Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1909-03-18
THE CADDO OIL FIELD
Discovery Likely to RevoIu-
tionize Louisiana industries.
WASTE OF NATURAL GAS
DR.. Day Declares That Its Neglect
Is Criminal.
STORES OF SALT AND SULPHUR
Unequaled Opportunities for the De-
velopment Of Certain Manufac-
tures-Openings for Wealth.
STORES OF SALT AND SULPHUl
BY WILLIAM F. CURTIS.
special Correspondence Of The Star and the
Chicago Record Herald.

III William r. - Kills
SpeclaI Core pondenre OF Tho star and the
Chicago Record Herald.
NEW ORLEANS. March Is, 1902.
They struck oil and natural gas not
long ago in Caddo parish, % miles north
of Shreveport and 350 miles northwest
from New Orleans, which was one OF the
most important events In the history Of
Louisiana, and is likely to revolutionize
the industries of the state. A syndicate
Of ST Louis people has secured control
Of the field. having purchased $4,000
acres 1t is composed of Harry B.
Halves, well known lawyer. who ran FOR
governor of Missouri on the republican
ticket against Folk, the reformer, several
years ago; w. X. Bixby Of the American
Car and Foundry Company. Thomas IL.
West president of the Union Trust Com
pany: Adolph Busch, the brewer. E. II.
Walker and Louis B. Ely of the wholesale
dry goods firm of Ely, Walker & Co.: E.
H. Everett of 2252 Sheridan circle. Wash
ington, D. c.. who is president OF the
American bottle trust. and Is said to con-
troll four-fift of the bottle factories in
the United States: Philip Weirlin music
dealer of New Orleans, and president Of
the Progressive Union Of this city;
Louis p. Rice. who manufactures sad
dlery and hardware; w. w. Bowden and
OlHeT New OIlcdIlS 1uC loSdi
manager for the syndicate is A. l.. Mercer
of Nincennes, Ind, who has had long ex-
perience in the gas belt of that state. He
has been drilling test wells. making de-
veopments and buying territory ever
since the discovery, and the syndicate
now practically controls the field, which
is said to be the largest oil and natural
gas body In the world. The geological
conditions are somewhat different from
elsewhere, and less difficult to deal with.
In other natural gas fields, said Mr..
Mercer. the discovery of an oil gas
bearing sand twelve or fifteen feet in
thickness has been thought to be extraor-
binary. In the Caddo field we have dis
producing strata. the first of which has
an average thickness of forty-eight feet.
Thus. by long odds. the Caddo field is the
largest oil and natural gas field in the
world. Inc first oil sand is struck at
about Si2 feet from the surface Below 1t
other strata are struck at 1,040 feet. the
next at 1.64O feet. and finally the fourth
at :, 12o feet, and the farther you go down
the better it seems. Indeed, the supply is
without limit
Already three wells with a capacity of
fifty million feet OF gas a day have been
drilled and under control. and the
company is drilling, five more Gas is now
piped twenty-five miles into the city of
Shreveport, where the company has a per-
petual franchise. and supplies illuminating
and fuel gas for 20 cents a thousand for
domestic consumption and 10 cents per
thousand for manufa curing purposes.
Pipes are now being laid to neighboring
plantations and towns. and the company
will pipe il to St Louis, Memphis, Little
Rock, New Orleans and other cities