Omaha daily bee., 1903-01-03
BORE FOR OIL At CHADRON
Unloading of Drilling Machinery Causes
Considerable Excitement.
OMAHA MEN INTERESTED IN ENTERPRISE
Men who PreteRd 60 Know Say For
nations Are Particularly Favor
able TO the Finding Of
Liquid Fuel.

CHADRON, Neb., Jan. 2.-(SpecisL)-
Eight companies have been organized re-
Gently in this county for the purpose Of
boring for oil. and filings have been made
on siXty-four placer oil mining claims in
Beaver creek valley, about ten miles north
east Of Chadron. Two Of these companies
have their origin in Omaha and Douglas
county, Nebraska, one in Chicago, one in
Denver. one in Pottawattamie county,
Iowa, two in Teller county, Colorado, and
one in Chadron. For six months last a party
has been surveying and seeking Informal
tion about certain pieces Of land lying to
the northeast Of this place, but the ranchers
OF that section evidently imposed 1t to be
the much-talked-of Colonel Mosby and
Mosby's terrible gang OF fence destroyers.
and are yet making use Of the incident
and the doughty colonel as a bugaboo to
brighten a chance unruly youngster into
submission. Until recently, however, very
little thought was given the matter by
the citizens. but a few days ago, when
several cars Of oil well drilling machinery
arrived in this city over the Burlington
from Colorado and a large force Of men and
teams were employed to move the ma
chinery to the location Of operations, con-
siderable excitement prevailed.
The company which has begun operations
is composed Of eight persons of Omaha
and Douglas county. but II Is understood
that officials Of the Elkhorn railroad are
backing the enterprise and are having the
work done through the company composed
OF these persons.
The Bee correspondent understands the
Burlington has been making some borings
in the Big Horn Basin Of wyoming, and
at other places Oil it's line, with very little
success, and as some OF the companies or
ganized we're undoubtedly organized In the
interest Of that road, they are also ex~
pected to make some borings here soon, and
Ii is said that the machinery Of another
large company will arrive in a few days.
The geological conditions of this field
are certainly the most favorable OF any in
the northwest. The district, which lies in
the basin OF the Beaver creek, near its
confluence with the White river, has re-
Gently been surveyed and mapped by the
parties interested in the exploitation of
the enterprise and your correspondent has
been able to ascertain from most reliable
sources that the prospect of production Of
crude oil in commercial quantities is I'M
usually favorable.
An anticllne exists here, exposing the
Niobrara and Fort Benton shales, under
lying which the Dakota sandstone is found
and 1t is this which is recognized through
out the middle west as the best rock
stratum for the collection and storage of
crude oil in large quantities.
This crest or anticlinal fold forms a great
reservoir in an inverted position which
fills up with oil anu gas forced into II by
the water from the surrounding strata.
A compact covering OF shale prevents the
escape Of the oil and gas from the reser-
voir very much the same as a cork retains
the contents Of a bottle. The strata up
lifted in this anticline belongs to the lower
cretaceous beds which when covered with
shale offer the most favorable points for
boring from an economic and scientific
standpoint. With no coal deposits or wood
available within its borders. IN oil field
would be a great boom for Nebraska.
Two competing lines OF railroad. the Elk
horn and Burlington, enter this region. to
which the oil could be piped and distributed
throughout the state for fuel, lighting and
lubricating purposes.
Parties interested in the enterprise say
that the work will be pushed with all pos
sible dispatch.