The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1901-11-06
brakes Oil Strike.

Edward L. Drake was man OF one
sdea. but he managed 20 use II 20 such
advantage that he added two billion doh
lars 10 the Industrial wealth OF the
United states. He was the man who
drilled the FIRST oil well IN Pennsylvania.
5ecently a handsome tomb la Woodiawn
e.rnetery, In ritusviile, has been erected
anal resting place for the remains
of Colonel Drake.
The actual story or the nrst oil well
has never. in my opinion. been told.
Fragments OF the truth have been
xivsn. with additions Of more or less
romantic error; and there have been
many stories published which have been
.nt,rely false. have endesvored IN this
article 90 relate only facts which can
n. vouched for. and, ia the task OF
digging them up. J am indebted 10 j. ~
stafher and M y. Allen, oi TltnNiue
Tor such valuable asSlstah.e' Nlitvs juan
NcCrsw. Jr.
one bright spring morning I'm inc year
1857. a tan, dark-bearded man. wearing
the uniform of a railway conductor aP-
peared az the office OF Eveieth q BIS
sell. at New Haven. and purchased hNe
hundred shsres of stock In newly or
uanized company having for its object ths
es,h.rIna and sale OF oil In western Penn
svlvania Along the banks OF OIL Creek
,.r,,5e DetroIeuin had petn found. and the
excitement was still high whom the New
Haven capitalists organized their com
pany.
Rock oil. or coal oil, as IL is sometimes
erroneously called. was obtained ir0m
natural springs or from broad trsnches
Iii -t,oa rfteQ xOf These
vvsre from four to six feet deep, ana we're
allowed 10 fill with oil aud water thst
oozed from the soil. The oil. being lsht.
or the the water rose 10 the TOP, ana
was absorbed in wooden blankets es-
psclaliy made TOR the purpose practice
borrowed from the Indians who had lons
used petroleum as iiniment. hnother
proce.. was known dipping fhe
oil and water were dipped from trenches
into tubs and, when gravity HAD seps.
rated the two liquids. the oil was skihneo
of. or else the water was drawn by
means OF a vent In the bottom OF the tuo.
Mr.. Drake believed ihat N he couih
niercs the rock stratum that lay below
the soil OF the companys land. OIL would
r,sh forth He was firmy convinced
thst a s,,bterrsnesn lake or oil existed
beneath the rock bed
Ills conviction was based on STUDY.
theological formations had ever proved
Fascinating 10 him and he had spen1
much OF his spare time. when a tsfHsi
helper. la pursuing this line OF inquiry.
He Was lacking In scientific training
only.
ronvinclnr The officer. of She new oil
company that there was something Ia
his plan of boring for OIL hs went 10 inc
district supplied with sl"" Tor expert
ments.
He ordered a steam engine. ana. after
- aHtssAa ~ a
exaerienced sail well drlller.- The ~.
rival of the engine was long delayed, and
after waiting for several weeks. the
.lriller. believing that the colonel was q
seer or visions. refused 90 have suNthhs
10 do with the enterprise. rhos the sum
ner wore away without any new deNei
opmcnts The company lost faith J
Drake and his idea and refused 10 ad
vance any more money,
ritrsvllle people have begun to beIieN
that Drake was monomaniac. III
seemed 10 live one his one idea BOYS u
the street ieered him. and men tappe'
their foreheads with their nngers a. h
passed.
EarlN in the Winter his money gay
out. aud credit was refused him at th
village shops lie faced absolute poVert
and barely supported his family by doinl
odd jobs lie kept stroug heart, how
ever. and his faith In the final outcom
al his project remained uushaken.
Early I'm the spring or 1854 he sucoeede
In convincing two friends. H. r. Fletche
and Peter Wilson. of Ttustili- OF th
-oundness OF his idea, and they provide
him with sufficient capital so renew hi
experiment.
Hc secured the services OF Willial
smith aud his TWO sous. OF Tsreut'ui
vho were practical salt-well driller
They. brought with them complete on
~ OF tools.
The soil along the banks of Oil Cree
was porous aud wster-soaked. and
fast az the hole was made. the soil crun
bled and the well flied with mud. \
progress could be- made Although VOL
was at a stsndstill for q number OF day
brakes ingenuity soon showed itse
and after many costly eXperiisents.l
fhaiiy hit upon plan to overcome q
difficulty. He secured cast-lron pipes 5
inches in diameter, sud endeaVored
drive them into the ground The pipe
being too light. were soon shattered
blows FROM bsttering ram which
devised There was another veXstio
delay. and finally, thicker piping "
secured In lengths OF ten feet Tie
we're ready driven into tho soft cart
one ppe on top OF another. until IN
came ia contact with the rock. Ora
--f1ss Sotvrd ttrr- problem.
on Thursday. Augpst A. the Drift
ran 20 pound through solid rock, and
the following Saturday u found lis "
into a crevice in the stratum. and :
tools were Withdrawn. Indications
the bit showed the presence of on,
the well was not a Rusher.' 50 IRA
expected Though disappointed. he wa
ed a couple OF hours for the we'll 90 -
II was only sixty y-nine feet deep. lie
tended 10 drill deeper. smith lived IN
shanty not far from the well. and es