Evening star., 1901-09-21

but. resigning his commission, remained
here and engaged In business as mining
engineer. He spent considerable time In
the southern states prospecting the A.
paiachlan chain. HeHAlso engaged In gold
mining in southern California and spent
some ne, time IN Colorado and British Co
ton his home and. In 1887. was married in
this city to q gifted and charming southern
giri. MISS Carrie Fitzgerald. the only
daughter of Dr.. Edward Fitzgerald. an
eminent physician and surgeon, formerly
OF Macon, Ga.
Tried Salt Mining.
In 1895 Captain Lucas, while engaged in
salt mining in Louisiana, found traces Of
sulphur and oil Lf The deposit was, however,
light and not In satisfactory quantity. The
strata had southwestern dip. which he
followed through louisiana into Texas.
making borings In many places, but never
finding exactly what he sought until he
reached the neighborhood OF Beaumont in
1889. Bis first well in this territory was
not satisfactory, but the boring showed
that the long search was nearly at an end.
Another well was begun In the neighbor-
hood OF the first. and after surmounting
dlfhculties and overcoming obstacles that
would nave discouraged most men the
great strike was made and the Lucas
Gusher No. T. came in with an almost un-
controllable rush.
Biggest Ever known.
It proved to be the largest oil well ever
discovered, and the news Of the strike set
men wild. Scenes were enacted similar to
those following the discovery of gold in the
mining regions. and in few days the race
or the country in the vicinity of Beaumont
was covered with oil derricks The price
of land rose to fabulous prices and fortunes
were made in a day. What the end will be
no man can foretell, but many persons be-
lieve that only beginning has been made
and that other and possibly larger strikes
may be expected.
Is a Collector.
Captain Lucas Is member Of the Amer
lean Institute of Mining Engineers. He is
man of striking personality. His par
ticular diversion Is the collection Of an
tique arms, and the walls of his pretty
home in this city are decorated with many
choice and rare old implements Of war.
During recent visit to his family he said,
in speaking of his discovery of oil to a
Star man: My find was the successful cul-
mination Of scientific theory, on which
had been working many years. In the
practice Of my profession as mining en-
gineer and geologist / have given special
attention to earth forma tions, particularly
anti-clines. Anti-effne Is the technical ap-
pelatlon for certain convex earth forma-
tions. To the geologtst, at least to this
geologist (pointing to HIMSELF, this partic-
ular formation was natures sign that In
the bowels Of the earth was stored for
human comprehension, product that If it
could only be reached would solve the
important problem of heat and light.
Never Forgot 1t.
This belief became my religion. In my
waking hours it never left my mind. At
night dreamed Of 1t. Nothing else in my
profession interested me. To unlock this
storehouse of nature, to be the instrument
through which man should come into pos
session of this great gift, became my one
ambition and my only thought.
Progress at first was slow and difficult.
AT 300 feet l struck a deep bed Of quick
sand, through which 1t was exceedingly
difficult to force the drill.
AT 800 feet struck a strata containing
many gas pockets, the opening Of which
nearly wrecked the well.
There We're many discouragements, and
while l had every confidence in my theory
1 had almost reached the end of my avail
able resources when, succeeded in inter-
esting others. =
"A thousand, feet, twelve hundred, no
definite results. At thirteen hundred feet
there was rush and a rumble, and a six
inch stream Of oil shot into the air more
than a hundred feet above the top of the
derrick. -
spring that swung wide the door to one Of
natures most ,precfous stores, and opened
it's vast RESOURCES for the use of man"