on a hillside lust north OF Scio. II was
similar to the Pennsylvania oil rock. but had
the appearance Of having been through fire.
presumably the result of volcanic action. He
figured II out that below would be found
other strata Of oil rock. in which the oil was
afH1 atnNn tA. ~-Nh = l..,1A 10
decided that the productive strata would be
found alta depth OF 1.200 feet. When he OK
planned his theory he was pronounced daft.
That from surface indications any man would
presume TO tel. what was stored UP a Thousand
feet down in the earth seemed unreasonable.
md Snyder and the peck OF burned rock that
he collected became a standing Joke. He
proposed to prove his theory By drilling a
well. He had no money. but he had persever-
ance. and after a long struggle he succeeded
In selling enough shares at $25 each to drill n
test well. He says that most Of the people in
vested to get rid Of him.
the well was located in a gulley near where
the burned rock grouped out. a quarter of a
mile north OF Scio. There we're thirty five
shareholders in the well. and before the drill
was started a big lot Of land was leased up for
the company. and Snyder secured n pocketful
OF leases for his private use. At a depth OF
LIS feet the sand was tapped and the oil
poured out. There was no tankaye and even
tho wall would 40 tn -, 49,. 80 W.
Octohar ono+hor ,.oII r-, I'm, -
s,orted or AZ fortr h.rr.,. = 10, 49,, l.. 49,
end of Decambar rho 49,, hi 80, 4, rho
shareboIdors ~ ,ha o,ja;n,, Iii -
Sl.toO and sold out last month for 100000.
Snyder has several thousand acres under
lease and will make n big fortune out Of tho
boom las, s,rinc ba yo cnnoidoroa
cbrmn I'D 49, :. =, .no
man IN tba coup,v ~
Some hig bonua monor boo ,oar ,.;s H..
,e,sas F,rmor Sr,dor =" Dnen q ~
niace tbnt hrtts nm oaotns. 10 nm, .aar"tr
so5 600 md will roooiro 49, ,iah,h : 4. em L.
oil nroduced nv b,ss fa-r, ~ dorsi,h.n -.
sprinp,np nm nj, ovar, brt ho L. ,;-od -, n'
inc ard do rot oamnIaia ." =, on
live limo enougb 70 .n.nd 81, 81. "."
the boom will hrin, hir, rnio.n 10 80 'na'
itate Coal on Jobnry Staaia ~ On 60 ="
Dozens NJ farmers havo rao.irod s"m"
casb from tho ,a,so h,,ptors and n,o,oaaa
boom in the belief thai II wi,I mai. thon rioh
Only one otber town h ,ha -, un -"
So,, ~ - ~ o'|'es re-
ge,os Cal uho,. h.oI. - a.s " ~ an
are a,Iod nith all oorr,,r. - y ny
Scio alto RIGHT ovor tha ~ % - -.
lam Iake ana syor, cnn ~ .h. a,.n f
drilIed insida tho ,nun I,ni TO =. "e"'
dronr ~ III" " r"sinR pfo-
In rga snoI,gh 70 oon,ai, ta,h "s y vac "
rick the house w,s ,nrn d. ",n i uer-
for the derrick and the t,nr, r.s sat IN ,,a a
lar Two wills. A.. boinn lila ui - u cei-
feet ~ the Scio Ac,damv hr,irdina Tta to!S
ndist comator, IN 49, 49," .ie'n'
hv iii dorrin.a i. !" .
ore set nm opainst mo ooranto, W. ~ {
tower high above the prayestonss Tho -
ON tba hin ah"mo c." I"o ne"
helt and tho trustees donitod -. vi III
was too Iarge n cemotorr. so ,ham =" ~
seven ocroa cnr all '-oS y 'eaSeu
honus ann n nu,rtor 1910 Tteaa,'rs s'"'
s1 zoo honus ond ~ oinh.h me- Ieiuse"
the naner oUns n a., to- -, ~ u''
which bis omco "a h,,i,t III snapeu It on
1arr,cL hesido ,ba en- - anoh
Rotoro ~. 49,, 80. =. = Jun mere
,soo town ~ ION nonuInI.m Hrs I"-
3 300 and is erowtnc oror. a,n nv ~ - mas
was established bers hon.ua. nv
,ense comm-nitv prt tha. ~ was d ho-i-
omt,.o, 60. 49, NIu ia|' H iiAe'' 70 po