Ainiovd AHwan -\womu N3Hinos on

t*.

O
O

Copyricht, 1888, by A. WrrrKMANN,
58 & 60 Roadc St.. New York.

1 '. '. ' ' * *..."" *.."'*.

*^
*

... . . .* T '.;*.** ^

* *

',: ;;. .'.*'/

DESCRIPTIVE.

HE oil regions of Pennsylvania and New York, from which almost the entire world has
drawn its illuminating supplies for the past twenty years, are of comparatively small
extent and to many an unknown country. The entire petroleum business is peculiarly
an American enterprise, which commenced less than thirty years ago and which has rapidly
assumed proportions that are truly wonderful. The first well ever drilled for oil was that
of Col. E. L. DRAKE which was put down near Titusville in 1859. Since that time upwards
of 57,000 wells have been drilled, and nearly 400,000,000 barrels of petroleum have been
taken from the earth. There are about 25,000 wells producing oil at the present time.

A section of country beginning south of Wellsville, in New York State, and extending
south westerly, through the western pait of Pennsylvania and a small distance into Ohio and
West Virginia has produced this quantity of petroleum. A stretch of laud, two hundred
miles in length and less than twenty miles in width, will include the entire oil regions. But
not one tenth part of this area has proved productive of oil. The oil districts, about eighty
five in number, are scattered through this stretch of country, with well marked boundaries
that separate them from the large sections of dry or unproductive territory, by which they are
surrounded. These districts range in size from 100 up to 75,000 acres. The counties that have
become famous for their oil production are Allegany and Cattaraugus in New York State,
and McKean, Wan-en, Forest, Crawford, Venango, Clarim, Butler, Armstrong, Beaver, Alle-
gheny and Washington in Pennsylvania. For a long time Pennsylvania enjoyed the distinc-

.'UK1670

tion of being the only oil producing state. She has produced more oil than all other states
combined. Many of the older sections have been almost entirely exhausted of their oil, but
new districts have been continually opened up, and at the present time, the production is
40,000 barrels a day. The oil developments of Northwestern Ohio are entirely distinct from
those of Pennsylvania and New York. The Ohio oil is found in a limestone rock and is
strongly impregnated with sulphurous compounds; its principal use is for fuel purposes, while
the product of Pennsylvania makes the finest illuminating oil in the world.

HOW AN OIL WELL IS DRILLED.

The crude petroleum of Pennsylvania and the eastern oil fields exists in the minute pores
of a heavy sandstone formation that is found from 500 to 2700 feet beneath the surface of
the ground. The wells are drilled by steam, and so perfect is the process that the deepest
holes are drilled in from 30 to 90 days. When a well is to be sunk, a large wooden derrick is
first erected, which is 72 feet in height and 24 feet square at the bottom, tapering to about 2
feet square at the top. The heavy tools, which are usually 60 feet in length and from 1800 to
2500 pounds weight, are attached to one end of a long cable, two inches in diameter, which
is wound about a large windlass, called a ball wheel and attached to one side of the derrick.
The bottom piece of the string of steel tools is a simple chisel-like instrumtnt, known as a
bit, and from 4 to 8 inches across the cutting edge. Steam is supplied from a 20 horse boiler,
placed some distance from the derrick. A powerful engine, usually of 15 H. P., imparts
motion to the heavy walking beam, which is pivoted to an upright stick of timber, called the
"Samson Post." The cable with the string of tools is attached to the end of the walking
beam which projects into the derrick, through the medium of an iron arrangement, with
clamps and a swivel, and known as a "Temper Screw." As the walking beam moves up
and down, the heavy tools are lifted and let fall. The skillful driller, with his hand upon
the temper screw, causes the tools to turn round and round and pays out the cable, as the
drill cuts its way through the reck. The work proceeds night and day until the oil-bearing

rock is reached, stopping only when the tools are pulled up, to change the bit for a fresh one,
and remove the pulverized rock from the hole. For the last purpose, an iron boiler is pro-
vided, with a ball valve in the bottom which is fastened to a long rope, and readily lowered
and raised by a smaller windlass to the left of the derrick, and denominated the sand reel.

FLOWING WELLS AND THE TORPEDO.

