davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

turing incident TO mountain formation,
the assured strata would have allowed
the escape Of volatile liquids, and gases
and only the solid hydrocarbons would
remain. Gentle folding Of the strata
appears rather TO facilitate the accu-
mulating OF oil I'm certain parts, but ex-
tensive disturbances Of the strata pro-
mote the escape Of the liquid
Until comparatively recent times the
belief was very generally held that oil
accumulated In large assures and sub
terranean caverns, and that the lucky
prospector was he whose drill pierced
the roof OF such a cistern. This eX-
PLANTATION Is unsatisfactory when APP
piled to oil occurrences In general
though doubtless such cayIti,s az ray
exist In oil bearing rocks would be I'LL
ed with the fluid The rock strata in
which oil Is most commonly found
sandstone and conglomerates-are not
OF the kind suitable to cavern forma-
ton; limestone which may also carry
oil is frequently cavernous, but the oil
accumulations are not contained In
large open spaces, but in the small cav
tiles and pores Of the stone, such
caverns az may exist would facilitate
the local collection OF oil, and the oil
operator produces cayi les artihcially
by means Of explosions fired at the
bottom Of the well, Into such cavities
the oil would percolate from the con
tIguous rock. and the possible yield
would thus be greatly Increased.
Besides the general features e geo
logical structure common TO all oil
fields. there are certain structural de-
tails which may be strictly reliable as
guides TO the local accumulatons OF oil
In one region, but which would be
wholly inapplicable 10 other fields.
The anticlinal theory Of oil occur
renee. which has attracted Wide and
growing interest during the last decade,
Is without doubt good and sufficient
guide to the location Of oil pools in the
West Virginia fields. and Is applicable
TO some sections OF the Pennsylvania
region. Prof. Wilbur c. knight, Of
the university OF Wyoming has shown
that It applies also 20 oil pools In that
state. Briefly stated. this theory holds
that the oil has accumulated IN the
arches or antlclines Of the folded ST. alta
while the adjacent synclines or troughs
are left barren. A word as TO the
terms here use: Stratiaed rocks are
made up OF sediments laid down IN lay
ers as a result Of the sorting power OF
water. Under normal conditions these
strata are horizontal when first depos-
tied. but by subsequent disturbances
they may be tilted and folded In a
variety OF ways. When the folds are
convex upward so that their crests
form arches with respect to the horiz-
ontal plane IN other words when the
strata on opposite sides OF the axis Of
folding dip away from each other, the
structure IS called an anticline or an
antlclinal fold. On the other hand,
when the strata are folded so as 10
produce troughs--the layers on opposite
sides OF the axis dipping toward each
other, the trough-like fold is called a
synclins. The distinction VIII be rem
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

ment. But there appears In nature no
common or necessary association or
coal and "coal oil" and, moreover, the
oil is often found at a lower geological
horizon than that at which the coal oo-
ours. Furthermore, the rocks in which
oil occurs are not such as bear EVIL
dence OF the effects of intense heat
But whatever the ultimate source
may be. our present interest Hes rather
in the mode Of occurrence OF the OIL,
and in learning the means by which
we may recognize and reach the Pc
troIeum accumulations.
In some particulars the occurrence
OF oil is very similar TO that Of under
ground waters; IN other respects there
are striking and important differences
between the two. Thus we know that
water accumulates I'm porous rocks
even at a considerable distance beneath
the earth's surface, under favorable
conditions. The essential conditions
are that the porous beds shall be rooted
and foored by rock that Is impervious
to water, thus conhning the liquid and
preventing its escape either upward
or downward The porous beds may
become thoroughly saturated with wat
err. holding the same much as sponge
would do; and II the water bearing
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

