White Bluffs spokesman. [volume] (White Bluffs, Wash.) 1907-1938, 1916-05-05
Harris on
Gas and Oil
Continued from page one).

tiary formations. During earlier
tertiary times (the Eocent peliod)
this part of the country was COW
cred with water and sediments of
clay and silt were laid down to an
extent of perhaps thousands of feet
thick, forming layers of 'shale and
sandstone. This was afterward ell
evated above the water level and
surface erosion to a large degree
took place, causing hills and valleys
as surface erosion does today. Lat
er, during the Miocene period of
the tertiary age, this formation
was covered up by successive lava
flows forming the Yakima Basalt.
Between these successive flows of
lava there were periods of quiet
when portions of the area may have
been covered by water and sedi-
ments may have been deposited or
there may have been vegetable life
(trees, etc. growing on these wat
err deposited or wind blown soils.
These deposits were also likely
composed partially of VOLCANOES ash.
After this Yakima Basalt had been
deposited, the area was again. de-
pressed and under water, when
quantities Of sediments were de-
posted on it and the Ellensburg
formation of clays, sands and con-
glomerates were deposited. After
this period an uprising took place
in which the area was folded into
hills and valleys above the water,
and this brings us up to the present
time, so far as the present topog-
raphy is concerned.
1t is my opinion that the Rattle
snake hills are the crest of a true
anticline running in a northwest and
southeast direction. The slope is
gradual to the southwest and more
abrupt to the northeast. Directly
above the we'll the hills seem to be
higher than in any other portion of
the ridge tor several miles. Tow
ard the Yakima river the forma-
tion seems to plunge in a southeast
direction very gradually. The es-
carpment seen also indicates that
the formation plunges to the north
west and rather abruptly at point
about 4 miles to the northwest
from the we'll. This would indi-
cate that the area in which the
we'll is located is dome. Such a
condition is favorable for pool of
oil or gas.
The location Of the we'll is es-
pecially fortunate. Directly south
of the we'll the Rattlesnake hills
reach an elevation according to
barometeric readings of 1900 feet.
From the we'll to the foot of the
hill, about one mile distant, the
slope is gradual. The foothills
are from 100 to 200 feet in height,
sloping up to the base of the noun
ting about Ii miles from the we'll.
A spring issues at this point at an
elevation of about 1900 feet. AL
most at the top of tho nil is a pond
formed by seepages from below
! tnat never goes dry. Just below is
a never-failing spring. These
springs and the pond undoubtedly
issue from horizons which are be-
tween successive lava flows and
they probably issue from lateral
cracks caused by crust stress. /
think there is some analogy be-
tween the rising of water and gas
from the deeper stratas below at
this particular point. / believe
that a pool IF oil exists below the
gas-bearing stratas and this we'll
will be found to be near it's center.
am backing my judgment by
taking up leases adjoining, and
with my associates, j. w. Eames of
Los Angeles and Henry D. James
of Tacoma, expect to commence
development work at once. We
are shipping in two high-power