When the rock containing the oil is reached, if the well is in good territory, the hole be-
gins to fill rapidly with oil. And as the drill cuts its way through the sand, as the oil form-
ation is called, the oil often starts flowing from the top of the hole. Pipes are connected and
the oil conducted into suitable receivers. It often flows naturally for months, without other
aid, than an occasional stirring up from the drill. But the flow is greatly accelerated by the
aid of nitro glycerine, and most wells are treated with heavy doses of it soon after being com-
pleted. The operation is called "Shooting or Torpedoing a Well." The explosive is poured
into tin tubes, about four inches in diameter, and made in sections, so as to conform in length
to the thickness of the oil bearing rock. These are lowered to the bottom of the hole, and
exploded by means of a weight and a percussion cap. A miniature earthquake is produced
nt the bottom of the hole. This breaks the sand rock into fragments and increases the flow
of oil. The first effect of the torpedo is to cause the rising of a great fountain of oil, which
ascends far above the top of the derrick with a rush and roar, forming one of the prettiest and
most interesting sights to be witnessed in the oil regions. In some parts of the country, wells
are struck that start from 800 to 4()(!0 barrels a day. The largest well in Pennsylvania, the
Armstrong in Butler County, which was discovered in October 1884, is estimated to have
started flowing at the rate of" 400 or 5(0 barrels an hour. So great was the force and power-
ful the flow that it was impossible to save the oil at first, and for several hours the flood of
crude petroleum ran to waste down the hillsides and into the nearest streams. When one of
these oil geysers is accidentally ignited the sight is both grand and impressive, nnd they often
burn for a long time, before the ingenuity of the owners devises means to extinguish them.

NATURAL GAS.

The presence of oil is always accompanied by greater or less quantities of gap, which to
distinguish it from the artificial or manufactured article is called natural gas. In some
sections immense wells are found that produce nothing but gas. In such cases, if in proxim-
ity to large towns or cities, the gas wells are more valuable than the wells that produce oil, as
the gas is conducted through pipes and used for heat, light and manufacturing purposes.
Scarcely a town exists to-day in Western Pennsylvania which is not heated or lighted to a
greater or less extent by natural gas. The same is true of the cities and towns contiguous to
the great oil and gas regions of Northwestern Ohio and Indiana. The city of Pittsburgh is
surrounded by natural gas fields of great extent, and this convenient fuel has supplanted
coal, and within the past four years almost revolutionized the manufactories of the great Iron
City of the Alleghenies. Natural gas from McKean County, Pa., finds its way through heavy
iron pipes and is used for fuel purposes in Buffalo, N. Y. So great is the force with which
t issues from the underground rock that no additional power is necessary to make it flow a
distance of over ninety miles, with only a small percentage of loss of pressure.

THE PIPE LINES.

Nearly all the oil produced is transported out of the oil country by means of a system of
pipe lines. One of these, the National Transit Co., is able to take the oil as it flows or is
pumped into the tanks of the producer, and convey it through its own pipes, to the refineries
at New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Buffalo. Two six inch
pipe lines, supplied with powerful pumping stations, at established intervals, extend from
Olean, through the southern part of New York State, one branch going to Bayonne, N. J.,
and the other, crossing the Hudson River, passing directly through Central Park, and thence
across the East River to the refineries at Hunter's Point on Long Island. These lines are kept
busy night and day and are capable of transporting 25,000 barrels of oil from the oil regions
to the seaboard eveiy twenty-four hours.

DERRICK WITH SIDE FLOW.

DRAKE WELL, THE FIRST OIL WELL DRILLED.

Oil. CITY, PA.

JO-JO. A TYPICAL OIL FIND TOWN.

TWO MILK TRESTLE, O. B. & W. R. R.

A PIPE LINE.

CURVE IN ROAD NKAR SUMMIT. PA.

A BURNING OIL TANK.

CITY OK TANKS, BELOW OLEAX, X. Y. CAPACITY, .; 5 ,<x*> C.AU.ONS KACII.

THE GREAT KINZUA BRIDGE.

A PUMP FOR FORCING OIL FROM ONE STATION TO ANOTHER.

LOADING AN OIL TRAIN.

A TORPEDO WAGON WITH LOAD OF NITRO-GLYCERINE.

NATURAL GAS SCENES.

.'11)4670

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, LOS ANGELES

THE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY
This book is DUE on the last date stamped below

oil

PI 57
0303

uc SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY

S : .V. . ' '..