The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-01-13
ARE NEAR TO OIL.
That Is What the North To-
peka PrOspectOrs Think.
Large Body of Oil Sand Has
Been Found.
NOW DOWN $50 FEET.
Water Found Flows from Mouth
Of the Well.
A. N. Baird Says Formations
Are Same as at Chanute.

When soapy looking, salty tasting
water began gushing out at the top Of
the casing of the prospect well in
Shorey this morning shortly after
breakfast, there was sudden furry and
rise in oil stocks of the Shawnee De-
velopment company; hasty notifica-
ton Of the hackers of the enterprise
and prompt assemblage at the derrick
of as many Of the directors of the COM
pany as could leave their business Sew
eraI lengths of casing were Immediate
ly let down, the salt water shut off and
the well was bailed out The workmen
say the sudden flow of salt water was
caused by the intense pressure of the
rock at the depth of $50 feet where they
are now drilling. The drill is still work.
ing IN oil sand and, although the Incl
dent of this morning has no bearing
upon the possibility of discovering oil,
the stockholders of the Development
company are daily more pleased with
the results of their drilling and are
hopeful of reaching an end of their
work very soon.
We won't have to go much farther -
said Archie M. Baird, as he took a null
at his cigar to keep it lighted, and then
resumed his examination of a handful
Of the sediment from the water that was
ICAAS PuluDGQ OUT OF the well. we are
at q depth of $50 feet now We have
compared our chart with that of well
No ii, in the Chanute field, and find
that we are going through the same
formations hope we can get about
ninety feet of this sand
The sand in question has been in the
path OF the drill for a week or more,
IN beds and traces. Today it was drawn
out in small quantities in the water
that the pumps were busy with. On
a f61- rha,,
was left to stand, there gathered a
scum of black, greasy substance which
the drillers called petroleum base" 1t
contained enough oil to make it float.
Only thin covering of it rose on the
water and 1t was without odor. AS the
work of pumping out the well prog
ressed the water cleared considerably
so that toward the bottom it lost much
of the milky hue which characterized the
first flow. The strong briny taste show
ed that it had lain in contact with salt
until thoroughly saturated. The fact
that it dubbed and ran out over the
top of the casing made some of the ig-
norant observers believe that there was
strong head of gas or something
beneath it but the drillers assured
them that it's hasty exit was due only
to the pressure under which it lay in
the ground.
THAT is the way we want the oil tc
come" said Mr.. Baird, land if we gel
enough oil sand it will. 1t may not be
necessary to shoot the we'll at all but
we are fixed to do the shooting if il
seems necessary. This oil sand is tbs
real thing and we are anxious to get
ahead with our drilling so as to see
how much of it we have struck. The
water is effectually shut off now and il
viii be a matter of but few hours til
we have the drill at work again.
Everybody around the rig was inter
ested in the oil sand which came VI
with the salt water. The bucket il
which the sand is taken out is abou
ten feet long and consists Of a section
of small casing at the bottom of which
IS a trap door with a plunger project
ing down. The plunger opens the valV'