THE SCR ANTON TRIBUNE- BATCH D AT MORNING, SEPTEMBER 19, 1896.
9
PETROLEUM, ITS
HISTORY AND USES
One of the Greatest of Oar Industries
Entertalogly Described.
ITS ORIGIN BAFFLES THE SAVANTS
Many Tbcorici Advanced but None
Fits All the Facts Tell of an In
teresting and Instructive Paper He
cently Read by Dr. W. F. Connor
Before the Laekawanua Institute of
History agd Science.
It has ben said a country Is rich In
proportion to its mineral wealth; la
that respect, the United States sur
passes all others, and Pennsylvania
any state in the union. The discovery
of petroleum for illuminating purposes
has been of Incalculable benefit to the
human race, for during the past thirty
years and more it has added at least
one-eighth to each and every day. of
the civilized Inhabitants of the world.
The earliest history speaks of petio
leum and its various uses, but it was
left for Samuel W. Kier. of Plttsburjr,
in 1849-50 to discover its value as an
illuminant; and from a small refinery of
forty gallons a day It has grown to be
one of the most gigantic Industries tho
orld has ever known, extending ever,
across the great Sahara desert In Africa
to the remotest corners of the earth. It
has made many multi-millionaires; but
be it said to the credit of the Standard
Oil company that it has never taken
undue advantage of its ability to In
crease the cost to the consumer: that
It pays Its labor the highest wages, anu
that there has never been a strike, to
my knowledge, among its employes.
OIL, IN CRUDE FORM.
As taken from the earth petroleum
is of a dark brown color, which, by re
flected light, appears greenish. It is
about as thick as thin molasses, get
ting thicker in cold weather, but never
freezing. It Is a hydro-carbon of a
peculiar penetrating odor which differs
largely in the different fields. General
ly Its odor is of nnptha, which it con
tains, but that which comes from the
vicinity of Lima, O., smells like a mix
ture of burning sulphur or rotten eggs,
and is even found after a brief period
in the refined product. For a long time
the oil from that region was successful
ly used as fuel; It contains a smaller
proportion o! lamp oil, but the demands
for the latter are In' excess of the
amount produced and its use for fuel
lias been discontinued.
THE FIRST WELL.
The first well was drilled near Titus
vllle, I'a., in August, 1850, by Colonel
Drake, and oil and gas were found at
slxty-nlue feet from the surface, and
yielded what at that time was a phe
nomenal quantity, 400 gallons per day,
though by deeper drilling since, a single
well has thrown out over 4,000 barrels
a duy, equal to 100,000 gallons.
Plthole, Venango county, wns the
center of early active operations, and
the experience of people during these
days of excitement would rival the tule
of Monte Crlsto or the Arabian Nights.
In May, 1865, Plthole was laid out and
six months later It had 00 houses, CO
of which were hotels, thrih of which
cost In constructing over $N0,000 apiece,
and its postoftlcc was the second In the
state. In one Instance $24,000 was given
for tho privilege of drilling a well on a
single one-half acre of land; specula
tion was rife, men carried as high as
$50,000 In their pockets and slept on
tho floors of hotels, and many people
formed companies and sold lands they
never possessed to gullible buyers; and
the capital stock of companies in that
year reached $1100,000,000. Reaction fol
lowed In 1867-08, and machinery that
cost $2,500 to $3,000 sold for $25 to $50;
but good business men made money and
saved It. One well alone earned for Its
owners over $3,000,000. But, alas, poor
Pitholet Now you would need a trusty
guide to locate It
THE PIPE LINES.