ture as solids, liquids, and gases, ana
each AZ these classes may be produced
from the constituent elements III the
iaboratory of the chemist. SOLID ana
semi-liouid hydrocarbons occurring III
nature are generally classed as pltu
nnens Including the mineral wakes, al
40 ozocerlte, gilsonite, wurtzellite. Ella
terite and asphaltum. all OF when ars
solid at ordinary Temperatures, anu
maltha or mineral tars' but peslue
these there are viscid liquids, eonipris-
ing petroleum proper, and naphtha, as
also the many varieties OF hatural sa',
Petroleum, also known as 'rock-on
from the fact that 1t may be optaiheu
by dlstillation from certain shales any
other bltumlnous rocks, ana as Coa,
oil" from the belief once general tnat
It 10 a product OF the natural dlstilia-
ton of coal, Is a dark colored hqulu,
usually deep-red or brownsn Wheh
viewed by transmitted light, ana green.
ish when seen by reflected light IL
has been found so limpid ana clear HS
TO be suitable for Illuminating purpose
without artificial distillation or other
refining treatment but usually 1t oc-
ours as a dense thick LIQUID containing
a large proportion Of heavy oils, which
are separated In the refinery ana are
used as lubrIcatlng oils and for fuel'
AS a rule the products of the eastern
off fields are rich in Illuminating oils
and poor In lubricating material; while
the opposite condition Is characteristic
of oils from the western parts OF me
United States. -
Crude petroleum Is refined by dstilla-
ton and other treatment, from when
a wide variety of products result, rang
ine from the volatile benzlne and gaso--
line, through the different grades OF
kerosene with varying qualities of IN,
fiammability 70 the vaselines and SOLD
paraffin wakes. As a by-product, sew
eral varieties of parafiin oils are OBJ
tanned, and the final residue left IN the
retort Is black porous coke, not es-
sentially different from the coke result
ing from the dlstillation OF coal.
Those products are analogous IN
composition and properties to the nat
ural occurrences, which have been in
part already noted
As to the ultimate origin OF petrol
cum and the exact process by which the
oil Is found In the laboratory OF ma
ture. little can be said with certainty,
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21
PRACTICAL DEVELOPMENT.
IN UTAH AND WYOMING

down over 800 feet oil being found In
paying Quantities IN tne second stratum
of sand 5ttuck al a depth Of Bji feet. a
heavy flow ls promised lOwer down. 'i'ne
shales and sand penetrated are touno
10 be me same as tuosc round la tne
on CiL. fields OF Pennsylvania Inc
Quality IS Is p6r cent parnnn The
company Is operating with q capital OF
Y2bU0O 'lhe California tah company
controls about $4,000 acres of land Il.
Emery and carbon counties, mostly IN
the vicinity uf Green river Drilling has
begun eight miles southwest of the rall-
road station, the contract being TOR -
600 feet, although the company Is pre-
pared to 80 5000 feet Good indications
have been discovered. The uintah cons
pany controlling 1000 acres OF land near
Cotton has two wells. The first wen
struck oil sands at lSO feet yielding Ave
TO ten barrels per day The second well
Is down over 400 feet. ProspectOrs have
found four miles south OF the railroad
crossing. at the base Of the break In n
formation. surface oil OF dark brown
color pronounced by experts TO be a
first class mbrlcating OIL and samples
have been refined into heavy white
headlight OH. The White star company
encountered oil at 200 feet In their well
in Dairy Fork canyon yielding two
thirds Of barrel per hour, and at 800
feet an amber colored oil Of high
grade. The well il being pushed at the
rate OF nearly seventeen feet per day
There are about fifty companies In
corporated 10 operate In the Utah fields,
and between them a great aggregation
OF capital IS being brought I'm from east
ern and western money centerg. While
the current year has witnessed only
good starts, the coming twelve months
are certain TO see some astonishing de-
yelopments Aa the Green river fields
are pretty well taken up, prospectors
are striking or into localities hitherto
unprospected for petroleum. The san
Juan Oh company has taken up four
teen quarter sections Of land upon ten
OF which oil Of the finest quality for lu-
brlcatng and illuminating purposes
have been found forty miles west OF
Bluff City.
The oil Is found under bed OF petri-
fed seaweed and shellfsh about 200
feet from the surface, while q magnifi-
cent showing IS made by sinking an
ordinary miners shaft. The San Juan
company has machinery at work, and
twenty barrels per day were being TAX.
on from the well az last accounts, OF
oil Of yellowish color Ohio people
have fled on 1900 acres At the head
Of White river, 1920 acres In Tie Fork
north Of Tucker. and on $500 acres near
Thistle Junction. L. L. Bettys OF Cali
fornla has bought 10000 acres near
woodside in the Green river district
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

