Rensselaer Union, Volume 6, Number 46, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 August 1874 — A Wonderful Oil Well. [ARTICLE]

A Wonderful Oil Well.

The Titusvile (Pa.) Herald thus describes a wonderful oil well that has just been opened: “ The road leading to the Parker well from Petrolia is in moderately good condition, and soon affer leaving “CentralPoint the traveler observes the words ‘ No smoking permitted here,’ in conspicuous places. After about two and a half miles ride the top of a hill is reached, where a loud, roaring noise is distinctly heard, and eighty rods further on brings us in sight of the well. A dense fog or mist envelopes the derrick, engine-house and tanks, while fully one thousand persons are there gazing on the wonder of Armstrong County. The derrick has conspicuously placed upon it in large letters, ‘ Boss Well,’ and * Creswell City.’ There are two 250-barrel tanks, full of oil; also two 1,200-barrel tanks, one of which is full. Three dams, one below the other, catch the dripping; and the rivulet beyond, we are told, for ten miles of a circuitous route to the Allegheny River, is covered with oil. There are two two-inch pipes connected withthe welli one of which is shut completely off, and out of the other flows a steady stream of oil with immense force, T here is no perceptible intermission in the flow, and as it gushes into one of the 1,200-barrel tanks the foam and spray envelop the whole surrounding atmosphere in a dense mist. “ A trustworthy gauger informed us that he had gauged the well three times since the stream was turned into the 1,200-bar-rel tank, and he found it doing 1,750 barrels, and he estimated the leakage to be at least fifty barrels per aay. He further stated that, ih his opinion, the well started off out of the two two-inch pipe at the rate of 2,500 barrels per day. Healso claimed that, although this was almost incredible, he believed that if the full stream was turned on now it would do at least 2,000 barrels. “The well is claimed to be the largest ever struck in the lower region. A farmer walked up to us and offered to sell his adjoining farm of 100 acres for SIOO,OOO, which ten days ago, for farming purposes, would not have brought SI,OOO. The surveyors are at work laying out Creswell City. “ well stands miles due east of the most eastern well on the fourth sand development, and -about 2} miles east of Petrolia. The number of wells drilling on the belt east or the most easterly well On the McGarvey farm, are six, namely: Two on the Snow farm, one on the Steel farm, the Gushford well, 1,000 feet deep, the Crawford well, 300 feet deep, and the Prentice well, 1.450 feet deep. The latter is half a mile due west of the Parker well, and is due next week.”