During recent years the surplus oil
has been stored in large tanks holding
25,000 to 35,000 barrels, torn down and
built up as the flelds changed and ten
years ago there was nearly 30,000,000
SATURDAY
Giant values at dwarf prices are hard to resist, for they bear very little drain upon the purse. Bargains for Saturday are strictly made to
order by us, for values offered for this day are for the day only. They are the real made-to-sell kind, with a figure on them that will make them
sell. Think of it!7 7.50 pair Ladies' Hand-sewed Fine Dongola Shoes, extension sole, all sizes and widths, regular price the world over $2.50 to
$3.00, our special sale, $1.49. Men's Patent Leather Shoes, sizes 6 to 10, at $1.49. Men's Calf Shoes, sold all over town for $3.00 and $4.00, our
Special price only $2.00. 1,000 pair Men's Dress Shoes, all toes and sizes, at 95c, worth $1.25. 675 pair Misses' Fine Shoes, buttons, square
toe, worth $2.00, sizes 12 to 2, at $1.00. 200 pair Children's Shoes, sizes 5 to 8, wedge heel, worth 65c. for 45c. 1,000 pair Infants' Shoes, 2 to 5,
at 20c. We have a few pair of Ladies' Shoes left at 50c. '
The above are only a few of our great bargains. We want you to be free with us. Come in, go out, look or buy. With our stock and
our efforts to please you can't help making Myer Davidow's the Host Popular Shoe Store in town. Remember, there is no trouble to show
goods, and you will surely save money by it. We are the sole agents for Stacy, Adams & Co.'s Men's Fine Shoes and Gray Bros.' Ladies' Fine
Hand-Turned Shoes.
MYE
barrels stored on the surface In these
large reservoirs. The oil is pumped
from the small tanks at the wells to the
stations and from them not only into
the big tanks, but by a series of sta
tions, situated about thirty to forty
miles apart, to the seaboard, thus sav
ing vast sums of money in barreling
and transportation.
For a number of years oil was bar
relled and sent to Pittsburg on flat
boats from Oil Creek, a distance of 132
miles. Later, refineries were built along
the creek and large iron tank cars con
structed, holding about sixty barrels,
on which the refined product was con
veyed to all parts of the United States
and to the seaports for export to Eu
rope. Now large iron tank steamers
carry the export oil across the ocean.
GEOLOGICALLY CONSIDERED.
The geological strata In which oil Is
found consists of conglomerate slates
and shales. Conglomerate rock is
made up of pebbles mixed ,with more or
less sand and all cemented into a close,
hard rock. These pebbles vary in size
and quality in various localities, being
usually of quarts, though some times
sandstone, and they are found from the
size of a pea to that of a goose egg, and
occasionally larger. They have evi
dently been thrown together In their
present shape by the action of water
tumbling pushing and rolling them to
gether. The conglomerates of the lo
cation mentioned belong to the vesper
tine formation of the Pennsylvania
survey. It is found in situ in its native
bed only upon the tops of the highest
hills; but pieces of it which have been
broken off by their own weight, after
the softer rock beneath had been de
composed and washed away, are found
scattered over the hillsides, sometimes
In Immense blocks, which are so en
during as to defy the action of the ele
ments and bear record In their ruins
of the former conditions and changes,
which their more yielding neighbors,
the sandstones and slates, could not
withstand.
As found here it is not coarse, the
pebbles being rarely larger than hick
ory nuts, and they become smaller as
we trace this formation westward,
while the opposite will hold good as
we go eastward. The accompanying
vespertine sandstone and slates also
becomes finer in their textures, and the
whole formation becomes thinner as It
spreads westward from 2,600 feet on the
Susquehanna river to not more than
100 to 150 feet on Oil Creek. From this
thinning down of the mass toward the
westward and a corresponding change
In the texture from coarse to fine we
are led to believe the material from
which these rocks are composed was
derived from a continent lying on the
east or northwest of the Appalachian
ranges, previous to their upheaval, and
that these materials after being
brought down to the sea through the
channels of rivers flowing west and
southwest were distributed to their
present location by the powerful ocean
currents that were undoubtedly subject
to laws similar to those which govern
our present great rivers to the sea.
AN ILLUSTRATION.
For a familiar Illustration take a long
mill pond or lake with a creek flowing
into it at one extremity and out at tho
opposite, the creek will bring down, es
pecially at the time of a Hood, larire
quantities of loose stone, pebbles, sand,
black mud, vegetable mould, and blue
mud or clay; and It will dispose them
over the bottom of the pond or lake In
the order in which we have named
them, that Is, at the upper end of the
lake. At the mouth of the creek will
be found the large stones, then the
smaller ones or pebbles; then, as the
current beromes less, the black mud
was deposited, and Anally the blue
clay, which the water held longest ami
carried farthest: and the beds will be
found to become thinner as they be
come finer in texture, thus correspond
ing to the conglomerates, sandstones.
slates and shales of the New York
state and Pennsylvania formations of
the second series.