ventures. but the results VIII be In the
main Of benefit as showing at least
what Il Ia best not to do II has been
concluslvely demonstrated that our
state is rich beyond measure in hydro
carbon deposits Of many kinds, though
mostly OF the solid or semi.solld yari-
eties and the presence of petroleum IL
geologically indicated with fair GER
tanty
Some OF the oil sholes have yielded
as much as eighty gallons OF oil TO the
ton considerable proportion OF when
Is OF the valuable parafln class ana
such naturally occurring liquid hydro.
carbons as have been already obtained
are Of corresponding richness and eN
celence II ~ not too much to expect
that IN the near future Utah VIII take
her place as an important oil-produo-
Ing state
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

Of some kind is the material from
which petroleum and other hydrocai-
bons are derived, and that the trans
formation is effected In connection with
marine sediments. 1t was once sup
posed that petroleum is product Of
coal dlstlllation and as already stated
the common name coal OIL is trace
able to this assumption. True there Is
a marked similarity between petroleum
and its derivatives and the products
obtainable from coal by chemical treat
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21
.-!trt

stance being In many instances almost
completely bitumlnlzed. This has led to
the suppostion that fossil fish are the
chief source Of natural bitumen and
petroleum.
There Is little reason for specifically
naming fish bodies in this connection
as any organic matter appears capable
Of such transformation under favorable
conditions; though marine fossils ere
probably the main source of supply, for,
as stated, the association OF petroleum
and salt water ls so general as to war;
rant the inference that dilute brine,
such as sea water, is requisite in the
process Of formation. Doubtless the
bodies OF land animals and
plants would undergo the btu
minizlng change II buried in marine
sediments, but such an occurrence
would be exceptional, Land and fresh
water plants and animals are found
fossll3ed in river and lake sediments,
In boys and marshes, or occasionally In
Lr.cKish-water deposits as in river
deltas and bars but only by accident
would they be carried out to sea and
be deposited with the marine sediments.
II is therefore to the salt water
forms of life we look as the probable
source Of the series OF bitumens repre-
scented by petroleum and It's allied sub
stances.
Attention has been Of late directed
to the tiny plants known as diatoms,
as petroleum producers. These plants
are so small as to be distinctly visible
only under a powerful microscope, but
they exist in such numbers as u con-
stitute when in q fossilized state, eX-
tensive formations. Those diatom-
aceous deposits are known as infusoll-
al earths; they consist Of the sillcious
shells or skeletons OF the tiny pants,
the organic substance having disap-
peared through partial decomposition.
Diatoms abound in both fresh and salt
water, and extensive marine deposits
of their shells are known. Chemical in
vestlgation has shown the ready man
ner BY which oils allied to petroleum
may be produced from the di9tom SUI
stance, and the possibility of such
process taking place in nature IS ap-
parent. However, there Is danger IN
being too dehsite In our assumption as
TO the particular source OF this plodu I
Of chemical change; though we are JUS
titled in the belief that organic matter
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21
1HE PE1ROLEUM FIELDS OF UIAH I1-%%!
-ssu-------------BI
Dr. James Z. Talmaqe.


every side. But with dae allowance
for these wild schemes we may rest
secure in the knowledge that many
honest and conservative men capual-
lists and investigators are dligenty
working TO develop their holdings. ana
the results are encouraging and assur.
Ing Utah Is IN sore need Of "a prop.
erly organized geological survey. by
which the hidden resources of our
young commonwealth may be examined
and determined with other and More
worthy purpose than that Of effecting
sales for individual gain,
IN the search lor oil careful and
efficient geological examination OF the
region should pfecede the expenditure
Of means in useless and hap-hazard at.
tempts In boring and drilling. n b
probable that much disappommont ana
many failures will follow ill-adylsed
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

though In n general way we may have
n partial understanding Of the matter
II has been conClusiyely demonstrated
that conl ls altered vegetable matter
All the many varieties of coal. though
differing widely from one another, af-
ford evidence Of their vegetable origin,
and the natural process of change
Transforming woody tissue into coal has
been investigated and to q certain eX-
tent can be initiated by artificial
means, This Transformation is not a
process of decay In the ordinary sense
Of the term, II may be described as a
partial decomposition, followed by a
decomposition among the constituents,
the change taking place only when the
vegetable matter Is kept out OF con.
tact with air and In the presence Of
fresh water
In somewhat analogous manner or
ganic matter, either plant or animal
tissues or both, " buried away from the
air but associated With salt water, Is
known TO unGergo q process Of change
resulting In the formation Of one or
more of the petroleum series Of hydro.
carbon minerals. The bodies OF fish
and other marine animals have been
found In q fossllI2ed state In the yiclni-
ty Of bearing rocks, the animal sub
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

