The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1912-04-17

tractor, Ed. and Thos. b. Clifford drillers,
VIM. Lawson, of Cherry Grove, Pa, and
VIM. Ledebur, of Starr, Pa, tool dressers.
After this contract was completed the well
was drilled by the day until it reached a
depth of i,lSS feet, when it was shut down
for the winter and on account of bad caves
above the limestones This cave, about
100 feet in extent, was shut off with a five
inch liner and the well drilled with smaller
tools, but other caves coming in below and
the liner being unsatisfactory, determined
me, in the spring of 1911, when we started
up again with T. B. Clifford, driller, and
Clifford Babb, tool dresser, to try to shut
out the caying by using pure cement. We
found that it did the work in good shape,
and although we found caves for 800 feet
we were successful in shutting them all out
and leaving us a good hole. We have so
far about 700 feet of flint rock, very hard to
drill, with streaks of limestone and sand
down to the salt beds, where we found 80
feet of solid rock salt, then shale, lime
stone, sand to 30 feet salt again, broken up
with soft rock and caving, which we are
cementing now. This cave is about 80 feet
and much harder to handle than those in
the well above. 1t may be that the salt has
some influence on the cement, but we ex-
pect to overcome it and drill on down
through the Clinton sand and three Medina
sands, expecting by all the calculations we
can make to finish up and drill through the
last Medina sand at $500 feet, if the well
is dry. Then below that is the Trenton
rock, which has yielded such vast quanti
ties of oil and gas in Ohio and Indiana,
Whether that depth can be reached with
our present method of drilling, only the
trial with a full pocketbook back of it can
tell, and some of the old determination to
get there that has been characteristic of the
oil fields and has so far won out and made
western Pennsylvania what it is. When it
is up to old Forest county to show what
she can do, | expect her to take her place
in the front ranks of achievement with
Veaango, Butler, Clarion, Warren, or any
other oil and gas region, and to prove that
the brain and Drawn is about equally dis
tributed through the oil regions. | think
that depth could be reached, and after the
experience of one well to find the require
ments of the situation and what is really
needed to overcome the difficulties to be
met, other wells would be drilled much
cheaper.
When speak of expense and response
bility on that side, | do not forget the
need of praise that is due the boys doing
this kind of work, and while the expense
and constant outlay may jar upon the bank
accounts of those who own the property,
the doing of the work that is so unusual,
the extra strain upon the cable, wheels,
beams, and in fact everything connected
with it seems to be strained beyond its
strength. 1t all has its effect upon the
nerves and working powers, so that twelve
hours of this high tension is equal to
about two days of ordinary drilling at an
average of $500 feet, and although we have
measured out as far AS possible at this date,
| am satisfied that the time will come when
wells of 5000 or 5000 feet will be drilled in
regular order and in short time.
Yours truly, WIN. RICHARDS.