The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1902-06-27

| y
of any district which has thus far pro
duccd oil, for the trend of the earth
folds is from northeast to southwest.
! Furthermore. the folds are much closer
than in the oil-bearing districts and
the rocks fractured and eroded, the
lower oil-h airing horiz N of West Eir-
ginia and Pennsylvania reaching the
surface in each successive fold, so that
the conditions preclude the possibility
of oil discovery. All investment OF
capital in this region can only meet
with total loss.
IN EASTERN AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND.
"The S, cund, or coastal plain dis
trict, including Il e Eastern and South
ern counties, especially the districts of
Prince Georges and Cecil counties,
where recent prospecting has been un-
der wav. Here the rocks are of much
more recent age. The beds dip slight
ly to the southcastward and follow
each other in succession from the old
est to the youngest in that direction.
Slight traces of petroleum in the form
| of small hardened masses Of bitumen,
and here and there slight oily scum
on the waters, have pointed to the
| probable existence of small amounts of
oil in the strata. A bore hole put
down at Parsonsburg, in Wicomico
county, some years since penetrated a
small pocket of natural gas, but the
many deep wells that have in some in
stances gone entirely or very nearly
through the whole series of coastal
plain strain in New Jersey, Eastern
Mary land and Virginia show conclu-
sively the fu,iIity Of oil Development
| on a commercial scale. The lower and
most important beds OF The coastal
plain series were formed under physi-
geoIosists as affording materials for
oil production, while the later and more
super fetal beds which here and there
have shown slight traces Of petroleum
| do not afford The proper receptacle for
extensive oil accumulation. 1t does
not seem possible from what is known
Of the coastal plain geology from Balti-
more and Washington eastward that
| oil will b,. found in commelc;il quanti-
ties. 1t is not impossible, however,
though hardly probable, that small
to produce much unfortunate excite
ment and speculation for time, may
| occur.
OIL THEORIES.
"Thc modern theory OF oil occurrence
requires sligh, alching OF the rocks,
this fold being known as an 'an'icline.'
Throug hout the Appalachian district
it has been generally found that natu-
raj gas, as the lightest of the sub
Stances penetrating the porous beds,
which must be irciosel within impcr-
vious strata to be preserved, rises to-
ward the top of the anticline, while the
petroleum, as next in specific gravity,
occupies the slopes on either side. The
percolatin2 waters. bearing various
mineral substances in solution, being
heavier than gas and petroleum, fill
the bottom of the arches which are
known as syEclincs and aid in produc-
ing the pressure which is primarily
brought about 10y the expansion of the
contained gases in the petroleum itself.
This generally accepted or 'antclinal
theory does not explain all oil occur
rences, although the arcEiDg of the
rocks in some form, even if slight, is
regarded as probable in nearly all in
stances.
"Many theories have been advanced
as to the origin of oii-some organic,
some inorganic. Most geoloeisis and
chemists today hold to The theory that
the materials alin,ding tie oil and
natural gas were the dccaying organ
isms that were buried by The muddy
sediment on the sea floors of past geo.
| logical times, which have been g:adu-
ally included in an impervious reccpta-
Gle Of porous rock beneath arch' OF
'anticlincs' that have slowly formed
durn! geologic time. 1t is the opin-
ion of some OF the best biologists who
have given their attention to the occur
renee of petroleum that it may be ex-
pected wherever the geological struc-
| ture is suitable and on the basis Ofthis
structure important discoveries have
been made in late years. At n point
IN Mary land, however, are the struc-
| turai conditions suitable for the occur
renee of oil or natural gas in large
amounts, and all attempts al prospect
| ing are destined to meet in the end
with financial failure
1t is certain that boring OF test wells
for oil along the banks Of the Potomac
river, just above Cumberland, will
shortly begin. Over s., 900 has been
raised among local people to make the
| test and an effort will be made to in
crease the figure to $4,000. The
stock is sold at $50 share and no one
| is advised to take over two shares, as
their loss will he comparatively small
in the event no oil is found. Many
| representative citjz ms are in the enter