It will be readily inferred from tho
above that a sandstone Is only a very
fine conglomerate: also that black car
bonaceous slates may be attributed to
vegetable origin; and, that argillaceous
Bhales, or the soapstones of the oil
regions, are derived from clayey forma- j
tlons. The vergent series of rocks so i
called by Professor Rogers is immedi
ately below the vespertine and It corre
sponds to the Chemung and Portage
groups of the New York state geolog
SCRANTOPTS
ists. This formation consists of sand
stones, slates and shales Interspersed
with the sandstones. In their layers,
varying from five to fifty feet in thick
ness, while the slates and shales are
found In immense deposits, sometimes
80C or 1.000 feet in thickness. To this
series doubtless belong the sandstones,
slates and shales which appear in the
bluffs along the valley of Oil Creek
through its entire length; also the first,
second and third sand rocks of the
wells with the Intervening slates and
shales, and how much deeper It extends
is unknown. The fourth sand rock of
Plthole corresponds with the third of
Oil Creek, because the second is split
into a stray sand. The rocks above de
scribed are stated to belong to the
Paleozoic rocks, because containing the
most ancient remains of ancient animal
and vegetable life yet discovered,
stretching all the way between the
gnelsslc formations beneath and the
lowest of the coal deposits above. Some
times they are denominated "fossilfer
ous," "sedimentary" or "secondary"
rocks.
KEYSTONE FORMATIONS.
In ' Pennsylvania, says Professor
Rogers, who Is considered the high
est authority, and to whom I am In
debted for the foregoing description,
this class has been deposited during
the four earliest periods of the great
European divisions, namely the Cam
brian, Silurian, Devonion and Curbon
lforous. No traces of the fifth or Per
mian group, has been found in North
America. The prolonged succession of
sedimentary action closed with the
close of the Cambrian system, belnff
terminated by the upheaval of the
ocean, In, whose broad bed, and
around whose margin thse deposits
had collected. The same eminent au
thority states that the vergent series
abounds In the remains of Marine
vegetation, and also that the aggre
gate thickness of all the rocks be
longing to the class above described
measured at their greatest depths not
more than thirty-live thousand feet
The sand rocks of McKcan county
belong to an entirely different strata.
AVest of the Alloghenles there Is a dip
of the coal strata which crops out
In McKcan county on the top of the
highest hills of eleven feet to the mile,
irregular SO to 21 in oil field on a line
32 degrees west of south, and toward
the Gulf of Mexico. This strata over
lies the conglomerate or third sand
by 60 feet, but here the McKean coun
ty third sand underlies that of the
lower oil country by 2,200 feet, and if
an entirely different composition, be
ing reddish In color, resembling choco
late grounds and abounding in fire,
shells, which are not found in the oth
er regions.
IJy actual measurement one well on
Oil Creek was drilled through 32 feet
of earth, 168 feet of slate rock to first
sand, .which was 20 feet deep, then
through another strata of slate 115
feet to second sand, 25 feet thick, then
110 feet of slate rock to third sand of
20 feet, making in all 470 feet to the
top of third sand, which .was 25 feet
thick.
SHOOTING- A WELL.
Some wells flow at Irregular Inter
vals, while the quantity of gas In
others Is sufficient to blow the oil
out. Others have to be piped to ths
bottom and the oil pumped or lifted
out, often from a depth of 2,000 feet
several times a day as It accumulates.
After a well has been drilled to the
proper depth and sand In order to
loosen tho rock and make a pocket
for the oil to gather In a torpedo,
which consists of a tube of tin 2x4
Inches In diameter Is anchored near
its mouth and from 10 to 40 quarts of
nitroglycerine poured Into It, and on
top Is placed a percussion cap and
all lowered, and when In readiness a
weight Is dropped down which strikes
the cop, exploding the nitroglycerine,
nnd then follows a magnltlclent sight.