Fig, 2. Folded and eroded strata.
S. S. Surface after erosion.
A. Anticlinal fold
s. Synolinal fold
Dotted lines above surface indicate
former extension OF strata, now re-
moved by erosion,
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

'ALIFORNA Pennsylvania,
and Ohio no longer have u
monopoly Of the petroleum
output Utah, Wyoming and
Idaho have Joined In the pro
ccssion. ana hundreds Of in
Vestors and no immense am
cunt Of capital are being
attracted to the newhelds
49,. ..utt,,.I And 40
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

=
NJ output, Utah, Wyoming and
IA ID Idaho have Joined In the pro-
M a cession. and hundreds Of in"
VI NJ Nestora and no Immense am
VI ~ cunt Of capital are being
W. attracted 10 the ncwhelds
in ne states mentioned. And It
is interesting to note that the amount
OF money flowing into the above states
for investment In the oil fields Is in
oreasng az it becomes more and more
apparent that Utah and wyoming es-
pecially, are destined 70 become one Of
the greatest II not the greatest centors
In the world for the production Of 20
troleum OIL SO development work IL
progressing at an increasing rate, and
oil bearing outfits are being hurried In
10 the fields.
The Utah oil lands extend from Ricn
county on the north TO the san Juan
on the south. between which points I'M
mense tracts have been located for OIL
purposes. so that while Wyoming was
exploited at an earlier date recent dis
coveries In Utah indicate that this state
Is not likely to remain of secondary Inn
portance as an oil producer In fact,
The highest grades OF oil are promised.
There are many seepages scattered over
the Utah on belt, yielding q lubreat-
ing product valued at from 50 TO SIS per
barrel and the market for this class
Of oil promises to become llmitless' be-
cause Of the application Of oil to so
many Industrial operations as well as
10 domestic uses,
Ttah is rich IN oil having a parai1n
case and susceptible OF being refined
into fine illuminant. and which IS
therefore much more valuable prod
net than the oil that Is being obtained
In Texas and parts Of California
Development has progressed encourag-
ingly In several counties where oil has
been found at present In limited guam
titles. and It Is a matter OF encourage
ment that wherever boring Is going on
oil -bearlng sands have been encoun-
tered. Wells OF special promise are be-
ing sunk at Dairy Farm seventy
miles south OF this city, there Is anoth
or eighteen miles south Of Cotton
third Is located sixty miles south OF
Price. and others are going down else
where The Green river fields have up
10 date attracted the most attention,
and are Included IN Grand and Emery
counties, 1856 miles south Of salt Lake
city. The San Rafael company opsrat-
lng sixty miles south OF Price, has ac-
dured 1000 acres Of land and about
10000 worth Of work has been done up
10 date. This includes a lo-ineh VOL
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

strata are inclined upward so as TO
give considerable elevation or head
the confined water In the lower parts
viii be under great pressure and VIII
push forth with force II the impervous
roof stratum be pierced, as by natur-
al lssure or by an artlficlally
driven pipe. Water escaping from
such natural assure constitutes
a assure spring; a pipe driven
through the upper condnlng layer
and permitting ,he escape Of the
water, is an artesian well IL the
edges Of such water-bearing strata as
have been described are exposed on a
hillside for example the water VIII
escape as a "seep" or dribble, or as a
regular hillside spring
Now, In the same way petroleum oc-
ours in porous rocks confined by I'M
permeable layers, and In the same way
the oil escapes as natural springs or
through pipes driven down TO the
porous oil bearing rock strata.
But the analogy between water and
oil occurrences win not hold in all par
tieuars. The water supply If peren-
NAL. and by drainage the porous strata
may be kept constantly saturated, so
that Il may be drawn upon with little
danger of exhausting the reservoir OIL
occurrences, however are the acoumu-
lations OF ages and when tapped are
speedily drained, With no probability OF
the supply being repenished except by
a repetition Of the slow process OF
geological accumulation, The SAME NAY
oe said Nith respect to natural gas 1t
is therefore imprC bable, and as shown
hy experience, practically Impossible
that any one supply Of either OF these
natural fuels viii be permanent How
over An Isolated oil reservoir is Of un-
likely occurrence, in a region OF OIL
accumulation there VIII usually be
found numerous small areas OF oil-sat-
urated rocks, each OF which is IN a
measure an Independent reservoir OF the
fluid. 49,
The surprising force with which the
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

