Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1901-12-06
OIL, GAS and MINERALS.
To Test The Presence Or NOn-PreSence
Of Natural Gas And Oil In
The State OF Maryland.

within It's boundaries.
But what are such opinions wo.ih to
the general intelligence OF the country
that knows that no new discovery OF these
minerals has ever been made IN the
United States except by accident. II IS
conceded that we have learned and able
Biologists, but what new field for the
production OF natural gas and oil have
they ever pointed out
Neither the learning or integrity OF our
biologists can be truthtully questioned,
but upon this subject especially they are
informally found to be in the negative
the only safe position. They do not
know, and know they do not, nor does
anyone else certainly know. The drill
constitutes the end of the argument, and
the location of the drill is now known to
be the most important financial question
III the operation OF boring for oil or gas.
The earth is hard and compact. yet it
is permeated with practically bottomless
assures and rifts, now filled up with the
erosive sands of centuries and overgrow-
schists. They may be found in a per-
pendicular OF dipping (leanine) position.
and usually well concealed from obser-
walton by time ard erosion, except upon
the highlands, where the elements are
constantly exposing them. They are
discoverable upon the surface because
the new formation in a measure takes the
place of the old. which it has displaced.
In a country of hills. rocks and cliffs,
an experienced prospector can trace them
upon the surface with very reasonable
degree OF certainty. These are the reser-
hat nd nil IN ha
ed up with the drill. They must neces-
sarily and do subtend in line with the
original primitive formation OF the coun-
try in which they are located, and this
formation has a regular uniform direc-
ton from California TO Virginia. Internal
force splits these cracks or riffs, longitu-
dinally with the primitive formation, as
certainly as trees rive lengthwis. and
not transveTsely.
There is no accident or phenomenon
about them, they are as natural TO the
earth as are the sutures to the human
skull Small cross breaks, however,
emanate from these main trunk riffs, and
zig-zag across the primitive formation in
any direction for short distances, and in
mining parlance called "dips. spurs or
angles" Being numerous, they are fire.
quently struck by the drill and pronounc-
ed pockets, and not inire quently they fix
the destiny OF rich fields as failures. This
primitive formation under the crystal
plain OF Marylan lies parallel with the
adjacent coast. therefore Its monoclinal
grade can have nothing to do with its re-
tention OF gas or oil.
The ocean itself can have very imma,
terial effect since its bed has its rights
and primitive formation lying in the same
direction as that upon the high lands, as
indicated by the longitudinal fragments
constituting Cape May and Cape Charles.
Outside of and parallel with these, lies
the primitive formation with its accom-
panying ritts with wafer. At Beaumont,
Texas. the original formation also lies
parallel with the coast and the drills
reach far below the oceans bed. The
same is true at Los Angeles, Cal. Then,
what has the oceans proximity to do with
the production of oil or gas in Maryland?
1t may not be impossible to locate and
successfully operate these riffs in the
shallow waters of the sea-coast. Finally
this primitive formation with its riffs, SUBJ
tend directly through the Virginias, Mary
land and Pennsylvania.
The first and last are conceded to be
rich in mineral resources, while poor old
Maryland has been totally neglected by
dame nature, but it may require an ex-
ceedinglY lazy population to believe it.
Trenton limestone. clinton.rock and porus
sandstone has played conspicuous parts
as evidence OF the presence of gas and
oil, TO which they are merely incidental.
They are in reality good evidence of the
presence OF riffs. They are not similar.
The two first being formed near the sur
face, while sandstone is of igneous origin
and like phonolite, andesite, ETC., came
to the surface through these rifts and ifs.
sures by volcanic force, and are some
times useful for tracing the riffs on the
surface. The geological riffs created by
"folding and iaulting" are not the kind
meant here-only those created by in
ternal force, such as Prot. ]. ID. Dana
described in his manual published in
1865 as subtending easterly and westerly
in North Carolina.
This great authority declared in that
same work that further investigation was
necessary to establish general direction
and cause of creation for these subter-
raneau riffs. Their general direction at
least mas since been found by the mining
operations IN the West. To be success
full in gas or oil mining, we must first
find the genuine rift subtending with the
primitive formation and open it up with
drill. There are no lakes or pools in the
earth. They are narrow vertical con-
dults and nothing more. Bore between
them and the drill might descend to a
depth of FIVE miles without success. AS
mining engineer, after two and a-balf
months investigation in this locality, |
consider Maryland just as safe in the
rank of oil and gas production as are the
Vlrginias or Pennsylvania, whose primi-
tive formations subtend directly through
Maryland. The whole matter is ques-
ton OF opening up natures internal riffs,
and there is no reason why MARYLAND
with the same primitive cleavage should
differ from adjoining States.
d. E. CONNER.