At first there Is heard a rustling sand
followed by a noise like distant thund
er, which increases In volume, nnl
shortly a black column of oil which
retains tho form of the tubing, is car
ried more than 100 feet up through
the derrick, where it spreads out In
the form of a spray, and like a sud
den shower on a sunny day Is
sprinkled over the vicinity of the well,
covering the new timber with mud
and oil; this is followed by a perfect
fusllade of stones of all sizes up to
a. goose egg; then all is quite for a
little while, when tho well flows again
if it is a largo one, or It may continue
to flow constantly or at Intervals for
307 LACKAWANNA
IS
DEMANDS WITH DWAHF PRICES
DAY! DQW5
hours or days, throwing out thousands
of barrels like a huge hole spouting,
or it may cease after being shot and
compel its owner to pump the oil out
When a big well Is expected arrange
ments are made by the erection of large
tanks to store the oil and when it first
ows it is connected by a series of pipes
to them, but when an unusual well Is
found and its thousands of barrels are
poured into the nearest stream It be
comes a source of danger to everyone
living along Its torturous, way.
Geologists have stated that there was
no oil east of the Alleghenles and it
was left for the wild-cat driller to de
monstrate that large quantities of oil
existed In western New York and gas
has been found In many places In that
state and In paying quantities. In
Oswego county, and it would not be
surprising to find oil even farther east.
Many theories have been advanced
as to the origin or causes which lead
to the production of oil some of them
very Ingenious; but most of them
wanting In some essential feature. If
oil was always found In the same
strata, if It was always of the same
uniform character many of these theor
ies would be more valuable; but why
should the oil found on Oil Creek be
of a specific gravity of 57 baum and
that from Franklin, less than ten miles
away, be of a 20 baum and of an entire
ly different character, the former worth
$1.00 per barrel for light while the lat
ter Is worth six to eight dollars as a
lubricant? Again that found In Canada
Is Impregnated with aerolelne, a pun
gent substance very irritating to the
lungs and throat and found In fish
oil by the distillation, while nothing of
the kind exists In Pennsylvania petro
leum. Another writer says 'Uhe transforma
tion of wood fibre into oil is a chemical
change, taking place always out of
contact with atmospheric air, and us
ually under water, but by no means
connected with any geological period.
As for Instance, the coal period with
which many intelligent people ossol
elate it
Dr. Gresner says: "During the pas
sage of vegetable substances into coal
ther Is an escape of vast quantities of
carbon confined with hydrogen; It Is
only necessary that he gases of these
elements should be condensed to pro
duce hydrocarbon oils; the operation Is
a decomposing and combining one and
the new combinations formed during
the transmutation of wood into coal
have a close anology to those produced
during the distillation of wood without
the admission of olr; the gases gener
ated In strata of coal and coal strata
are always under great pressure which
tends to their condensation and tlifa
consequent formation of oil."
OF VEGETABLE ORIGIN?
"That coal has been derived from
vegetables Is undoubted; peat and
wood are found to pass by Insensible
shades into lignite, lignite Into com
pact, bituminous coal and the end of
tho transformation appears In anthra
cite from which nearly all the hydro
gen has been expelled and carbon re
mains. From the expulsion of oxygen,
carbon and hydrogen from wood and
tho variety It presents until It forms
true coal heat has not been necessary,
although It hus doubtless exercised a
powerful influence In connection with
those chemical changes ever going for
ward in the earth.
"The condensation of hydrogen nnd
carbon producing oil nnd the fact ot
strata of conl nnd shale before they
reach the maximum of carbonization,
giving out theso elements In great
quantities under pressure and tho
tendency of these gases and oils to
difl'uso reasons for finding oil In form
ations having no traces of vegeta
tion." Another writer supposes "that the
petroleum of Pennsylvania arises from
the distillation by subterranean heat
of the hydro carbon agents resident
In the carbonaceous strata underly
ing the oil regions."
Ptill another says: "That the great
beds of anthracite coal of Pennsyl
vania on the southern slope of tho
Alleghenles are merely the residuary
coke, as It were, of a distillation pro
cess which has converted their bitum
inous matter into oil, and distributed
It by some convulsion of the earth
through the formations beyond the
mountain range."
