Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1901-02-06
No OIL N sioux CITY
South Dakota Geolofist Finds
None Of the Scientific
Indications.
Does Not Believe That Oil Will
Be Found in Northwest
Iowa.
Ignite Formations in Dakota
May Furnish New Source
Of Fuel.
special 20 Tlme.-Repuplican.

special TO Times-Repuplican.
Sioux City, Feb. 6.-"I don't have
much hope that oil will be found in this 1
region said Professor j. F. TODD.
state geologist for South Dakota, who
came from yermillion. where his home
Is. to talk before the Scientific Associa
ton. In the past biologists have not
is true, and have depended upon the
prospector's discoveries to determine
the general conditions which may exist
below the surface of the ground, but
there are certain we'll grounded the-
ories which go to disprove the possible
lily OF petroleum near to Sioux City
unless an anticline exists in the ter
tiary formation here.
Now an anticline is reverse dip in
"a slanting formation of rock. 1T forms
a basin, like a valley between hills.
with the rock rising on either side
toward the surface. In such basin
the water would prevent the oil from
rising to the surface and evaporating
as it otherwise would do owing 10 it's
specific gravity being lighter than.
water IL there had been pocket of
petroleum beneath Sioux City ages ago
the oi would have found its way TO the
ground and disappeared if the rock
slanted upward without anticllne.
There is a chance that there might be
oil in a crevice of granite, out it would
be entirely useless to drill below the
granite or Dakota formation, in the
hope of finding oil. If oil exists it
would'sbe found. in my opinion, nearer
"a the surface than 5000 feet. which Is
Eepth to which understand the
prospectors propose to go.
do not know what may have been
found in the way of oil indications
either in South Dakota or in Wood
bury county. Mr. Barnard, miner
formerly at Lead, who is now at Sloan,
this county, came to me once in re-
gard to the matter. told him 10 find
whether certain scum which had been
found on the surface of water was in
flatnmable or not. l had no knowledge
of the matter and he said he would
come again. One day when was
away some one did call. Since then
had not heard about it until read in
the Tribune Of Mr.. Barnard's intention
to develop the indications of oil.
We biologists do not pretend TO be
linfaliible, however. and in other cases
the practical men have made for
tunate discoveries IN the face Of
scientific theories But in the case q
4 Woodbury. county the matter appear.
to me to be simple. There is, M car
| boniferoMs formation under the ground
here and unless the oil happened to BIZ
! in the crevice of harder formation II
| is not there. No trace of it was found in
thrilling the deep wells for the city here
Dakota formation, beneath the forma-
Itions where oil could be expected to be
\ found.
| There is an almost unlimited guam
\ tity Of Ignite of fairly gbod quality il
4 North Dakota, which is being Shipped
into South Dakota and used to advan-
tage. The river trans portation would
enable the miners to lay il down ir
/ Sioux City, Should say. with accurat Il
Isknowledge OF the subject, at a great
saving over the cost of bituminous coal
How good it would be for steam coal
am not prepared to say. 1t is being
used for fuel in North Dakota, but the
discrimination in freight rates ha:
kept it out OF South Dakota to a large
/ extent. 1t MAY work a great change il
/ the fuel question tthruout the state
i The transportation of ii by the rive
4 has been unsuccessful so far bacaus,
4 the boats have not been properly bull
4 and have either toppled over or rur
aground.
The gas which has been struck a
Pierre do not think will be of an,
great quantity. There may be below
that town an anticline. such as de
scribed, which would retain the oil AM
the gas which may be below there AM
which will be exhausted. The suppl.
cannot be great because the carbonifer
GUS formation is not pronounced Their.
or anywhere in this region.