The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-01-20
OIL FLOW HAS STOPPED.
Casing Was Anchored and the Petroleum
Has Been Confined.
VALUE OF THE PRODUCT YET UNKNOWN
Captain Lucas Is Awaiting the Re.
suit of the Analysis before He
Plans for the Future.

Beaumont. january 1s.--At IL o'clock
today flow from the Lucas oil geyser was
| effectively stopped. Two days ago owners
| of the well succeeded in getting what is
known as a 4-valve on the we'll. With
this valve the spouting upward was stop
ped for several hours, but rock was be-
| ing hurled against the top of the valve
with such force that the oil was again
permitted TO squirt skyward. The valve,
| however, was not removed. Yesterday and
| last night the we'll casing was securely
anchored by various devices ana this
morning the experiment OF stopping the
| flow altogether was successfully made.
| This was accomplished by shutting off
| FIRST one exit of the valve, then the see
ond and then the third and Anal opening
This later move proceeded with extreme
caution. A pressure gauge had been
placed on the we'll and 1t was intently
watched as the supreme moment APP
preached. The final closing was accom-
plished without the least tremor Oh the
part OF the we'll casing, and Captain LII
cas- and his associates are nearly as en-
| thusiastic over this feat as they were in
striking the oil.
What will be done with the oil is still
an unsolved problem. Captain Lucas Is
in this city and In Houston and he has
also ordered all the available oil tank
cars 1t is intended TO get the oil off
the prairie and store 1t in these re-
ceptacies and in the meantime get other
tanks just as fast as they can be built.
He does not know the value OF the oil
yet This important Information will
come with an analysis OF several barrels
OF the oil whith has been sent to re-
fneres. Captain Lucas probably knows
the capacity of the we'll. but he refuses
TO divulge the Information as yet. In
closing the shut off valve this afternoon
he necessarily discovered the pressure
and with this as a basis II is not diff
fcult to figure out how much fluid flows
through the sx-nch pipe in a given time.
He intImated that the output would sur
prise some of the experts who have been
sending out estimates of from 1000 to
5000 barrels per day. He says also that
the oil will prove OF value greater than
yet realized.
InIasmuch as large excursions Will be
run to the city tomorrow from Galveston
and elsewhere an effort will be made to
induce Captain Lucas to let the oil flow
through Sunday, buh there is no assurance
that the valves will be again opened un-
til there are tanks ready 10 receive the
oil.
Visitors continue thronging TO the city
on every train. Excitement continues
ait n fever heat the 1treets and hotel
lcbbies being thronged with prospectors,
spectators, operators AMI sightseers.
Some trades are being effected despite
the excitement and it is probable that
: next week will And conditions on nor
, nal basis. Property owners have learned
that oil operators do not buy land, but
s lease it FOR the purpose OF prospecting
3 and tas a result quite q number of leases
| n.at,. nnlla IN ~ r.
property owner from one-tenth to one
: eighth OF all oil or minerals that may be
discovered.
|, Hsrnmill Brothers, who dug the Lucas
K geyser, will begin moving their rig Non
r day to sink another well for
: Captain Lucas. They win operate near
, the present gusher. Styrn Brothers of
! Corsicsna expect to have rig In OPP
E GRAFTON near Tlayloris bayou Monday and
e several other rigs are expected 10 arrive
d within the next Two or three days They
: will be put ait work lmn edhafely. Some
= CT the lease contracts require that drill
ing operations begin within thirty days
. from date OF contract.
i There has been no really big real
$ estate transactions, or rather sales OF
: real estate since the gusher was DIS
i. covered but several are In a STATE OF
I ircubatiop and more than one OF them
means big enterprises for Beaumont.
d The Southwestern Oil company OF Cor
/ sfcana announced this afternoon that
e they would build big refinery IN Beau
= I mont Immediately, The company had
q ordered machinery for a refinery thai was
8 to be built at Corsicana. The aestlna-
: ton OF this machinery has been changed
% to Beaumont. Representatives OF inns
r cornnany were in the field the morning
Following tine big strike and secured some
valuable leases.
! r.
y noon that John H. Kirby Of Houston
It now in Chicago would arrive with a
q narby OF Western and Eastern capitalists.
A He has business connections fere and
;, has nOaIAed them mat he will operate
:, on a large scale in The Be2Inont OIL
: field. .u
y assayer is in the city with the view OF
IS anaIyzing the oil which is spoutng from
ir the Lucas oil geyser. Mr.. Lafayette says
he is in the employ of one OF the biggest
70 ou companies on earth, and that ne was
n sent here for the special PURPOSE OF
II learnans the value OF the Beaumont OIL
n also TO get an idea Of the quantity that
r WIS coming from he we'll. In order 10
= make an analysis he wants sample OF
= the oil lust as II comes from the pipe aud
d this he had been unable to obtain.
Is Concerning the lubricsting quality OF
% beaumont oil, Mr.. j. @. Powell prom
Il inent lumber manufacturer OF Lake
=. Charles, writes; ] was over at Beaumont
y on the 10th instant TO see your well ana
u brought back with me a half pint OF the
j oil and | have given it test on my
&c planning mill machinery, testing 1t ON o
1t journal that turns 1000 reyolurions, and
Il and ii to be fine lubricant fed II on
- 10 the journal once every three hours
ia and Il acted admirably and think there
le can he no doubt about It's being as good
L lubricant as Fever used. True. II Is
at little thin. and on that account Will
e have to be used through feeder or felt
= / have seen il stated thst the oil was
A. good only as fuel. and believing this t.
70 he erroneous / gave It good trial usine
CT # on one journal twenty-four hours.
b mink II would be well for oil users al
"a over this section to try II on their ma
= cbInery and make report TO you OF re-
+. suits. 50 that Beaumont and its vicinity
p NAV quickly receive all the benefits re-
5. smiling from this rem rkable md.
I'd Mr.. ! A. Paulhaumus, who has beer
y generating in this section for two years
TO-DAY secured oil Leases on what arr
ccnsidered desirable tracts OF land, HI
has already sunk three prospect holes IL
me vicinity OF Taylors bayou ind the
Is result OF his investigation has ncDi KEEP
- | 4, 90 nnW generaliy believed