The theory of scientific men of the
present day In explanation ot the
source of Bait In the sea Is this: "The
carbonic acid of the nlr is constantly
A DAY SET ASIDE B
acting upon the rocks on the surface
of the earth, thus turning them to clay
and forming carbonates with soda pot
ash lime and magnesln set free. These
are carried down as carbonates to
the sea, where the carbonate decom
poses the chloride of calcium of its
waters and forms common salt and
carbonate of lime. This series of ac
tion Is the source ot the salt of the
sea ot clays and limestone. Organic
living beings do not generate the car
bonate ot lime, but appropriate it
when formed for them by chemical
reactions; and thus great portions of
our limestone rocks are made up of
fossil remains. In a volume of lime
stone there is separated and con
densed from the air a large amount
of carbonic acid gas. The early at
mosphere was therefore very dense
and unfit for the sustenance ot the
higher forms of life, until by far the
greater portion of this gas had been
removed by thef ormatlon of the car
bonate of lime, and vegetable matter
now constituting petroleum."
PRACTICAL LESSONS.
In the brief time allotted to this pa
per I have only been able to touch
lightly on this formation feature of
petroleum, but the drill has proven
that many of the above theories do not
hold true and that geologists of great
reputations have been put right by its
practical tests.
It is assumed that for every sixty
feet we enter the earth towards its
center there is an Increase ot one de
gree of heat, but Instances have oc
curred In which pellets of lee have been
blown from the bottom of a well 600
feet deep, and by the thermometer the
temperature has been found in oil com
ing to the surface at or below the freez
ing point, and I have often found by
dipping the fingers into such oil that
It was exceedingly cold.
A very important question here arises,
Does the chemical laboratory of nature
reproduce the oil as it Is removed, or
do we exhaust the supply? There are
wells still pumping that have continu
ously supplied oil for upward of twenty-five
years, while others are worth
less after flowing or pumping for a
brief period. A careful estimate of its
various wells in different locations a
few years ago by the Forest Oil com
pany puts the cost of production at an
average of 75 cents per barrel. There
is considerable expense connected with
keeping a well In working order, as
paraflne wax collects around the In
terior of Us tubing, frequently requir
ing that It be pulled out and cleaned.
If allowed to stop for a few weeks the
production decreases or ceases alto
gether, as If the oil found other means
of exit.
CHEMICAL QUALITIES.
v
It is a general rule with few excep
tions that the harder tho rock tho
greyer the color of the sand, the light
er colored the oil, the smaller the well
and the better Its staying qualities.
AVhen first distilled refined oil hna
on acid reaction. Is water white to a
bluish shade; the lowest grade Is 100
degrees Hash test. That which we
generally get is 120 to 150 degrees while
headlight runs to 300 degrees. Clean
copper remains untounched by refined
oil as It contains no oxygen. Clean
pottaslum remains blight In it, strong
sulphur add decomposes and destroys
It. nitric acid changes It as It does other
oils to a yellow oily filled; hydrochloric
and ncetic acid do not nfTect It at all,
neither docs litharge or other metallc
oxides nor by hydrates of potassa, soda
or lime, nor bl-chlorlde of culclum or
many other salts. It Is nearly Insoluble
In pure alcohol only 4 to 5 per cent,
being, dissolved, but either has the pow
er of completely dissolving it, and if
the ether Is evaporated It at once as
sumes Its former appearance.
Resides the above grades of oil there
are produced from, crude petroleum
naphtha, rhlgollue, an anarsthellc,
paraflne wax, cosmollne or vasaline,
tar and analine dyes besides a neutral
oil that resembles sweet oil and is
called albullne.
Rheumatism Relieved in fl Hours.
"MYSTIC CURE" for RHEUMA
TISM and NEURALGIA relieves In
three hours. Its action upon the sys
tem Is marvelous and mysterious. It
removes at once the cause and the dis
ease quickly disappears. The first dose
great benefits. 75 cents. Sold by Carl
Lorenz, druggist, 418 Lackawanna ave
nue, Scranton.
AVENUE.
