Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-13
vELoPaIENT OF THE INDUSTRY.
INVESTIGATION IN THE VALLEY
Property Owners to Organize n Conn

wed.
/ WASHINGTON, D. c., September IL
| Observation-Disclosures prospects OF the de-
have recently been discovered, and the
| few people who are familiar with the
facts are disposed to view the outlools
| from rosy standpoint. Mr.. c. ". s.
Turner, mining lawyer and minerolo-
gist, with an Office in this city, who is
recognized as an expert in mining at
| fairs. has just returned from an investi-.
| cation of certain territory in the Valley
| OF Virginia. between Stanton and Lex
ington. and he is strongly impressed with
| the probability of the discovery of oil in
that region.
| The territory examined by Mr.. Turner
| lies in Augusta and Rockbridge counties,
! Between the two cities named, and GER
| tain geological formations point toward
| the fields being part OF the eastern sheet
! of the great Sistervillc, ". Va, Old
| fields Mr.. Turner made his investigation
| at the instance OF number of citizens
| owning property in that section. and from
| CERTAIN dDuUudNt eFlQcIlCeS WHICH ne uio-
covered, he is. confident that oil exists
| in that neighborhood. The geographical
| formation. Mr. Turner says, is almost
| identically the same as that of the SIS
terville oil section, except that in the
Valley of Virginia heavy limestone for
| nation must be overcome before oil is
struck. MANY years ago" said Mr..
Turner to-day, 'in the lower Valley OF
Virginia. about $50 miles from this par
ticuiar section and in soil OF the same
geographical nature, well was sunk
and the geographical presence Of hydro
carbon was penetrated and natural gas
struck, which produced a good flow Of
gas for some days This was long before
the uses and Importance of natural gas
as fuel agent were fully appreciated.
The location and extent of this well have
long since passed out of the memory of
even those who are living in that place.
Professor Orton of Ohio, refers to this
we'll in some Of his publications. The
fact that this we'll existed, and that the
presence Of hydro-carbon and natural gas
were discovered in the Same geographical
formation, go far to justify an investiga-
tion ~ oil In ..e Valley of Virginia, the
natural features which abound where this
well was sunk existing in equal abund-
ance in the territory referred to between
Staunton and Lexington, in Augusta and
Rockbridge counties.
LIN tASIERN A.
East of the Blue Ridge mountains, and
Just east OF the Bull Run range, the
presence of hydro-carbon is very promi-
nent In several sections, notably the
Northern portions of the State, extending
from, the Potomac river about fifty miles
south, in Fairfax, Prince William and
Fauqu1er counties, and again at intervals
to the North Carolina linz. In this terri
tory the observation-disclosures shales are
visibl' and show the actual presence of
hydro-carbon, both in petroleum and its
by-products. These shales, Judging from
past experiences III oil engineering and
geological dath, are not very distant from
the oil-producing sands. These sands as
they are called are the oil ore, as it were,
sandstone formation, from which the
oil is secured"
Mr.. Turner made a thorough investiga-
ton in this Eastern territory, about the
first OF this year, and as a result of his
report the Appalachian Conduit Company
was organized and chartered by the
State of Virginia, it's purpose being to
develop the fields. This has been the
only organized effort to develop these
Eastern Virginia possible oil prospects,
and the company EXPECTS within a year
to be able to determine the actual posi-
bllities for procuring gas and oil. If
the company succeed in discovering oil.
it will lead to large developments all along
the eastern slope of the Blue Ridge noun
talns, as Well as the eastern and western
sides of the great Valley of Virginia
TO BEGIN DEVELOPMENT
It is understood that the property own
ers in the section between Staunton and |
Lexington, which Mr.. Turner has just |
examined, are going to organize a stock
company to make under surface investi- |
cations. Mr.. Turner says that there are
some eight hundred or thousand feet
GC nr, aSo1 fosS> IL.
layers to be penetrated before the natural |
gas and oil are reached. In Eastern Vir.
g1nia there is no layer of limestone, and
not near SO much drilling will have to be
done as in the Valley. Mr.. Turner ex-
plains this lack of limestone in Eastern
Virginia by the fact that the formation
there is not as old as that in the Valley.
or that the limestone layer is yet to be
formed.
Mr. Turner, in speaking of the Eastern
Virginia fields, said: "The work of de-
these eastern fields will be begun
about the LIST of January, by drilling and
similar work. If oil is found there as it
S very strongly believed it will be, 1 am
practically positive that oil will also be
found IN the Valley of Virginia, as the
formation in which the oil is expected to
be found in East Virginia will be found
liso in portions of the Valley Of Vir-
sinia, and will produce like results"
MARRIAGE LICENSES.
: Marriage licenses Were issued at the
lily Hall to-day to the following Vir-
sinians: Brawner N. Haislip aged %,
md Anna M. Patton, aged 10. both of
Fairfax county; Benjamin E. Travis. rs
'ears, and Mary v. Bowers, "a years of
lge, both OF Newport News; Harry M. +
Mills of Germantown, aged %, and Mag 3
'ie NJ Robertson, of Legato. aged IS.
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