The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-05-28
SOUTHERN PROGRESS
REVIEW OF WEEK BY MANU-
 TACTURERs' RECoRD.s
MT. Richard H. Edwards Summar- ises the Result of His Observa- tions in the Beaumont, Tex,
 Oil Fields.

Baltimore, May 25.-(Special.) )-In editorial correspondence in this week k's issue of The Manufacturers Record MT. Richard H. Edmonds summarizes the results of his observations in the Beaumont oil field. He traces the event which in four months have given what was known to few people as an important lumber and rice center a national and worldwide name. He shows the marked difference between the circumstances surrounding the search for gold in California and the Klondike and the discovery of oil in Pennsylvania and those connected with the Beaumont developments. He de- scribes the leading features of the speculation in the new field and gives a warning of the dangers involved, ai- though for the time speculation has halted. Regarding the present sltua- ton and the prospects of the field MT. Edmonds says:
 "The gushers which have been struck SO far are all within small area, probably half a mile in diameter. The smallest Is said to have a capacity of 35, 900 brrels a day. and ir is claimed that the largest can produee 50,000 bar rels a day. But suppose that all were turned on at the same time an& that their aggregate output was 100000 to 200, 900 barrels a day, that would be greater than the total product Of the 10 900 or SO000 wells TOW in operation in the United States. In other words, these Texas wells may be able to pro- duce more oil than the entire output of the United States at present. But nobody expects them to continue to have such an enormous flow. When the tremendous pressure which forces the oil 160 feet or more into the air in a great stream has been relieved, pumping will doubtlss be necessary es in other place; but. admitting this, ws still have a condition that is of world wide importance and influence. The new wells now being bored will soon prove the extent of the field. If it be confined to the narrow area where all the gushers have been found, then we have a remarkable discovery of i'm mense value; but if the field is broad and over a great area the only fina test. viz: the drill. proves that oil ex
 ists in anything like the quantity tc be reasonably expected from the con- ditions already known, then we have | a proposition which. as has we'll beer trade! If it is found that al I can be safely depneded upon
 from this field, then possibly s100, ,000. .00: or more will need to be invested in or.
 der to provide ample pipe lines, storage | facilities and tank steamers, of which mere would be needed than the whole tank steamer fleet of the Standard Oil | Company. Unless the Standard Oil Company should decide to take hold oi I this vast proposition with all of ite accumulated wealth and marketing | facilities-and even that company 1 would have a task requiring its utmost power and wealth to promptly meet the work of development must proceed more slowly. But American genius
 has been equal to meeting every emer.
 gency, and in some way this tremend' | ous undertaking will be handled | Already a market has been found fol about 5000 barrels day, and thi: quantity is going out every day by | water and in tank cars. There is ar increasing demand for it at all tm
 neighboring cities and in all Gulf ports | for use as fuel by manufacturers ant on tugs and steamers. Even thu
 boilers used in boring the wells are rur
 by oil from other wells. The advant
 age of this fuel in cheapness, ease O.