307
For
TUBni
FOR THE FASTEST
WHEEL ON EARTH,
No Matter Who Rides It
B. F. KELLER,
ON A
SPALDING
AT THE
National Meet at Wilkes-Barre,
SEPTEMBER 16,
Was the only man (with on exception) oat ot
the entire Mcranton push that woo anything,
beating out some ot tba fastest men on the
circuit. Again we say, get a bpaldlug sad be
happy.
C, M. FLOREUgt.
.CYCLES
At Rock-Bottom Prices,
LIST NO. a.
Buffalo Princa '86, $36
Imperial '96, 55
Eria '96, 45
Princa '96, 36
Sterns '94, 35
Columbia 93, 25
Cleveland '94, 25
Coventry '93, 15
These are all fitted with pneumatic
tires and are in good running order.
CHASE & FARRAR
BICYCLE SURGEONS,
S'SH Linden Street. Opp. Court House.
WHEELS (ffi) WHEELS
BICYCLES.
OS Al AFTER SEPT. 18T. IBM, WE
will offer all of the following wheels we
may have in stork at Jobber's Prices ; Wolf
Anifricnn, Piorco. Ivor-Johnson, WaYerly and
Fcatln rBtone I.lue. This ia an opportunity
to Kt a pond wheel choap. We still have tho
famous "Crawford," a wheel that run a
lltrht and easy end wears equal to any 100
machine on tho market Coil and boo what
we can do for yon in our Una,
I i PERU 321 SPRUCE SI.
WE ARE STILL ROOTING
B
LACKAWANNA
One Price to
convalescents and invalids ; for e!itt
dren or for people with weak digestion .
must be carefully prepared from the I
most wholesome ingredients. For I
such cooking, Cottolene proves in-1
valuable-. It imnarts a delicate flavor I
to the food, making it at once pal
atable and healthful. -(
Cottolene
Isnndonbtedlvtlie best.cookJnir material
ever nrnifitrprl mnnin
twit f (it Unautolo tTd-wTfr mil tttm IsmJ
IT ETAIDBAKIW rnMDlMV
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PotltlTiIj Removes all Field BleoMat
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be obtained In erory Instance by its use. Fries
it pry nniue. r or sale at it m. ueisere Hair
Dressing and Manicure Parlors, 0.10 L
wanna ave. Hall orders filled promptly.
$330.00 Seal Skin Sacqus.
Onr ambition Is to reach the 500,000
mark in circulation, making ns tho largest
weekly home mngaaino in tho world. To ac
complish this we have decided to glyo abac
lutely free, to each lady obtaining in tho etato
In which she resides the lament number ot
yearly subscriptions for The Household Corn
pen Ion by January 1, 18)07. the finest t3UUW
Healskin Jacket manufactured by Henry A
Newland Co., Detroit In addition to this
unprecedented offer wo will pay 2o cents for
eacb subscription sent us. Our yearly sub
acriptlon trice has been reduced from
$1.25 TO 75 CENTS.
Bend one cent stamped addressed wrapper
for subscription blanks and freo sample copy
of paper to
Household Publishing Co.,
DETROIT, MICH,
References; Any Bank la Detroit.
THB WI3AL AMERICAN TRIP
NORTHERN STEAMSHIP COMPANY.
The Superbly Appointed and ConimodloM
Kte.'l Steamships,
NORTHWEST ANU NORTHLAND,
American through and Ihrmtch,
learo Buffalo 1 wsdnvs snd Fridays 0.30 p.m.
for Cleveland, Detroit, Mackinac. The boo,
Duluth, and Western Points, passing all
places of interest by daylight In connection
with
THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY,
it forms the most direct route, and from OT
ary point of comparison, the most delightful
nnd cemfortnl lo one t Minneapolis, Ft. Paul,
tireat Palls, Holena, Butte. Kpolcane and Pa
ct 11 0 coast. The only transcontinental lino
running the famous buffet, library, observa
tion car.
New 07 hour train for Portland Tie Ppoksne.
HOTLL LAPAVETTE, Lake Mlnnetonka,
16 nulea from Minneapolis largest and moss
beantiul resort in tho west.
licketsnud any Information of any agent or
A. A. UKAliU, General Passenger agent
Buffalo, N. Y.
r
Y' US
AVENUE.
Ali.
lHitllllli