swA HE interest recently aroused
n and at present manifest with
increasing intensity In the prob
able existence Of oil accumula-
III lions in Utah and contiguous
territory Is sufficiently explana-
tory Of the local desire for information
regarding the occurrence Of oil IN gem
eral and the value of this natural prod
uct.
BY "oil' In the sense In which the
term is here used Is meant the natural
" occurring liquid commonly designat-
cd az petroleum. Chemically this sub
stance consists essentially Of mixture
of various hydrocarbon compounds
which, as the name indicates, are com
posed Of the elements hydrogen and
carbon. OF these hydrocarbons there
are probably lnnumerablc varieties de.
pending upon the different proportions
In which the elements are united or up
on the varying arrangement of the con-
stitucnt atoms,
Hydrocarbon compounds occur In ma
Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

Fig 3. Folded and eroded strata.
A. Anticlnal valley.
s. Synclinal hills,
Dotted lines bove the surface show
the former extension Of the layers
before erosion.
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-22

London, Feb. 2I-AIaJor T. J. Ather-
ton, second in command of the Twelfth
prince of WaIes) Lancers, now in
South Africa, has fled a suit for di-
vorce against his wife, Mabel Louisa
Athertop. naming the Duke Of West
minister as correspondent.
The proceedings have long been an
ticipated Within the past thirty six
hours a lawyer who is looked upon as
the leader Of the divorce court bar, has
been retained in behalf of the petit
toner. The case cannot be aired N
court a any rate for some months, and
possibly not before autumn, and the
friends of the just married duke may
not succeed in compromising the mat
ter and preventing a trial. But as Ma
jor Atherton IS reported to have al
ready refused a check for $40 600 as
compensation for the injury he is aid
TO have sustained, the task ahead OF
those who are trying 10 arrange set
dement, among whom is said to be
King Edward himself, would seem to
be insuperable
Major Atherton ought to have sue
ceeded to the command of the Twelfth
regiment when its late colonel, the Earl
of Airlie, was killed in South Africa in
June last, but he was passed over in
favor Of Colonel b. T. MahOn, who
commanded the British forces which
relieved Mafeking.
The correspondent, Mabel Louisa
AthertOn, is q sister of Sir Aubrey Paul,
bart She married the major in 1892.
They have one son, born in 1899. Mrs.
Atherton is a good looking. stylish
woman, about 50 years Of age. She be-
The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1901-02-22
DR.. Ament Seeks to Explain.

Boston, Fep. 21.-Rev. JudsOn Smith,
D. D., foreign secretary Of the Ameri-
can board, says that on Feb. is he sent
this dispatch to Rev. Ament, of Pekin;
"Ament, Pekin.-RepOrted Dec. a
you're collecting thirteen times actual
losses, using for prOpagating the Cos
pei. Are these statements true? Cable
specific answer"
DR.. Smith has received the following
reply, dated Feb. /;
Statements untrue, collected one
third for church expenses and addition
al actual damages now supporting
widows and orphans. Publication thiT-
teen times blunder cable. All collections
received approval Chinese officials who
are urging further settlements same
line. AMENI.
Dr. Smith says:
1.-THE officers of the board are perfect
ly clear that the error in the original
newspaper dispatch which accused DR..
Ament of collecting thirteen times the
amount of losses arises from the Omis-
sion of the fractional dividing line in
1-3 making it 13. From Dr. Ament's
letter, published yesterday it appears
that the living Christian Chinese have
had all their losses made good and the
damages of which One-thiTd have been
collected for the support of widows and
orphans represent the losses Of the
Chinese converts who were slain, the
church purposes referred to being
identical with supporting widows and
OrU6a0S'